The research varies, but it is argued that anywhere between 30%-50% of all Google searches are now carried out on a smartphone. If your website is not built mobile friendly, it will not turn up in these searches. Essentially, having a website that is not mobile friendly is like having a main street location with no parking and backdoor access.
Mobile friendly sites are generally achieved through something called "responsive design". Generally this means that all of a website’s content can be easily viewed on a smartphone, a laptop, a desktop, a tablet, or any web other device. It makes for a consistent and seamless user experience, and will keep mobile users from moving to the next site.
“Google will demote a sites position if it does not meet their "mobile friendly" requirements”
In building a responsive site there are two options. First, you can build one standard site that adapts to any screen, and this is the approach that many DIY site builders use through Word Press. This can also be achieved through HTML and CSS coding, which allows for an entirely custom design beyond the capabilities of Word Press. The second option is creating an alternate and purely mobile site. This is where you see a web address that might read "m.google.com" instead of "www.google.com".
“I already have a website, but it is not responsive design”
In this instance the same two options apply. Your current site can be adapted into a responsive site, or you can build a second, mobile friendly site, where smartphone users will be automatically redirected. Neither option is necessarily better than the other, as they each hold various benefits, and every business has different needs.
“We want to make an app!”
In the grand scheme of things, a well-developed mobile site is all that most businesses will need. That being said, there are certain industries that see great benefit from hosting their own app. Real-estate firms, photographers, bloggers, news organizations, and various others can see substantial motivation to develop their own app. If you are providing interesting content, that changes often, an app may be the way to go. We always work collectively to make sure you get your app, site, or any other item developed exactly how you see it.
We know… Getting a website (or any IT work done) can seem like ordering a four course meal in a foreign language. It can definitely be both intimidating and confusing if you don’t know the language. This is why we do our best to keep the computer language in the computer, while helping you get the right information in the right places.
A website is essentially your storefront or office. It may be a primary one or it maybe a secondary one, regardless, it is a location where both informed and uninformed people go to learn about your business. It doesn’t matter if your business operates online or not; having a website is crucial to earning new clients in the modern marketplace.
We ensure that all of our clients get fast, if not immediate responses.
We want to keep you in full control of what is on your site at all times.
If you are looking for a new site, or to revamp your current site, don’t think small. Great things can now be achieved at reasonable costs. When good technical skill is matched with collaboration and creativity, anything can be done. Often designers will use pre-determined templates from programs like WordPress, however, we feel this hinders the creativity of building, and we code each page from scratch. Our unique skill set gives you the option to own a responsive website that is 100% custom. Bridgemark has already built numerous websites for firms in The Boundary, Lethbridge, Kelowna, and throughout Western Canada. Please, do not hesitate to ask for examples of our work!
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
This is really just a synonym for “Google Ranking”. There are other search engines to rank on like Bing or Yahoo, but in the grand scheme of things, Google is what most SEO is tailored to. “Manipulating” SEO has been the trend of the past decade, and site builders have been leveraging the automated “Google Rules” to rank at the top. Google has recently been fighting this trend, and is continually changing their ranking methods in an effort to identify and boost good sites, while demoting sites built to manipulate rankings.
With all this in mind, just know a few key points. Good content that is both relevant and consistent to your industry is crucial. Repetition of words or “tags” will demote a site, while creative and original material will boost a site. Your site must be mobile friendly to turn up in a mobile Google search (estimated 30-50% of all Google searches). The more visitors you get, the higher your ranking will be, and social media DOES help. The rules go on but are ever-changing.
A good site must be built with SEO in mind, but SEO should never trump original content and design.
There are many forms of advertising and promotions, and we do not shy away from trying new and unique things. Any and all ideas are welcome. To date we have worked on the following advertisements and promotions:
PowerPoint Presentations
We have prepared several PowerPoint presentations for organizations in Alberta and BC. This can come in the form of simply providing a customized visual template for your content, or it can be the creation of an entire slideshow. Regardless of your need, we can help ensure you give the best possible presentation. It is amazing how much good visuals can enhance a presentation. Bridgemark can also help you edit and proof all content prior to finalizing the file. We have many examples of our work available for those who ask, but in the interest of privacy we will not post these online. We can also create video and Prezi presentations.
No matter if your in the market for new business cards, a new billboard, direct mail, or any other designable item, we have a got you covered; AND... we do all design IN HOUSE. This saves big bucks for integrated projects like websites and ad design. Most web builders partner up with designers or outsource their graphic work, but with Bridgemark it all happens in one spot. This makes for better consistency and faster turn around. We have years of experience in design, and creativity is our core competence. Whether you're making a billboard, a magazine ad, a uniform, a website, or anything else, we can help you stand out in a visual sense.
What works for one person may not work for another, and we know this. The whole process of design is a subjective one. As such, all feedback and all constructive criticism of design work is respected and encouraged. One person’s creativity and ideas are weaker than that of two or three people, and collaboration has been the key to our successful client relationships. We like to create in an open environment where all ideas are possible. For a lot of modern design, less is more. But… sometimes… more is more. Don’t hesitate to try something new. If you have a vision, we will help bring it to life. Whether you’re in Southern Alberta or Southern California, we will design with you, not just for you.
Motion Graphics
Bridgemark also has the capacity to create motion graphics. These are generally used on digital billboards, YouTube, and other online media. Whether you need a narrated info-graphic for the web, or lower third graphics for your documentary, we can provide the professional and top quality sequence that you are looking for.
This why we want to emphasis our small business consulting service. Rock Creek, Grand Forks, Castlegar, Yellowknife, Kamloops, Regina; it does not really matter, as location is less of a concern in this era. If your business is looking to push forward with times, or even stay ahead of them, throwing efforts into any and all techniques without the proper knowledge is likely to backfire. The best way we have seen some of our clients figure out where they wanted to be has been through simple conversation. An outside perspective asking questions and looking at things in a different way. This is what we offer in our consulting efforts.
Generally, we like to spend a day or two on site understanding the process. We are not there to comment on or suggest changes to your operations. Think of us as a new and eager employee with a very logical mindset who wants to know how it all works. Through questions come understanding, and the better the understanding we can get, the better solutions we can build. It is unlikely that you would ever need every service we offer, and we will never try to push anything we don’t believe in. A cliché line perhaps, but with Bridgemark it is the truth. Who knows, after a few hours of conversation, you may find out that you don’t need even one of our services, and that you have the skill set to carry out new tasks within your own business. The whole reason Bridgemark exists is to help small businesses succeed, and that is the end goal of all consulting efforts.
“Strategy is not a specific service we offer, instead, it is the first and most important step in every service that we do offer”.
We will spare the textbook reading on how exactly to develop a strategy, as really, every business is unique, and every business has at least a minimal form of existing or past strategy. However, “sell more of our product with a funny viral ad”, is not a sound marketing strategy. The graphic on this page presents a very general procedure of what steps and thoughts should be placed into each and every effort.
Often when people put out a product or service of quality, they don’t develop a strategy to then find the correct market. Instead, they believe the market will find them as long as they put out a funny ad, or make a good website. This is the number one area in which small businesses fail; STRATEGY, and it has become the biggest area for Canadian small business consultants.
Strategy development is critical to business success. Whether you’re a new or existing business, ensure you think strategy before every marketing effort.
Bridgemark is a small firm with big intentions. The primary office is a home office, and the reason for this is plain and simple; lower costs for all involved. A lot of media firms are renting big modern commercial spaces to look professional and host meetings, but the truth is that all of this work streams brain to paper to media, and a computer is generally the biggest piece of equipment needed. And really, we can learn way more about your business by coming to you and seeing it firsthand than having you come to us. A modern marketing firm like Bridgemark essentially exists online, and their design / web work should speak greater volumes than the décor of their office. We are confident that if you compare our actual work with that of other companies in British Columbia, you will see the difference.
If you have read through other sections of the site, you should have a good understanding of the work culture with Bridgemark. It is straightforward and honest. We will never say that we can do something if we cannot; but everything we do say, we will do in all in our power to follow through on. This is the only way we can do business, there are just too many other options out there. Technical skill aside, we want to provide the best Marketing and IT client service in all of BC, if not Canada.
Bridgemark was started to enable a flexible working environment to a select few, who actually enjoy the work. Creating things and being creative is what it is all about. The work also provides tremendous insight into small businesses of all types, and establishing long lasting relationships with business owners is essential. Without good relationships, this work cannot be truly effective. We know the stereotypical nightmares of dealing with both advertising consultants and IT firms. We try to squash those by being upfront, responsive, and open to any idea whatsoever. We are like you, the small business owner. We do what we love, and we want to succeed. The only way we can succeed is by helping you do the same, and we sincerely want to do so.
Never hesitate to give us a call for any reason at any time. 403.892.6233
As this site is posted, I am the only permanent employee at Bridgemark. I have written and designed everything on the site. Bridgemark as a whole does work with certain partners on contracts, but this all depends on projects, preferences and timelines. I have been coding in HTML since I was 13 years old, and I constantly update my knowledge through online training databases and courses like Khan Academy and Codeacademy. After graduating from a multimedia college in British Columbia, I worked at my first production studio where I spent countless hours training and creating both still and motion graphics. After I developed my technical skill set, I found myself in various marketing positions with nothing but self acquired marketing knowledge. This made me uncomfortable, so I returned to University to earn my Bachelors of Management in Marketing, graduating with a 4.0 GPA.
If you have read through other sections of the site, you should have a good understanding of the work culture with Bridgemark. It is straightforward and honest. We will never say that we can do something if we cannot; but everything we do say, we will do in all in our power to follow through on. This is the only way we can do business, there are just too many other options out there. Technical skill aside, we want to provide the best Marketing and IT client service in all of BC, if not Canada.
Bridgemark was started to enable a flexible working environment to a select few, who actually enjoy the work. Creating things and being creative is what it is all about. The work also provides tremendous insight into small businesses of all types, and establishing long lasting relationships with business owners is essential. Without good relationships, this work cannot be truly effective. We know the stereotypical nightmares of dealing with both advertising consultants and IT firms. We try to squash those by being upfront, responsive, and open to any idea whatsoever. We are like you, the small business owner. We do what we love, and we want to succeed. The only way we can succeed is by helping you do the same, and we sincerely want to do so.
Never hesitate to give us a call for any reason at any time. 250.442.7658.
Some people really LIKE social media, and this is why so many businesses are placing so much importance on it. It is true, your current customers, and your potential customers are likely on some form of social media. That being said, serious strategy and thought needs to go into any social media effort. It goes much deeper and further than posting at the right time of day and paying to boost it. Every post should be part of a consistent strategy, and this is the biggest area in which a business should seek outside help.
Our goal is not to take over your social media and run it. Outsourcing social media permanently is similar to outsourcing a call center, and generally, the customer experience is weakened. Our goal is to build up a solid and relevant network for you, provide you with a solid understanding of that network, and then pass it back to you. We can run any platform for as long as it takes, but the most honest and relevant postings come from those within the business itself. This may be the opposite strategy of most media firms, but in the name of honesty, we see too much of our client’s money being burnt up on misguided and insincere social media efforts.
We can help you find the right followers, we can help you create visuals and content that stand out on each social media platform, we can help you script your postings, and we can help you strategize and implement special or seasonal campaigns. We can help you do all these things with YOUR social media, while it remains YOUR social media, and does not become another generic outsourced effort.
Major benefits of outside social media help: