Keep it Simple

The most important job your contact page has is to put your readers in touch with you. That’s the whole point of your website, so in a way, the contact page is the king of pages (Okay, we know that it isn’t, but it’s still essential). By keeping your contact page simple, you will let your audience quickly and easily contact you in a way they feel most comfortable.

Options, Options, Options

There are plenty of options you can offer to website users for reaching you. People often have strong feelings about these options. One person may hate forms while another loves them. Text is becoming a more popular contact method than ever, and it can be set up with an autoresponder outside of business hours. Some business owners are concerned with having an email on their website, thinking they may get a lot of spam. Thankfully, there are ways to ensuring you are being emailed by a person and not a robot.

Special Considerations to Keep in Mind

While offering options to suit most web users is ideal, you also want to consider what fits your business model and lifestyle. If you are a contractor who never checks your email more than once a day, you may want everything to go to your phone number.

Some industries are subject to specific regulations such as HIPPA laws, which affect how and when you can contact someone. Unless you are using a particular server that is secured consistent with HIPPA, providers cannot send outgoing emails. In those cases, collecting a name and phone number via a form may be the best solution, and having your phone number available for people to call your business.

Have Your Contact Information Available

You should include the addresses, phone numbers, and contact emails of your primary location and each satellite location, franchise, or alternative office. Please discuss with your web development company whether each of these locations merits its own page or not.  

Having a location map is also a good idea. If there are multiple locations, you may want to add a locator feature that allows visitors to find the location nearest to them.  

This contact page from Select Eyecare is a good example that includes multiple locations.

Keep it Consistent with the Rest of Your Site

The thoughtfulness you put into your content and design shouldn’t come to a stop when you hit the contact page. The contact page should be a natural extension of your site, naturally flowing from it, giving your readers confidence to reach out to you. It should reflect the personality and beauty they have seen up to that point. This contact page from the Animal Behavioral Clinic of New Jersey is an excellent example of that.

The Best Contact You Can Make

The best contact you can make is with Iceberg Web Design. We’re experts at helping businesses connect with customers. We have a website-based business solution for you! Contact us today. Read Our 5 Star Reviews! 

The post Creating the Perfect Contact Page For Your Website appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

Our Hosting Services

Web hosting is a service that allows you to post a website or web page onto the Internet. A web host, or web hosting service provider, provides the website or web page technologies and services to be viewed on the Internet. Websites are hosted or stored on special computers called servers. When someone wants to view your website, all they need to do is type your website address or domain into their browser. Their computer will then connect to your server, and your webpages will be delivered to them through the browser.

Security

Our hosting servers are located at one of the most secure data centers in the world. Website hosting includes regular software and security updates, as well as attentive customer support.

Learn more

Reliable Managed WordPress Hosting Packages

One of the benefits of working with our development team is that we include frequent software and security updates, along with secure, reliable hosting. We offer hosting suitable for every type of business and provide free support for all hosting features.

Our maintenance and support are second to none.

When you call, a real, live person will answer the phone!

CALL 763-350-8762

Support and Maintenance Services Include:

• Edits and updates to content
• Plugin updates
• Changes and additions to images
• Adding or removing banners such as COVID notices
• Adding or removing video
• Rearranging or adding pages
• Posting blogs
• Menu Changes and additions

Website Hosting with Unparalleled Customer Service

Are you looking for a partner to handle your website hosting? Our website development company in Minneapolis is known for its outstanding customer support and reliable website hosting. We are happy to arrange a free, no-obligation website consultation. Contact us today!

 Read our 5 Star Reviews! 

The post Website Hosting, Support & Maintenance Services | Iceberg Web Design appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

Adam Toporek, author of “Be Your Customer’s Hero: Real-World Tips & Techniques for the Service Front Lines,” has created a great infographic on this topic. [1]

Here are some of the things that are known to drive customers up a wall

1.       Being ignored
2.       Being abandoned (broken connection)
3.       Being hassled
4.       Incompetence (Perceived or real)
5.       Being shuffled from one department to the next
6.       Being powerless when trying to talk with a large organization
7.       Being disrespected

Customer Service Representative, Jessie Gutzwiller, Shares Her Thoughts

Jessie has been working in the customer service industry for the past 30 years. She has also been a customer. Having experience on both sides of the phone line has made her the ideal CSR (Customer Service Representative) for Iceberg Web Design as well as the perfect person to ask about Customer Service “Triggers.”

Being Ignored

This happens a lot more in person than on the phone. For example, if you are at a restaurant and the wait staff seems to breeze by without a word. You probably feel ignored. Likewise, if you are in a store and need assistance, but no one seems to notice you. You wonder if anyone knows you’re there. This can be frustrating.

Customers need to feel heard. As a CSR, even if you are busy, it’s imperative that you acknowledge the customer. If you are in person, rather than over the phone, look them in the eyes so that they know you see them. Tell them, “I’m running a bit behind, but I will be right there.”

The telephone equivalent is when you are sitting on hold for an eternity. Again, let the customer know why they are on hold and how long they can expect to wait. It is much easier to be patient when you see the end is in sight.

Being Abandoned

Being abandoned can happen when a phone connection gets dropped after you’ve just waited on hold for a long time. It can also occur when you expect a follow-up email from CSR, but it never arrives.

Being abandoned can also happen in person. Examples of this include asking someone if an item is in stock. They disappear for 20 minutes, leaving you to wonder if they have forgotten about you. We can again look at the example of a waitress. This time, they seem to forget that you are waiting for refills or even the check.

A good CSR will read back the email and a phone number you have given them to ensure they have the right one. This way, if you get disconnected, they can get ahold of you, and you don’t have to go through the often arduous process of dialing back in. They will also reply to each message or email you leave to assure you that they are looking into the issue. If you are in-person, a good CSR will check back if they are gone for a while.

Being Hassled

When you talk to a customer service representative, whether in person or over the phone, you want to be heard. Even if they can’t do anything about the problem, the last thing you want is to have things turned around on you. No one wants that. That is “being hassled.” Anytime a customer is treated like they are the problem, it is being hassled.

A good CSR will let the customer vent their frustrations and listen with understanding. The customer is never wrong. That’s an important axiom to remember in customer service. Jessie Gutzwiller, the CSR at Iceberg, told me that people would rather have the best waitress and bad food than the best food and a bad waitress.

Incompetence (Perceived or real)

Another customer trigger is incompetence. It doesn’t even have to be real incompetence, but if a customer believes that you don’t know how to do your job, they will be disappointed and perhaps even irate. It’s okay not to have the solution to the problem or the answer to their question, but at least try to find it.

Customers will often perceive that a CSR is incompetent not because they are, but because they are lazy, unmotivated, or even hung-over. You need to be on the customer’s side and try to find a solution to their problem as if the problem was your own.

Being shuffled from one department to the next

Sometimes this can’t be helped. They may have called the wrong store or the wrong department. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t help. Maybe they have a general question that you can answer without pushing them off onto someone else. If you must transfer them, apologize and explain why you need to transfer their call.

Like in the second customer trigger, “Being Abandoned,” you will want to give them a direct number to the person they should talk to if their call gets dropped. Offer a choice between being transferred or getting a return call. By being patient and willing to help, you will show your customers that you are more than competent.

Being powerless when trying to talk with a large organization

Large organizations became successful for a reason, so they must have something going well for them. It’s essential that you avoid ever telling a customer what you can’t do for them. Instead, let them know what you can do.

One example is when someone calls asking for help with their Wix site. We only work with WordPress, so what is our CSR to do? She can ask around for someone who works with Wix and get back to them. This is going the extra mile, considering they aren’t a customer of ours. But it’s important to treat everyone who calls with the same blue-ribbon service.

Being Disrespected

This final customer service trigger may be the most important one. Everyone you encounter deserves respect. It can be difficult, though, when they are rude and disrespectful to you. When that happens, it is time to put up clear boundaries.

For example, if you have a customer who is swearing at you over the phone, the temptation will be to either dish it back to them or hanging up. Instead, muster all your self-control and say, “I need you to stop swear at me, or I will have to hang up.” At that point, the ball is in the customer’s corner. They can calm down, or they can continue their tirade. You have told them the consequences, so you are now obligated to follow through.

The Joy of Customer Service

Thankfully, most customers are great. They share stories with us that make us laugh, and they are usually very appreciative of the efforts we make to help them out. We would love to help you out with all of your business needs. Our customer service representative, Jessie, handles our support and maintenance plans and customers love her. If you aren’t already a customer and would like to experience the Iceberg difference, contact us today! Read more about customer’s experiences!

[1] Toporek, Adam. “Customer Service Infographic: What Are the 7 Service Triggers?” Adam Toporek Keynote Speaker of Customers That Stick®, 14 June 2019, customersthatstick.com/blog/customer-service-infographic-what-are-the-7-service-triggers/.

The post Avoiding Customer Service Triggers appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

Many businesses face the same struggle with their marketing.  How do I generate a high number of qualified phone calls?  This post focuses on some best practices to increase qualified phone calls to sales and customer service representatives.

Make it easy for your visitors to find your digits

May seem pretty obvious, but many websites make it difficult to find your companies phone number.   We recommend having the phone number at the top, bottom, and contact drop down of your website.  Another good technique is to have the phone number listed below a well-written call to action on the home page or squeeze page.

Make it a click to call

Another common mistake is simply listing your business number on your website.  Take it a step further and make it a hyperlink.  This way if your potential customer wants to call all they have to do is click the number on their mobile device.  Make it easy and remove as many barriers as you can for your customers.

Business directories generate too

Don’t overlook your business directories like Facebook, Google My Business, Bing Places for Business and any pertinent directory that generates good exposure.   Make sure the correct phone number is listed on these profiles and they match up.  Adding a location?  Having a unique phone number for that location is essential to generating local business as many customers want to work with businesses in their community.

Maximize opportunities by collecting phone numbers after hours

Most business aren’t answering calls 24/7, but are getting calls afterhours.  Make sure you are letting your customers know that you will get back to them in a timely manner.  A good voice message can also give them a warm fuzzy feeling that your staff will be taking care of them during regular business hours.  Giving good information and following through with what you say will let them know you are a well-oiled machine that cares about customer service.  Letting these opportunities slip through cracks only opens the door to your competition.

Engaging content gives your visitors the information they need to take action

It is very important not to skimp on the quality of content on your website, particularly the home page.  Potential customers are searching for the product or service that fits them.  Keeping this in mind make sure that your content is simple and gets to the point of why your business is the right fit for them.  This coupled with a strong or tempting Call-to-Action is a good formula to generate calls of interest.

Don’t forget to stay in touch after the sale

It’s no secret that a customer that has already bought your goods or services is likely to make another purchase.  Listing your number on thank you pages, newsletters, and email drip campaigns is another way to make it easy for your customers to be repeat buyers.  It is just as important if to nurture your current client base as it is to generate new customers.

Track your progress!

It is nearly impossible to know what marketing avenues are working and what are not unless you know where the calls are coming from.  There is a myriad of ways that people will find your phone number and making sure that you are tracking all your campaigns will help you decide where to invest and where not to.  Whether you opt to use a full-service company software like dialog tech or opt to set up your tracking numbers it is important that good systems are in place to track incoming calls.  Inbound calls lead to business and not knowing where they are coming from can lead to an inefficient marketing budget.

The post Optimizing Your Website to Convert Your Visitors Into Qualified Phone Calls appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

No matter who you choose to work with on your next web project, be sure you have clear channels of communication.  Just having the email address of your developer isn’t a guarantee of having your concerns heard.  Here at Iceberg, we pride ourselves on responding to our clients quickly (often times within minutes) whether by email, by phone or in-person.

As part of our ongoing education at Iceberg, we have been working to implement and improve on our project management strategies which prompted us to design a visual depiction of our development process for our clients.  We’ve always had these steps in place, however making sure our clients can see just how the process flows has helped us avoid some of those typical roadblocks that can occur.

If you’d like to learn more about what makes Iceberg Web Design different, give us a call at 763-350-8762.

Better yet, if you are local, stop by and see our new office space!  A free consultation & beer are waiting!

The post Website Development Process appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

A sincere Thank You for your support

What started out as a hobby and passion for a 24-year-old recent college graduate turned into a career, and a thriving business in the Twin Cities, Minnesota area.

How It All Began

Jessi Gurr, owner and lead website developer of Minneapolis-based website development company, Iceberg Web Design, started learning to hand-code websites at the age of 12 (in 1993). In the days of AOL, GeoCities, and dial-up internet connection, Jessi spent hours in front of a text editor online creating personal web pages – just for fun. Think: black backgrounds, lime green text, tables with red borders, and animated gifs everywhere.

Remember the <font> tag? <marquee>? (Yeah, those were the days…)

A few years later, Jessi began publishing her own freelance website projects. In college, she gained real experience with PHP and content management systems while working as the webmaster for student-run college radio, KUMM. During her five years at the University of Minnesota, Morris, Jessi gained life and work skills that allowed her to turn her hobby into a career.

Shortly after turning in an impromptu resignation notice at her full-time job, Jessi took out a small business loan, drafted a business plan, and consulted with a business attorney. On May 20th, 2005, Iceberg Hosting, LLC was officially born.

The business focused on selling website hosting service, and a customer base was built one client at a time. Advertising consisted of direct mail postcards, newspaper advertisements, and long hours at 6 area County Fairs the first two years. Iceberg gained 6 clients in the first 7 months, and by the end of 2006 the client list had grown to 24.

Jessi had been working part-time managing the local Food Co-op during Iceberg’s first three years. By mid-2008, it became apparent that the business deserved full-time attention, and Jessi left her part-time job to focus entirely on growing Iceberg’s client base and services provided. Word of mouth and referrals accounted for nearly all of the business growth in the first three years – and in fact, that is still Iceberg’s main source of new business today. By the end of 2008, Iceberg had more than 50 website hosting and design clients, 90% of which were located in the Morris, Minnesota area.

In 2009, Iceberg relocated to Anoka, Minnesota. Iceberg was also re-branded as Iceberg Web Design, and a new logo and website were launched shortly after the move. The company quickly started to grow – again primarily by word of mouth, referrals, and networking, and become well known in Anoka and the northern Twin Cities suburbs. We still hold close relationships with our clients in Morris, and communicate with many of them daily.

Steady Business Growth

In 2010, Jessi started hiring contractors to help with overflow. Iceberg took on its first additional employee at the end of 2013. Since then, the company has continued to grow. In 2015, we opened up a second location at the IDS Center in Minneapolis, and rebranded once more with an updated, more modern logo:

Today, Iceberg has a small, dedicated staff, and we have plans to add two additional full-time positions this year. Our mission is to be a leader in modern website development, and to provide excellent support to our existing and new customers.

Thank you!

Without support from the community and our customers, we would not be where we are today. We truly appreciate each and every one of our customers, and strive to be among the top website service providers for quality and customer support.

The post Iceberg Web Design Celebrates 11 Years in Business appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

 Write like a person, not a computer!

Since blogs are more personal and detailed, you want to sound like yourself or your business. Write your blog in a friendly and inviting tone so readers feel like they are talking to you or your business personally. Nobody wants to read a long blog with boring content!

Write about valuable industry information

Blogs are a great way to talk about your company, success stories, your products, and industry related information. Summarize the latest news on related industry trends and don’t be afraid to link them to your blog. You’re technically sending your readers away from your site but they will remember the valuable and honest information you provided.

Provide information that is of interest to your visitors

It’s important to target some of your blogs to certain industries or lifestyles of your visitors. If you’re a hair stylist, blog about the newest hair trends for fall season. If you’re in the food industry, blog about adventure travel. You don’t want to always blog about specific industries or lifestyles, but it’s nice to reach out to certain ones every now and then.

Create dialogue!

One of the great things about blogs in general is that your readers are allowed to leave comments. If someone comments on your blog post, talk to them! Create friendly dialogue, that’s one of the main points of your blog. Plus, your readers will be interested in reading your conversation with another fellow blog reader.

Blog at least two times per month

We recommend that you update your business blog at least two times per month. If you’re able to set aside time to blog more than that than go for it! Search engines pay more attention to websites that have fresh content regularly so the more well written blogs- the better!

Include a CTA

By including a call to action at the end of your blog, you’re allowing readers who had an interest in your topic to get in touch with you. This could be anything from “contact us today” to “click here for additional information”. You want your readers to be able to easily access any additional information they may want or need.

Writing your business blog can take a lot of time and thought, if you’re having trouble with creating content for your business blog- contact us today at 763-301-0442 and leave it to the pros to help you and your business grow!

The post How to Blog appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

• A business blog builds credibility. Consumers are more likely to make a purchase or become your client if they feel that they already know you.  Blogs help your clients or prospect clients feel like they already know you because they can read what you’re talking about.  They can get to know your business ethics, about your company, services you provides, and about your company employees all through different topics you blog about.

• Your business blog helps drive traffic to your website. Every time you post a blog that is linked to your website that includes some relevant keywords, you increase your chance of prospect clients finding your company on search engines.  It shows that your website is updated regularly when your blog is linked to your website which search engines favor.

• Blogs strengthen relationships and helps with customer service. Blogs are an informal form of communication from you to your clients or prospect clients.  They allow customers to get to know you on their time; they don’t have to directly call you during office hours to ask questions or to get a feel for what type of business you are.  They can easily read it through your blog postings.

• It’s a way for your business to have another voice. Blogging is just that, another voice of your business just like all other social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, etc.) are. By having another voice on your online presence, you’re going one step above your competition!

Do you have a business blog?  Do you want to create one or learn more about the benefits?  Call Amiann at 763-301-0442 to learn how we can help!

The post Why Should You Have a Business Blog? appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.