This week a colleague sent me a Business Insider article with a series of screen shots from the "coolest websites in 1996."

They're horrifying.

They look more like something you might see on Tetris or Super Nintendo (remember those?) than websites for big, serious names like Fidelity, American Express, or Bank of America.

Businesses are always trying to balance keeping costs low and providing the most value to their clients and their brand. If everyone could afford to use Omniture to set up custom analytics and have custom proposals created in In Design, they would. But many small businesses have to make choices every day to make sure they're spending every dollar wisely. That's why I wanted to write a blog this week to let small businesses owners know why graphic design is one area where a small investment goes a long way.

1. We get the job done- right

Have you ever tried fixing something in your home only to make the problem much worse? And in turn end up spending more money and time then you would have just hiring a professional in the first place? We spend years upon years studying graphic design application and design aesthetics. You may have a natural eye for design and may be very artistic but each design program has a huge learning curve to be able to produce what you are envisioning, we can do that for you.

For the last two-to-three years, a revolution has been taking place in the world of SEO optimization and search engine page ranking (SERP).

If you're keeping abreast of online marketing trends—and what dental or medical practice isn't—you've probably heard of them: the algorithm changes like Panda, Penguin, and Hummingbird that Google started rolling out in 2011. But they're worth hearing about again, because these changes mark a momentous shift in search, and hence in your success at attracting new patients through your web and social media marketing efforts.

Are you wondering why someone might take the time to write a blog or pay to have one professionally written and managed by someone else for their business's website?

Because it works.

Blogs have evolved a lot in the past 10 or so years when they were first people rambling their thoughts in their basement for the world to read. Now, they're a serious source of business.

When it comes to branding, consistency is of prime importance, even in social media. Or, perhaps, especially in social media, because that media is of increasing importance today to promoting your company and your products—or, your brand.

Your consumer will spot inconsistencies in your branding, and may lose trust in you and your business because of them. Companies like Coca-Cola have stood the test of time because they have a clear and concise message, look, and feel. You know Coca-Cola when you see it, and that’s how you want your company to be, as well.

A few months ago, I was having lunch at my favorite local sports bar in my old neighborhood during a visit to Milwaukee, Wis. I started talking to the owner of the restaurant, whose business had just undergone major renovations and was near a bridge that had just reopened after major construction so that traffic could again begin flowing. From the outside, with the new paint, LED signs, newly paved parking lot, and landscaping and busy traffic, the business looked stellar.

But from the inside and from the mouth of the restaurant owner, sales and traffic weren’t so great.

By now, you have likely heard of Google+. You might have even taken a peek at it, but are less than convinced that you need to be using it.

Every dentist, doctor or specialist with an office vying for patients would do well to look again.

Google+ is part of Google, the search engine behemoth that today largely defines search engine ranking, which in turn largely decides the success of your practice’s online marketing efforts. Opening a platform with the Google name is like entering real estate from a family named Trump or politics from one named Bush. You draw attention because of who or what stands behind you.

"I trust his work. I trust him to take good care of me."

These words, spoken by a patient in a "welcome to my practice" YouTube video of Dr. Jared Waite at Aspen Ridge Dental Care, are perfect. They get right to the heart of what inbound marketing via social media is all about: projecting yourself and your practice to a mass audience as capable, attentive and worthy of any would-be patient's trust and care.

Effective social marketing, however, isn't easy. It takes preparation and planning, an investment of time and money, and a fair bit of creativity.

It is truly amazing to see how much the world of real estate has transformed in the past decade. Modes of communication have doubled on themselves. You don’t just pick up the phone now, but answer e-mails, post photos, retweet tweets, pin items, link up and then blog about it. How does a real estate agent manage all this and - oh yeah - sell houses too? Getting connected online can be a floundering experience, leaving an agent feeling like they’re drowning in the ocean of interwebs. Here are some key tips we’ve found to be most helpful for our users:

When it comes to direct marketing, the data or lists your business uses is one of the most important part of the equation for marketing success. Other important factors for marketing success are the timing and the offer used in your promotions. So before you send out that email blast, direct mailer or throw $500 into that Google Adwords campaign, there are a few important things you should consider before you make the investment in the marketing campaign and especially before you buy the data that is driving the effort.