Posts

Showing posts from September, 2019

Week 5, post 2 - My Target Market

I considered a wide range of demographics to determine my target market.       Age – based on past rental customers, the target age range is 30-65      Gender – both male and female are part of my target market      Marital status & family size – neither of these seem to be relevant to my target market      Income – mostly mid- to upper-class customers are part of my target market      Education – mainly college graduates      Occupation – mainly white collar and business owners      Race – does not apply      Religion – I do not target any particular religion as most religions encourage people to not drink in excess or not drink at all; that being said, I have rented to churches, synagogues, and other religious organizations and customers. After carefully considering the above demographics and psychographics, I have determined my target market to be fun-loving college graduates between the ages of 30 and 65; party/event planners. 

Week 5, Post 1 - Defining Your Target Market

Target Markets/Demographics/Psychographics Armstrong Garden Centers’ target market includes the middle class, middle-aged and up, all races; do-it-yourselfers, people who care about the appearance of their yard or find interior plants to be aesthetically pleasing.  I don't think their target market includes Millennials or Generation Y as the site is not cutting edge or modern.  Myrtle Creek’s target market includes young families, nature-enthusiasts of all ages, middle class, farmers, and local residents, those that prefer the small-town feel and find value in supporting mom-and-pop shops.  It also targets photographers as they offer access to multiple areas for a fee.    Website Differences Armstrong’s website contains a number of good design elements which include concept, alignment, typography, ease of use, and depth of content.  The website is colorful, organized, and informative.  There is a lot of information available but there are limited items that can b

Week 4, Post 2 - Websites I Frequently Visit

I would be lying if I didn't admit that Amazon.com is my "go to" site for the majority of items I'd like to purchase.  Amazon.com is very easy to navigate, search, and checkout.  It makes buying products extremely simple and convenient.  The concept is obviously to sell almost anything under the sun.  There are very few tangible items that I haven't been able to find on Amazon.  The depth of content is is unfathomable.  Although, Amazon keeps items and information organized so that you're not overwhelmed by product descriptions.  Once you click on an item, you can get a more in depth description, product specifications, and customer reviews.  Repetition, alignment, and contrast are evident on the Amazon website.  These three concepts make it easy to navigate and may lure visitors in to continue "shopping." Another website that I use frequently is sdccu.com.  I have personal and business accounts at San Diego County Credit Union, and I also utilize

Week 4, Post 1 - Website Evaluation

The first website I chose to evaluate is gatesnfences.com. My initial impression was that the site is very outdated and unprofessional.   I see three potential problems for visitors.   First, although there is color contrast, the palette is very unappealing.   The grey color used for the background of the body is very dull and boring.   The peachy marble-like background used on the entire page is very cheesy and outdated. Second, the depth of content is overwhelming.   There is too much information on the main page as well as the subpages. It is difficult to skim through to find a keyword or information on the product a person may be interested in.   Lastly, the typography is all the same font.   The sans-serif font used in the body is Arial or Helvetica, but the web designer made the mistake of making it bold.   In addition, royal blue, red, white, and black are not pleasing colors to look at for an extended period of time. The website could use a major facelift, including a

Week 3, Part 2 - Competitors

I own Margarita Man San Diego.  There are a handful of other margarita machine rental businesses here in San Diego. Margarita Man San Diego www.sandiegomargaritaman.com I have Facebook and Instagram but no links on the website Last IG post 9/9/19 Last FB post 9/9/19 EZ Pour Drinks www.ezpourdrinks.com No social media links Margarita Momma www.themargaritamomma.com Facebook is mentioned, but no link; link to blog (last post in 2016) Mr. Margarita www.mrmargaritaorangecounty.com No social media links Margaritas on Tap www.margaritasontapsandiego.com No social media links I learned that none of my competitors have links to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or other social media platforms.  I'm embarrassed to say that I don't have links on my site either.  I will be adding links in the very near future and will make a point to stay current on social media posts. Having links to a business' social media accounts allows customers to learn more about the busi

Week 3, Part 1 - Communicating with Businesses on Social Media

I have had difficulty communicating with several businesses, but one stands out in my mind.  When I switched from AT&T to T-Mobile this past January, I was looking forward to saving money and having better cellular service.  When I received a bill from AT&T in February, I assumed it was my final bill, prorated, so I paid it without hesitation.  When I received a bill for the same amount the next month, I confirmed that I had paid it.  This is where the trouble began. I have to say, I was a little frustrated, but I was certain I could resolve it quickly.  I had proof that the bill had been paid, so what could go wrong?  I logged in to my online account with AT&T.  When I opened the e-bill, I noticed that there was a charge for service on a tablet that had been canceled months prior to switching carriers.  I started a chat session with a customer support rep (CSR), thinking this could be quickly resolved.  Unfortunately, the CSR kept telling me the $86 charge was for servic

Week 2, Part 2 - Comments

This week, I commented on the following blogs:  Lindsay Walsh, Sadegh Rhezaii, and Donald Burks II.

Week 2, Part 1 - Intro to Social Media

There are many forms of social media.  Some are geared more toward personal use, and some seem to be more business oriented.  Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Snap Chat tend to be used more for personal use.  Although I have searched Facebook for businesses, I tend to go to Google or Yelp when I'm in need of a recommendation.  I appreciate reading reviews from other people so I can make a somewhat informed choice in restaurants, mechanics, dentists, etc. I have both a personal and a business Instagram account, but notice that most of the people I follow are friends and family.  I will switch over to my business account for business posts rather than add them to my personal IG.  However, I think it would be okay to post something about my business on my personal page every now and then.  That being said, I don't want to bombard people with business posts who only follow my personal IG.  I am not very familiar with Snap Chat, but it seems to be more geared toward personal us