Spectra Marketing Solutions Interview

Why does your work stand out from others who do what you do?

We believe that each business, band, or blog should stand apart from the rest. All of our designs are 100% custom so that our clients can stand out in a competitive Internet marketing age. Our graphic design team is technologically advanced and experienced in all design programs. Attention to detail is important. We don’t just build a portfolio; we build a relationship.

What do you like most about your job?

Besides doing what we love,  we enjoy getting to know our community more through each interaction. We love the look our clients get when they see their new image and instantly feel more confident about their business.

What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What’s your answer?

“Can you do ___________ too?” We have a long list of services that continues to grow. Most often, our customers will come to us for one reason. Then they will ask if we can help with something we didn’t even expect. They like being able to get everything done at one place. It’s convenient and it’s great branding when everything looks the same!

If you were a customer, what do you wish you knew about your trade? Any inside secrets to share?

Beware of those fake deals out there. If you’re getting a website built for under $100, it probably won’t stand out among your competition. It will probably look outdated and the functionality won’t always be the best. Most of those web “deals” will limit you to 3-5 pages where you can type text and maybe change out a picture. When it comes to a website, don’t limit yourself. For many businesses, a website is the first point of contact. If your website looks cheap and outdated, you can bet your competition will get more business. Not all designers are custom. Many designers out there will just use a cookie-cutter layout. If you’re not familiar with the web, your site will look just like everyone else. SEO is also important. If you have a website that is amazing, people should be able to find it. Our pricing is very affordable, but also takes into account the quality of work. Our design team is extremely experienced and talented and you will walk away with a great product that you can be happy with for a long time!

Do you have a favorite story from your work?

We donated a website awhile back to raise money via PayPal for Audrey Mabrey. When we saw a screen shot of our website on the news and realized how we were able to help someone through a difficult time, it really made us feel good. We enjoy offering our services to charitable and non-profit organizations at little-to-no cost so that we can give back to the community. The site is no longer available as she is now receiving support directly through Julie Weintraub’s Hands Across the Bay. You can visit the link in this answer to learn about Audrey and find out how you can help.

What do you wish customers knew about you or your profession?

The time and resources that are put into each project. For example, we may travel 30 minutes to film for an hour. Then we return to upload the video to the computer (1 hour). Editing video takes several hours. We’ve spent more than 20 hours editing to turn out an hour long video (this was also due to multiple camera angles). We create a custom intro which takes another couple hours. Exporting a video project can take another 2-3 hours, and then burning the DVDs. It really is a lot of work, but it’s one of our favorite things to do. We enjoy using our skills so people can have a video to remember their special day (weddings) or increase their business (promotion).

What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

Take a look at our website and browse through our portfolio to get an idea of what we’re capable of and who our clients are. We have a complimentary Marketing Analysis Workshop book available electronically on our site to help you plan things out. We want to work with you to provide the best quality product for your business in the most efficient way. This workshop will help you get a good idea of what your needs are so that we can best help you.

What important information should buyers have before seeking you out? For example, someone looking to have their room painted should know how big the room is, whether or not the ceiling requires painting, if there is trimming or crown moldings, etc.

A basic idea of what they want, what their project goals are, what we will accomplish together….. Using the Workshop above will help with this. If they are new and unfamiliar, that’s okay too. We provide marketing consultation and can take you from start to finish as needed.

How did you decide to get in your line of work?

Well, for those who don’t know us yet, we are an engaged couple who build this company in 2009 together. Prior to that, we’ve both worked on our own providing the same services individually. Once we combined talents and experience, we became a strong team. We love what we do and we love being able to do it together for a living!

What are your most common types of jobs?

Websites, Logo design, Flyers/Print Media, and Video (promo videos and video blogs for businesses are the new marketing trend)

Tell us about a recent job you did that you are particularly proud of.

We are proud of everything we’ve done.

Do you do any sort of continuing education to stay up on the latest developments in your field?

Always. We video conference with leaders in our industry to stay up-to-date on the latest marketing trends. We’re constantly updating our software and learning new techniques and platforms. With each new project, we try to challenge ourselves more and more so that we’re always getting better.

What are the latest developments in your field? Are there any exciting things coming in the next few years or decade that will change your line of business?

New software and new marketing trends. Video marketing is becoming very popular and necessary for businesses wishing to have a competitive advantage in the market. There has been recent talk of stopping the production of phone books because everyone researches online anyways. With your website being the very first lines of communication, and first impression for your customers, it’s important to provide them with a helpful source of information and a personal experience. Through the Web, photos and videos are the best way to personalize your business. Video allows you to talk to your customers as you would if they were in front of you. Having a great video means that when they visit your business for the first time, they will feel comfortable as the setting and your face will feel familiar to them.

If you have a complicated pricing system for your service, please give all the details here.

Affordable, fair pricing based on each customer’s individual needs. All of our customers are different. We don’t charge for things that they don’t need. We always try to work within a budget they’re most comfortable with, without compromising on the quality of work.

If you were advising someone who wanted to get into your profession, what would you suggest?

Never stop learning or improving your work. Multimedia and technology are always changing. You have to keep up or your customers will be left behind with outdated work.

Write your own question and answer it.

What’s something most people don’t know about you personally? We have a cat named Spectra who we got from a shelter the same week our business became official. He is all white with one blue eye and one orange eye. He’s kind of like our little mascot and represents the life of our business and everything we’ve accomplished together.