For Immediate Release - November 19, 2007

Contact:
Gina Kazimir, PR Right Now
410-459-8765 cell / gkazimir@prrightnow.com

Taking Clients to the Next Level: VillageWorks Web Discovery(sm) Helps Companies Use the Right Content, Structure and Social Media Tools to Get the Most from Web Site Traffic

(Frederick, MD) – In the online world, the only thing more hyped than SEO may be social media. Just say the words blog, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter and corporations will either get a glassy eyed stare or get out their checkbooks. “Everyone” needs to be using “new media” but the fact is that few companies know how to do it well.

“Agencies spend hour upon hour looking at social media opportunities for their clients, but what many don’t realize is that unless the client’s website and online presence supports and is appropriate to the media chosen, it’s not going to work,” explains Beth Schillaci, Founder/President of VillageWorks Communications Inc. in Frederick, MD. “Most clients understand that SEO is important, and they often invest huge sums in making sure their web sites are returned at the top of popular search engines. Yet they do very little to make sure the visitors who are directed to their sites stick with the site and get what they need from their visit to convert into leads or even customers. That’s where VillageWorks can help.

You can drive as much traffic to your site as you want, and get mentioned on any number of social media sites, but if you don’t have the right structure and information available once people visit, it’s just money wasted. Search engine optimization is great but web site optimization is more important. That’s what our Web Discovery(sm) and Social Media Management process is all about – optimizing web sites and evaluating social media opportunities so that the user’s experience delivers more than expected to keep them engaged with the company.”

Web Discovery is VillageWorks’ unique new tool that evaluates the effectiveness of a company’s web site in not just meeting its communication needs, but in meeting its visitors’ needs in both site content and social media. The goal is to use appropriate social media opportunities and to create a site that keeps visitors engaged and generates true value for both the company and its audiences.

“Web Discovery takes SEO to the next level. It keeps a company’s site in the public eye and keeps people on the site once they’ve found it,” says Schillaci. “Many times companies find they are getting traffic to their site, but those visitors aren’t staying and they’re not converting into viable leads. Web Discovery allows companies to not just get traffic, but to get the right traffic to make their site truly valuable.

We can also provide a review of social media as it relates to a company’s site. That means we take a look not just at the structure, content and navigation of the site, but we also look at what other online tools are available and appropriate to enhance the company’s online presence. For some companies, that goes a step further into our Social Media Management services, as well.”

One client who has taken advantage of VillageWorks basic Web Discovery is Aberro Inc. The company provides sophisticated software testing and evaluation services to clients around the globe. But while Aberro excels at creating dynamic software testing solutions, they found they needed the help of the VillageWorks team to optimize their own marketing and communications goals.
 
“Our expertise is in software development,” explains Doug Smith, Aberro CEO. “What VillageWorks brings is a much broader focus on the latest communication capabilities that are really not something we follow every day. What SEO doesn’t do is give any kind of scoring to the quality of navigation of your site. You can get found, but people may leave once they arrive. What VillageWorks brings is stickiness – they have a good sense of the language that people use and what kinds of visual images are engaging. A search engine doesn’t know if an image is engaging or just boring.  What was of value to me was to have an expert objectively look at our site and give critique of both the good stuff and the bad stuff. We got an objective evaluation of what looked good to prospects and what could be improved. It was a very non-intrusive process. We had talked with VillageWorks about questions we had – where are people spending time, what’s useful about the site and what isn’t. All of those questions were answered and that allowed us to redesign the site based on facts, not just hunches – that was extremely valuable to us.”
 
The Web Discovery process is reflective of VillageWorks shift to strategic marketing management and consulting for technology issues. “It’s not enough to give a client a good site, and great keywords and then go away,” Schillaci states. “Clients demand and deserve to know that a web site or presentation or tech marketing product is going to advance their strategic goals. They want to work with a company that not only understands that but can help them articulate that internally as well as externally. They want a partner who’s on top of new technologies and trends – like social media - and can recommend what will work best to meet their goals. That kind of strategic focus is what VillageWorks is all about.”

Web Discovery and Social Media Management services are available to any company wishing to optimize their audiences’ web site experiences, and to advertising, PR and marketing firms for their clients’ use. The evaluation and report are available on their own or as part of VillageWorks distinct DARE process for complete project management: Discovery, Approach, Realization and Evaluation that results in a completed tech project that meets strategic goals.

For more information on Web Discovery, Social Media Management, the DARE project management process, or VillageWorks other services, contact Beth Schillaci at 240-529-3000, or at www.villageworks.net.