As I go through the process of re-designing the Bauerhaus Design website, I got to thinking: what are the signs that you need a new website?

It’s been over 3 years since you created your website

Technology is moving so fast, that a website from 3 years ago isn’t going to have the same benefits as now. With the popularity of smart phones, websites are now are built so they are “responsive” which means the size of your website adjusts based on your browser size. That way phone, tablet and desktop users all see a website that is clean and organized.

You have changed your positioning or niche

As a business owner you are constantly trying out new things. What sells best? Which type of customer spends the most money? Because of this, what worked for you 3 years ago, may not be who you are targeting now. By re-designing your website specifically for your targeted niche, you can create specific calls to action and convert more visitors to clients. For more on the benefits on a niche, read 4 ways to get more customers.

You need to add a blog

A blog is your opportunity to add new content specifically targeting your niche. For example, do you know that many of your clients are also avid golfers? Write to that audience. In “A Website that Works” Mark O’Brien shared this tip – if you add a minimum of 2,000 words per month to your website, Google will automatically place you higher than your competitor that has a static website that never changes. While creating content does take a lot of work, O’Brien estimates that you can easily get 20% of your leads through your website. For more reasons on why you should add a blog, read How to be number 1 on Google. Also, read Why your business should use content marketing.

You want to make daily or weekly updates to your website

By using a Content Management System(CMS), like Wordpress, you can easily update your website without having to hire a web designer each time you want to add a photo or change some text. This gives you more control than past websites and also lets you play around with the order of things. For example, do you get more email newsletter sign ups when the sign up button is first in the sidebar? Or when it is at the end of each blog post? With a CMS like Wordpress, you can constantly tweak your website.

Why I’m ready for a new website

While my own website is created in Wordpress and I actively blog, its been over 3 years since it was first created. Since then I’ve refined my niche and want to create a website with more specific calls to action. Just like print ads should always include a call to action, so should your website. No longer can you rely on  “if you build it, they will come mentality.” Instead you need to have set steps you want your customer to take to ultimately become a customer.

Do you have a sales funnel set up on your website? Do you know what plan of action you want potential customers to take on your website? If not, contact me at becca@bauerhaus.com for a free 30 minute phone call.

Who is your target market? Often when I ask clients that question, they reply with “All wine drinkers.” The problem with that thought process is that there are actually different segments inside the wine drinking population. Paying attention to who exactly your customers are, will help you create marketing campaigns that precisely target your niche.

For example, if your top wine buyers are “Image Seekers” they will check restaurant wine lists before they dine out so they can research wine scores online. If you want to appeal to this audience, make sure you reference outside reviews and wine scores on your website. Plus, know that Image Seekers are greatly influenced by packaging and design.

If your wine buyers are “Overwhelmed” they find the entire wine buying process confusing. If this is your ideal target market, make more promotional materials to describe your wine and what it pairs with. Have in-store tastings to better reach out to these overwhelmed consumers.

According to Wines and Vines, Constellation, the world’s largest wine seller did a study in 2008 called Project Genome surveying the “purchases of 10,000 premium-wine consumers–defined as those who purchased wine priced at $5 and higher–over an 18-month period. While the first Project Genome study asked online survey participants to recall their wine purchases during the last 30 days, the Home & Habits study tracked the actual purchases of Nielsen Co.’s Homescan® consumer purchase panel, which employs in-home bar code scanners and surveys to map consumer buying behavior across a demographically balance.”

While this study is 5 years old, I think it is still relevant to 2013’s consumers due to the quantity of consumers that were involved in the Project Genome. Plus, since it tracked actual purchases, not just what people remembered. Here is a breakdown of the 6 types of wine buyers: Enthusiasts, Image Seekers, Savvy Shoppers, Traditionalists, Satisfied Sippers and Overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed (23% of consumers):

• Overwhelmed by sheer volume of choices on store shelves
• Like to drink wine, but don’t know what kind to buy and may select by label
• Looking for wine information in retail settings that’s easy to understand
• Very open to advice, but frustrated when there is no one in the wine section to help
• If information is confusing, they won’t buy anything at all.

Image Seekers (20% of consumers):

• View wine as a status symbol
• Are just discovering wine and have a basic knowledge of it
• Like to be the first to try a new wine, and are open to innovative packaging
• Prefer Merlot as their No. 1 most-purchased variety; despite “Sideways,” Pinot Noir is not high on their list
• Use the Internet as key information source, including checking restaurant wine lists before they dine out so they can research scores
• Millennials and males often fall into this category.

Traditionalists (16% of consumers):

• Enjoy wines from established wineries
• Think wine makes an occasion more formal, and prefer entertaining friends and family at home to going out
• Like to be offered a wide variety of well known national brands
• Won’t often try new wine brands
• Shop at retail locations that make it easy to find favorite brands.

The Savy Shoppers (16% of consumers):

• Enjoy shopping for wine and discovering new varietal s on their own
• Have a few favorite wines to supplement new discoveries
• Shop in a variety of stores each week to find best deals, and like specials and discounts
• Are heavy coupon users, and know what’s on sale before they walk into a store
• Typically buy a glass of the house wine when dining out, due to the value.

Satisfied Sippers (14% of consumers):

• Don’t know much about wine, just know what they like to drink
• Typically buy the same brand–usually domestic–and consider wine an everyday beverage
• Don’t enjoy the wine-buying experience, so buy 1.5L bottles to have more wine on hand
• Second-largest category of warehouse shoppers, buying 16% of their wine in club stores
• Don’t worry about wine and food pairing
• Don’t dine out often, but likely to order the house wine when they do.

Wine Enthusiasts (12% of consumers):

• Entertain at home with friends, and consider themselves knowledgeable about wine
• Live in cosmopolitan centers, affluent suburban spreads or comfortable country settings
• Like to browse the wine section, publications, and are influenced by wine ratings and reviews
• 47% buy wine in 1.5L size as “everyday wine” to supplement their “weekend wine”
• 98% buy wine over $6 per bottle, which accounts for 56% of what they buy on a volume basis.

Now that you have read all 6 different types of wine buyers, which ones describe your customers? Once you have nailed down which of these buyers is your ideal client, you can create strategies to appeal specifically to your niche.

When designing a website for clients, one of the things we discuss is the importance of email marketing. Email marketing is not just sending your clients a sale email right before Black Friday. Instead it should be a consistent message that you send out monthly or more.

Email marketing is a very low cost way to get customers to your web site each month. But don’t expect one email around the holidays to turn into huge sales. Part of developing customer loyalty is staying in touch, so you are fresh in their minds. You don’t have to run a sale each month, but you can show your latest product or details about a special event or contest. Think of email newsletters as a way for people to get to know you and your brand.

Here are 5 tips on making your email marketing succeed:

1. Make Opt-in easy

Make sure you have an easy Email opt-in on every page of your website. Why? You never know what page people are going to come into your website on. Did they do a Google search for wine events and your calendar popped up? Or were they looking for a specific vintage of Pinot Noir? Again, make it as easy as possible for users to sign up for more info.

2. Increase your web traffic

In order to get more email sign ups, you must increase the amount of people that visit your website. There are two basic ways to increase your web traffic. One, is free with things like blogging, guest posting, Facebook, Twitter, etc. For more on this read “Why your business should use Content Marketing.” The other is paying for Pay per click ads, like Google Adwords or banner ads. The one you choose will most likely be determined on how much money you want to spend and how much time you have.

3. Increase the amount of signups with a Giveaway

One of the easiest ways to increase the number of people that sign up for your email newsletter is to have a giveaway or contest. This can be as simple as a wine pairing suggestion pdf download or a more elaborate “enter for a chance to win a wine fridge.” Many retailers will offer a discount code of a percent off or for free shipping.

4. Autoresponders are your friend

A great way to tell customers about your brand is through an automated email series. This is how it works: A person signs up for your email and you set up your email client, like Mail Chimp, to deliver an email to their inbox each week for 5 weeks. Want to see it in action? Take our Sell More Wine 7 week email course.

5. Content that wins

Once you decide on what you are giving away, make sure your content is the same tone of voice as the rest of your brand. For example, if you are in the wine industry, you could talk about the steps of how your wine is made or have each week discuss your different wine varietals. If you are in education, you could talk about the 7 different focuses in your school. The important thing it to tell your brand story over the 3-7 emails, so you are fresh in the customers mind.

6. Email design

Make sure your email design matches your brand – logo, color scheme, images and tone of voice. If your email doesn’t match the look of your website, signage and brochure – customers may wonder – who are you and how did I get on their email list? Remember, a cohesive brand stays in a persons mind longer than a scatter brained one.

Compared to social media, email marketing is still the number one way retailers are making sales. Plus, it’s low cost and only takes your time. Even if someone doesn’t open your email, you are still getting the brand recognition of your brand name. Part of developing customer loyalty is letting people get to know you and email marketing is a perfect way to do that.

Do you need help with your email marketing? We offer services that include design and writing your content. Email becca@bauerhaus.com to set your 30 minute complimentary consultation.

Earlier this year we designed and launched a website for Sprung, a St. Louis boutique that offers fashionable maternity and kids’ attire and accessories at affordable prices. Plus, a significant portion of their net profits goes to support Nurses for Newborns.

We worked with the same owners when they opened their boutique Rung, next door in 2010.

The goals for this website were both informational, plus to get people to sign up for their email newsletter. The owners knew from their other boutique, Rung, that they get the most people in stores from sending out their email newsletters. Of the three designs we presented, they chose the design that most closely complimented Rung, but with a more youthful color palette.

With more than 50% of people owning smartphones and shopping online being second nature, eCommerce is becoming more and more important to winery growth. People constantly turn to their smartphones, tablets and computers to not only send emails and check Facebook, but to also shop.

With a business and a busy 2 year old, I can’t tell you how many times I have used my smartphone to make purchases. It’s so easy! I run out of shampoo, scan in the barcode and presto, it comes up on Amazon. Two days later I have it in hand.

Think about this scenario: One of your wine regulars realizes that they are drinking the last bottle of their favorite Pinot Noir on a Saturday night. They don’t want to forget, so right then and there they hop online via phone, tablet or computer and want to order another case. Can they do that on your website? Or will you miss the sale, because that person forgets by the next morning?

Why should your winery make the jump? Think about these statistics:

1. eCommerce increases and drives in-store purchase. Instead of walking around malls and window shopping, we are browsing online before we go into a store. Macy’s CEO, Peter Sachse says “Macy’s has found that every dollar spent online influences $5.77 spent in the store over the next ten days.” Brian Dunn, the CEO of Best Buy says that 60% of their in-store sales are influenced by their customer experiences on BestBuy.com. I know that if I’m looking for something, whether it’s wine or a dress for an upcoming wedding, I first turn to Google.  If I see something I like, I’ll often then go to the store to check it out in person.
2. People like to shop local. One out of every 5 Google searches are for local businesses. Plus, the #eatlocal movement is very popular right now for both health reasons and knowing where your food comes from. The same can be said about the wine industry. More and more wineries are popping up across the U.S. and its even easier for consumers to also #drinklocal. Just like people are proud to support their city’s baseball team, more and more people share their favorite local wines with their friends.
3. eCommerce allows you to automate your wine club. Thinking of the above, people like to have the option of paying online and picking up a shipment to save delivery charges. For example, Sears estimates that 40% of their sales are now picked up in store.
4. Consumers like to read reviews, ratings, etc. Think of how many times you have read a review on Amazon.com. I know my husband and I often make choices based on how many stars an item has.
5. eCommerce will increase your overall sales. According to the book “How to Sell Wine Online” you can increase sales by 5-25% by selling wine online. That percent varies due to how much marketing the winery does to promote eCommerce. If you have a regular marketing plan integrating social media, email marketing, and in-person that percentage can grow.

Are  you ready to make the jump to eCommerce?

We offer full website design and development packages based on your needs. Email becca@bauerhaus.com to set up a free 30 minute consultation today!

Last week in Part 1: How to be number 1 on Google we talked about the power of content. As Mark O’Brian says in Websites that Work: “If you regularly add unique, expertise-based content to your site, then SEO will be easy.”

Remember this is how Google works: You publish your website and Google bots scan your site for content. The following week Google bots come back and check for new content. If there is no new content, they come back in a few weeks.  If in a couple more weeks they check back and there is still no new content, Google bots make a note to not frequently check your website. Ok, you get it. You need to regularly update your content with at least 2,000 words per month.  But what exactly is Google looking for?

1. Keywords

A lot of SEO is understanding who your niche is and what they want to read. It also relays to Google what you are all about. Are you a winery in Illinois that is next to a beautiful river? Or are you a winery in France steeped in a tradition of hundreds of years? Your job is to think like a searcher and figure out what keywords best describe you. What describes only you? What will a searcher type in to look for you? Then, use those words through out your site. Do they need to be exact every time? No, but it should convey the same concept.

For example, if I want to appear at the top of search engines for local wineries, you might first think to use the keyword “winery” throughout your site. Now go to one or both of these Free keyword tools and type in your keyword:

• Adwords Keyword tool
• Keyword Discovery tool

If you use one of the above keyword tools, you’ll realize that there are a ton of variations of “winery.” So, think what makes your winery stand out from others? Is it your Chardonnay? Your view? Your location? Tweak your keywords to specify why people should choose you.

2. Title tags

Google shows the first 60 to 70 words of your title, so make sure you are using your keywords and/or describing your key difference in the first part of your Title. Using the example above you might say “Illinois winery to host special wine pairing dinner.” Plus, as we talked about in Part 1 (link), headlines with “How To” and “7 tips” get more clicks. Here also is a great article on 10 sure-fire Headline formulas that work. Good titles make you want to find out more or evoke an emotional response.

Here’s a visual of where the title tags, URL/permalinks and H1 tags are located on your browser:

3. URL (permalinks)

It’s important that yourURL/permalinks show in the browser window (see above example) as text and not a number or session id.

This is the correct way:

http://www.bauerhaus.com/strategy/why-your-business-should-use-content-marketing/

Notice how the text describes what the page topic is about? This allows both the reader and Google to know more about the content of the page.

Below is an example of the wrong way for a URL/permalink to show, because it does not describe what is on your page or post:

www.bauerhaus.com/post49

If you are in Wordpress, you can easily change this by going to Settings —> Permalinks —> Select Post Name, which will set your permalinks as: http://www.bauerhaus.com/sample-post/

4. H1 tags

H1 tags are also called Page Titles. See the illustration above on where Page Titles are located in your browser. There should only be one H1 tag on the page, so Google knows what this web page is about. Sub-headings should be set to size h2, h3 or h4. Again, the page title heading should contain words that describe your unique niche. The main reason Google holds this one with importance is because this will clearly tell visitors what this page is about and where they are on your site.

Also note, that your H1 tags and your Title tags can be different, which will give you more text to describe exactly what your niche is.

5. Meta description:

The Meta description (see below screenshot, the Meta description is the gray text) is the text that shows up in search engines when it displays the results of the person’s search. If no description is specified, Google will naturally take the first few lines from that page. Are your first two lines relevant to the topic? Do they use the keyword you are targeting? If not, create your own Meta description that will help your ideal client find you.

If you are in Wordpress, install the Wordpress SEO by Yoast.  This plugin will help walk you through how you should set up each post or page.

For example, below is what the Google snippet preview originally looked like. Notice how if we are targeting “wine book club” we have those keywords in the heading, page title, page url and content. But we do NOT have it in our Meta description.

So, let’s change our Meta description so it also has the words “wine book club.” Now the Wordpress SEO by Yoast tells you that you did indeed use the same keyword across all settings.

6. Make your photos have alt tags “alternate text”

Many people rely on photos to search for what they are looking for. For instance, I just did an image search to buy a laptop stand. I knew what I wanted the stand to look like, but wasn’t sure how to describe it with exact words. How does Google do this? You need to make sure when you upload a photo to your website, you put a descriptive Title and a description in the Alt tag. Or if you are using a content management system like Wordpress, add a description to the photo. Think of it this way: search engines cannot see images, but rather read the text you type in for the photo title and description.

7. XML sitemaps

It’s important that every website submit a XML sitemap to Google and other search engines. This allows Google to better understand how your website is structured and the order of your most important content. If in Wordpress, Wordpress SEO by Yoast does this for you.

8. Links

Part of what search engines use to rank you, is the amount of incoming links. I know some companies offer quick, let’s trade links, but really I believe you should only do this if it’s relevant to your company. Having a link on a winery association website to your winery is a no brainer. Having a winery listed on a website that sells bicycles doesn’t make much sense. Unless of course, it’s one of those cool wine bottle holders that you can strap onto your bike. The more websites that link to your page, the higher you will rank in Google and other search engines.

8. Have a Google+ Business page:

This simple step let’s Google know you are a business and you do exist. Plus, having a Google+ business page will help you show up high in local searches. Some clients say, “But I don’t have office hours, do I still need to have a Google Places page?” Yes, you do. You can simply state on your page, that you are by appointment only. The more info Google knows about you, the more it can promote you. Plus, if you have a Google+ biz page, your Google+ profile will pop in to the right of the search area. See the example of my own “Bauerhaus Design” listing, below:

Want to know more about how to make your business stand out online? Email me to set up a free 30 minute consultation.

We designed this logo for our favorite hosting company, Venovix. This is the first hosting company that I have ever worked with that provides AWESOME customer service. Talk to a real person? Check! Replies to emails? Check! Solves weird email issues? Check!

Venovix focuses on building customer partnerships. Their purpose is to simplify the web experience for entrepreneurs and small to mid-size businesses. Venovix provides customized website hosting, managed server services, and software development services. In short, they want to grow with small to mid-size businesses.

As with any logo design that involves a group of decision makers, we started with a meeting with all the company founders to really nail down their brand focus.

Did they see themselves as elegant or modern?

Where do they want to be in 5 years?

What kind of car would you be if your brand where a car? Their response to this last question really told me what they were looking for: Their brand car would be a Lexus RX, which is reliable, luxurious, techy, plus they loved that when you look at the Lexus RX, it could also be a tiger.

Venovix really wanted a logo that at first glance said their name, but on closer inspection stood for something deeper. This is how I came up with the play on negative space with the letter V. It was also important for Venovix to have an icon, showcase that they are a green company, as well as to include the Tardis blue from their favorite show, Doctor Who.

What’s it like to work with Bauerhaus Design?

“After working with another designer on our logo and getting no where, Bauerhaus Design was a breath of fresh air. The response time was prompt, and the quality of work was excellent. Becca really got to know our brand and even helped us fine tune it. She did a fantastic job taking direction from three different stakeholders with differing opinions, as well as taking the lead when needed. We’re so pleased with the creative elements she developed on our behalf, and we love our new logo. I highly recommend Bauerhaus Design.” ~ Michelle Sciuto, Marketing Director, Venovix, LLC

Here is their final business card design:

No tricks!

Websites that just show a bunch of keywords at the bottom of the page, are not going to put you at the top of Google search. Google constantly refines their formula, so if you are relying on tricks it may work one week, but there is no guarantee it will work next week. I was at a networking event once, when a guy said the key to show up on Linkedin or Google was to have his keyword “photographer” show up 12 times in his profile. Next time I saw him he admitted that it worked for 3 days and then it didn’t. Instead of spending your time relying on tricks, website owners should focus their time on their content.

Create content focused on your niche
Businesses can only stand out from other businesses on three strategic levels: price, innovation & by targeting a certain niche market. If you are a small business, you can’t survive by being the cheapest. Innovation only works if you are the only one selling your product. For example, you created a tool that makes crushing apples easier. But realistically the only way most of us can stand out is by picking a niche and creating content people need in the research phase.

Many people, books and websites talk about SEO like its a magical formula, but in reality it all comes to down to compelling content based on your niche. A book I recently read called “A Website that Works” by Mark O’Brien shared this tip – if you add a minimum of 2,000 words per month to your website, Google will automatically place you higher than your competitor that has a static website that never changes. If you often update your content, Google knows to send out its Google bots often to check for new update.

While content marketing does take a lot of work writing content, O’Brien estimates that you can easily get 20% of your leads through your website. No more cold calling and hoping the next networking event gives you your next big break. And really the information you are writing is what you are most likely already telling your clients in person, by phone or Skype. You know why your product or service is better than the competitor, so think of a blog as a letter to your potential client.

But this only works if you pick a niche and specialize in creating content that your targeted niche wants to know. This can be in the form of a blog, video, ebooks, podcasts or even a webinar.

Have a blog

A blog is the BEST resource you have to get to the top of search engines. Google rewards the websites that publish at least 2,000 words per month. Creating content that brings people to your website is called Content marketing. Wouldn’t it be great if you could get 20% of your leads online? With a regular blogging platform it can.

To illustrate how this works, let’s take a real world example from my own website. My most popular page is “How much does a logo cost?” Why is it the most popular page? Because I chose a headline that people are actually typing into Google. When customers fill out my contact form asking for a logo design estimate and I ask how they found me – the most common answer is “I googled ‘How much does a logo cost’ and read your article & liked the way you explained it.” What is the phrase that your customers are typing in about you?

Think of a blog as a way for you to get free advertising.  While a Facebook ad will get you X results for 30 days, blog posts will last a lifetime.

Tell your brand story

Part of the amazing thing about blogs, is it allows you to tell your brand story every week. Part of a brand story is the tone of voice and blogging is the perfect place to let this shine. Is your company personality fun & geeky? Write that way. Is it more of a hippie cultural where anything goes? Write that way. Just make sure it matches the same message you convey in person, in your marketing materials and in social media.

Your website needs to sound well, human. I just read a book called “The Story Wars” that says that the most successful brands are based on moral myths. The author  “offers three simple tools any brand can use to break through, earn fans and become an icon: Be Interesting, Tell the Truth and Live the Truth.” Every human being has a unique story, just like every business has a unique story. Are you telling yours? Read more about How to Create your brand story.

Keywords

Make sure your keywords are listed in the copy on your site. If you are a winery near Chicago and do not have the text that says “winery near Chicago” your site will not show up in search engines when people search for “winery near Chicago.”

For example, one of our clients came to us and asked “What can we do to show up as number one Authorized Disney Vacation Planner in our Collinsville, IL area?” I suggested they blog at least 2,000 words per month and start talking about where their clients were located into their blogs posts. But most importantly make it sound natural. No one wants to read text on a website that sounds like a robot. The results? They are number one for their key phrase “Authorized Disney Vacation Planner:”

So, how do you find your top keywords? Next week we’ll give you free sources to help you find them.

Choose a headline that works

Many of the most popular articles have three things in common. One, they reference your keywords. Two, they are short and three, many have a number in them or say “How to”. For example, my: 10 ways to increase your web traffic and How to create a fantastic Facebook page.

Create a strategy

Before you start any new marketing platform, it is essential that you have an online marketing strategy. This process will help you define your ideal customer, your goal, who is going to manage it, and budget concerns. Is your goal to get people to sign up for your newsletter? Then include an email sign up box through out your content. Do your customers love Facebook? Then make sure you use Facebook Open Graph for commenting and include a Facebook like box with fan’s photos.

Set a schedule of updates

You can do this by creating a detailed color-coded calendar or make it as simple as a list of topics to talk about that month. If you work better with deadlines, like I do, you could also put on your calendar “Blog due.” This way I see it on the calendar every day and can brainstorm while I go running or am driving. (Two of my best places for ideas!)

Next week, we’ll get down to the nuts and bolts of how SEO works and what you need to pay attention to in Part 2.

For the past couple hundred or so years, we have moved away from an oral tradition, but with social media we are starting to move back towards it. Interesting stories are the ones that get shared and go viral. How many times have you seen a funny video or moving story on Facebook and share it with your friends?

I’ve recently been entrenched in the book, Winning the Story Wars: Why those who tell (and live) the best stories will rule the future. Author Jonah Sachs says successful stories have explanation, meaning, story, and ritual. What makes a good story is:

“one that moves people emotionally, replaces facts with characters, speaks to people’s highest values and makes them believe they can be their own hero. The most powerful stories are based on The Hero’s journey, where they start in distress and become the hero.”

Think Star Wars and Harry Potter. People love these movies, because they can see themselves being the hero. Plus, they show the classic good vs. evil. Good standing up for the greater good. Sachs goes on to say:

“In the marketing realm this is called, empowerment marketing. Humans want to stand up for justice. They want to seek truth. They want beauty & self expression.”

Ok, but how does that correlate to your wine brand?

Let’s look at an example. Nike, which is ultimate example of empowerment marketing, promotes this message: Just do it. Everything you need is already inside you. Every advertisement or video follows the storyline of you, the average Jane becoming an athlete. Do they say buy our shoes because we are having this great sale? No, they put the power within each person. So, to create a successful wine brand, you need to create a story of empowerment.

How do you create a good wine story?

Sachs goes into much more detail in his book about what makes a good plot, but basically successful stories are broken down into these different components:

1. Hero: the audience (notice the Hero is not your company, but someone from your audience)
2. Your Brand: You are mentor (For example, Nike telling you to Just do it)
3. Gift to help the hero on his journey (For example, Tom’s shoes 1 for 1 program, where they donate 1 pair of shoes for every one bought)
4. Villain: Your nemesis (Think Darth Vadar. Or Apple pitting against giant Microsoft.)
5. Moral of the story (What lesson is your Hero going to learn?)
6. The Values (What values does this teach your Hero? Drink local and support their community?)

Each of these things will help you define what your true story is and help you stay in the memory of each person that comes across it. Not all empowering brands have a villain, but see below how Chipolte generalizes their villain in the below video. Chipolte’s president posted the following video of his passion for sustainable food when he took back the helm after moving away from his values:

Make your wine brand human:

In order for people to connect to your brand, people must feel like they know you. As we like to tell our clients, when a visitor comes to your website they should have the same feeling and connection as when they come to your place of business. If you have stunning panoramic views, by all means put that on your home page. If the owner or winemaker is the funniest person you have ever heard, take a video and add it to your website. If your owner was a pilot in Africa, talk about what inspired him to open your company. If your tasting room server can speed recite every wine on your menu in under 30 seconds, spread the word. The more people feel like they are getting to know you, your winery and your staff’s personality, the more connected to your brand they will become. And this is what leads to sales and more importantly your customers spreading the word about how they love your products and services.

Now go shout your story from rooftops!

Another words, once you create a solid wine brand story keep your story consistent and tell it over multiple channels. Your website, social media, email marketing, wine events, wine club, and if you have the budget print, TV and radio. Think about how Nike might show different athletes, but the core message (Just Do It) is the same across all media.

Need help coming up with your brand story?

We can help! We love to help boutique wineries just like yours with their brand stories, marketing, social media, graphic and web design. Take our free 7 week email course, Sell More Wine, to learn how to create your brand and jump start your marketing.

According to The Beverage Information Group, women accounted for 58.1 percent of wine buyers in 2011. So, how come most wines are create by and targeted towards men?

I recently wrote an article for Midwest Wine Press, called Women Prefer Wine with a Story to Tell, that shows three examples of labels targeting women. An excerpt:

While many men look to ratings to give them advice, women are much more influenced by the stories behind the bottle and the entire social experience of wine. In the Sommelier Journal, Liz Thach, who teaches wine classes at Sonoma State University’s School of Business and Economics, said,  “Our latest study shows some basis for the idea that men are more influenced by authoritative ratings and the prestige of name brands, whereas women are more concerned with the social experience of drinking wine and the stories behind the bottles, as provided by labels and personal recommendations. Men collect wine, women share it; men use wine to impress others, while women use it to create memories.”

So, when it comes to wine labels, how do women choose? A wine label should communicate your brand, your uniqueness and increase the perceived value of your wine. A wine label is your biggest piece of advertising and the first contact most people will have with your wine. Is your label communicating to women? Using a script font with girly colors is not the answer.

If you want to go after women, your wine label will need to:

1. Have a unique memorable wine label design that compliments your other labels. Many people forget names, but do remember artwork. For example, a friend of mine will often ask her favorite restaurant for the wine with the girl riding a bike.

2. Tell a story that women will want to share. Is your wine label inspired by your trip to Europe? Share it. The story should compliment your brand, whether it’s funny or classy.

3. Ditch the wine ratings. Instead describe what it really tastes like and what mood it will evoke. Girl’s trip to Vegas or a night around the bonfire?

4. Promote an interactive experience. Since the above research shows we women are social, encourage us to share our favorite stories about your wine on Twitter, Facebook or your website.

5. Donate a portion of sales to a favorite charity. Women love to rally behind a good cause.

If you are considering a wine label re-design, remember these four things: Keep it simple, differentiate from your immediate competitors, tell your brand story and have consistent branding. When you don’t have the luxury of personally selling a bottle of your wine, your wine label needs to convince that undecided shopper to “buy me!” and convey your winery’s brand story. What does your wine label say to women?