Corporate Cranium Mentor Articles

Three Reasons Website Maintenance is Critical

By Suzie Meier - Red Technologies Inc. | July 25, 2019

If you are a valued client of Red Technologies, or just a fan of our blog (and who isn’t?!), you’ve heard us regularly recommend updating your website.  But what does this really mean?  And why, after spending so much effort creating a cool website, would you need to turn around and update it every month?

Your website is often the first impression clients will receive, so it’s crucial to make it a good one. Here are three big reasons why maintaining your website monthly will earn you a big return on your investment:

  1. Security. If your website is hacked, it will cause issues for both your business and your clients. Not only is there the possibility of vital information being stolen, but also the threat of a loss of trust from your clients and online community. Sites are often hacked due to weaknesses from an out-of-date framework or plugin. Ensure you are using a reputable platform that is updated regularly and provides security features. Our web developers utilize WordPress, as it is secure, easy to use, updated often, and well supported by the web development industry. In addition to the threat of hacking, popular search engines are constantly updating their algorithms to provide the best search results. By updating your website and addressing the upgrades, you are maintaining (even increasing) your site’s ranking.
  2. Content. Update your website content often to increase SEO, and convert site visitors into users. Customers are looking at the material you are producing to form opinions and gain confidence in your brand. It is vital that your site is adding value to their experience by offering a variety of messages and highlighting any services. By effectively communicating to your target market and providing useful content, you are demonstrating that your company is knowledgeable, trustworthy, and worth their business.
  3. Design. You may offer a secure website with incredible content, but if it is hard to read, not mobile friendly or difficult to navigate, it’s unlikely you will increase traffic or sales. A poorly designed website is a turn-off to potential clients, and may cause them to leave your site before even giving you a chance to feature your business. Maintaining your site regularly offers a chance to customize your site design around the needs of your clients and provide a better user experience.

If your online marketing goals include gaining trust, increasing web traffic and conversion rates, building your brand, and providing a positive customer experience, it is imperative you update your website monthly.

Red Technologies is devoted to creating and maintaining strong websites for our clients. If you do not currently update your site regularly and want to start, or have additional questions, please email info@redtechnologiesinc.com.

Check us out and catch up on our blog today!

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How Can You Safeguard Your Workplace Against Violence?

By Sharon Berglund | Bergland HR Consulting / July 25, 2019

(CNN) “DeWayne Craddock, a 15-year public works employee, stopped in the men’s bathroom to brush his teeth near the end of his shift, like he did every day. But by late afternoon, instead of going home, he plotted to carry out a massacre at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center. The gunman, who had submitted his…

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When is the Correct Time to Refinance Your Home?

By Shaun Corbin, First Minnesota Bank / July 25, 2019

At First Minnesota Bank I get the opportunity to offer all types of loans.  One of the loan types I want to discuss is the residential home mortgage refinance.  The big question is–when is the correct time to refinance your home?  The answer depends on what you want to accomplish or what financial goals do…

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Three Reasons Website Maintenance is Critical

By Suzie Meier - Red Technologies Inc. / July 25, 2019

If you are a valued client of Red Technologies, or just a fan of our blog (and who isn’t?!), you’ve heard us regularly recommend updating your website.  But what does this really mean?  And why, after spending so much effort creating a cool website, would you need to turn around and update it every month?…

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Supervisor Success

By Gayle Noakes - Gayle Noakes Supervisor Success / July 25, 2019

66%* of manufacturing companies are highly concerned about one of these worker issues: Attracting qualified workers Retaining qualified workers Developing future leaders Over the 20 years I have worked in manufacturing companies, I have seen the benefits of retaining qualified workers. They already know the company and the products. They are loyal and want themselves…

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Top Reasons Why You should Avoid Naming Your Children as a Trustee in Your Estate Plan

By Stacey Edwards Jones - Jones Law Office / July 25, 2019

One of the most pivotal questions in designing your revocable trust, used as part of your estate plan, is who will serve as the trustee upon your death. Clients tend to choose their children for a variety of reasons: children serve as trustee without charging a fee out of obligation, they do not want their…

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How Do You Know if Mediation “Worked?”

By Bob Halagan, Halagan Law Firm, LTD. / April 25, 2019

One of the challenges of mediation is the uncertainty that comes with having to deal with any unpleasant confrontation.  Parties and sometimes their lawyers get caught up in the emotions inherent in litigation conflict and frequently leave mediation, with or without a deal, feeling unsatisfied.  So, what make for a “successful” mediation regardless of the…

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Pro Tips on Managing Your Social Media Content

By Suzie Meier - Red Technologies Inc. / April 25, 2019

You know social media is an important component to your business, but creating and posting fresh material on a regular business seems overwhelming. If you often find yourself struggling to find a new way to discuss the same old thing, you’re not alone. Here are a few tips from our experts to help you increase…

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Five Reasons to Establish a Revocable Trust

By Stacey Edwards Jones - Jones Law Office / April 25, 2019

Plan for Disability. Unlike a Will, a Revocable Trust allows you to plan for incapacity. This can be especially useful for small business owners. A trust is an effective way to ensure that the grantor’s assets will be used for his or her benefit in the event he or she becomes incapable of managing his…

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Choosing a Retirement Plan that Fits Your Business

By Mark Hegstrom, Waterfront Financial Group / April 25, 2019

One survey found that 79% of small business owners expect at least some of their retirement income to come from tax-advantaged retirement savings accounts.¹ If you have yet to develop a retirement plan for your business, or if you’re not sure the plan you’ve chosen is the right one, here are some things to consider.…

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Does Your Business Need a Mediator?

By Bob Halagan, Halagan Law Firm, LTD. / March 18, 2019

One of the most difficult challenges a business owner can face is divorce; not from his or her spouse but from a business partner.  Sometimes that business partnership that looked so promising when you started out turns sour and you find yourself simply unable to continue to work with the person who is a part-owner…

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How Do You Know if Mediation “Worked?”

By Bob Halagan, Halagan Law Firm, LTD. / March 18, 2019

One of the challenges of mediation is the uncertainty that comes with having to deal with any unpleasant confrontation.  Parties and sometimes their lawyers get caught up in the emotions inherent in litigation conflict and frequently leave mediation, with or without a deal, feeling unsatisfied.  So, what make for a “successful” mediation regardless of the…

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How to be Ready for Mediation

By Bob Halagan, Halagan Law Firm, LTD. / January 28, 2019

Non-lawyers are often not certain what to expect when going into a mediation process.  If they are new to mediation, they often worry most about “telling their story” as opposed to making a deal that works for them.  Mediation is typically triggered when a lawsuit has been started or is being threatened and so the…

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Lead Meetings People WANT to Attend

By Gayle Noakes - Gayle Noakes Supervisor Success / January 28, 2019

Is this possible? Can there be meetings people actually WANT to attend? Yes, there can! I have led many of them. There are simple but powerful factors that make meetings effective. In this article, I would like to focus on just one: The Meeting Outline. The Meeting Outline is a simple but critical component to…

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Important WordPress Website Functionality Updates are Coming in 2019

By Suzie Meier - Red Technologies Inc. / January 28, 2019

If your business has a WordPress website, you may have heard rumblings of some upcoming enhancements on the horizon. And if you haven’t heard anything yet, all the more reason to read on! Here at Red Technologies, we appreciate the opportunity to serve businesses and innovate online. We are grateful for our clients’ trust, and…

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Hiring Mistakes and What to Do About Them

By Sharon Berglund | Bergland HR Consulting / January 28, 2019

Any leader that has hired more than ten people has made at least one hiring mistake. The problem is compounded in a small business because of the impact each employee has on your success. One of the most common concerns I hear from leaders is that the person they hired is technically sound but they…

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Make Estate Settlement Easier for Loved Ones

By Stacey Edwards Jones - Jones Law Office / January 28, 2019

There are essentially two avenues the estate settlement process can take: through the probate process (if the decedent had a will, or no will, and the decedent’s probate assets totaled $75,000 or more) or through private trust administration (if the decedent had a revocable living trust). LOCATE THE DOCUMENTS If the decedent left a will,…

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What is Your Business Worth?

By Bob Halagan, Halagan Law Firm, LTD. / November 1, 2018

A common question for business owners when they start to ponder their exit strategy is how to figure out what their business is worth.  Valuation experts like the Corporate Cranium’s Roben Hunter can give you an expert assessment based upon professionally accepted valuation methodologies.  Roben will assess value based upon multiple factors including past performance,…

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How to Navigate Workplace Relationships in the #MeToo Era: Practical Advice for Business Owners/Leaders

By Sharon Berglund | Bergland HR Consulting / November 1, 2018

Not since the days of the Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill hearings has there been so much talk about sexual assault and sexual harassment. Just about everyone has an opinion about the Christine Blasey Ford/Brent Kavanaugh hearings and Justice Kavanaugh’s recent confirmation into the Supreme Court. To complicate matters further, divisiveness in our Country is worse than…

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Video is the Future

By Suzie Meier - Red Technologies Inc. / November 1, 2018

How many videos have you watched online today? 2? 20?! Chances are your day is packed with video viewership; from online ads to educational content, clips from family and friends to your favorite forms of entertainment. Need to fix a faucet? Want to try a new makeup application? Looking for some cute puppies to boost…

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Secrets of Success

By Gayle Noakes - Gayle Noakes Supervisor Success / November 1, 2018

Successfully managing and growing a small or mid-sized company is a challenge. Pat Boulay, the President / CEO of New Business Minnesota, recently wrote an article sharing the “Secrets of Success” as experienced by Juan Ramirez, the founder of ZoomingSales CRM and a number of other businesses. I work closely with Juan, as the Senior…

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