Indianapolis Web Development

Fusework Studios Announces Matt Howell as Project Manager

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 by Matt Howell

August 17, 2010 - Fusework Studios, a full-service internet marketing and technology solution provider with offices in Indianapolis and Muncie, Indiana, has recently hired Matt Howell as Project Manager.

Matt joins Fusework Studios as Project Manager bringing with him more than 10 years of professional experience in internet marketing and consultation. Other talents Matt presents in his new capacity at Fusework Studios include experience in web design and development, client relations and account coordination.

Mark Shaffer, Senior Vice President of Fusework Studios declares, “We’re excited to add Matt to our team, and together look forward to many years of creating mutually beneficial relationships with our clients.”

Matt’s professional history includes assignments at Boyden and Youngblutt, as well as LaBov and Beyond in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. A graduate of Ball State University, Matt’s areas of study included Telecommunications, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1997.

“Matt is extremely personable and down-to-Earth, making it very easy to talk to him, even about complex technical issues,” indicates Carla Feagans, Owner, Ignite HR Consulting. “He makes finding the right solution for your issues easy, and goes above and beyond in his customer service and follow-up.”

Mr. Howell resides in Farmland, Indiana, but calls all of East Central Indiana and Indianapolis home. Matt is a devoted father of three and is active in the Boys Scouts of America, the Muncie Young Professionals Group, and the American Advertising Federation of East Central Indiana.

Fusework Studios is a premier creative house specializing in web design & development, internet marketing, film & video production and managed IT support services. Fusework Studios, with offices in Indianapolis and Muncie, has been the recipient of numerous awards for their innovative work. Fusework Studios is a division of Rutter Communications Network, a 20+ year, privately held, multimedia company headquartered in Muncie, Indiana.

For additional information, contact Mark Shaffer, Senior Vice President, Fuseworks Studios (mshaffer@fuseworkstudios.com).

The Place to Be - Good SEO in Indianapolis

Friday, February 19, 2010 by James Hueston

SpringHill Suites - Indianapolis Downtown

This week, you may have heard about three new Marriott Hotels that White Lodging Services opened in downtown Indianapolis. The area is dubbed as "The Place to Be," and the Merrillville Hotel Development company created not only some good looking buildings, but also a strong web based strategy at: www.ThePlaceToBeIndy.com. I'm sure you'll have a chance to learn all about the scene in their press releases, on TV, and in the IndyStar.

What you'll only hear from Indianapolis Web Development Firm Fusework Studios is an evaluation of their Search Engine Optimization tactics. In short, I anticipate searches in Google for "The Place to Be" soon to show the new site at the top of the results for the following eight reasons:

The phrase "The Place To Be" is in their domain name: www.ThePlaceToBeIndy.com, which is one of Google's factors in SEO ranking. Notice they did not choose www.ThePlaceToBe.com, because is already owned by someone else. If you have a business or idea for a business, secure the domain name right away for future use!
All pages are titled with keyword-friendly phrases, including "The Place to Be in Indy" in every one.
Their URLs are short and meaningful. Google rewards you for telling them what a page is about in the filename before it scours the page for content, ie. http://theplacetobeindy.com/attractions.asp?s=walking-distance will tell visitors about the walking distance to attractions.
The Site Architecture (code on the back-end) is pretty solid. They separate the functional code of their site from the design by using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), which makes the site easy for search engines to find, and effectively adds to your search engine optimization.
They use DIV Tags instead of Tables, which enables Search Engine spiders to crawl the site easier.
Heading Tags ie, H1, H2, H3, are used appropriately and hierarchically, which will tell search engines what content is most important to index.
They use the Keyword Metatag on every page and the Description Metatag on the homepage.
They generated an XML Sitemap, which will help Search engines index the content on the site faster.

These eight tactics are sure to help White Lodging Services in their Search Engine Optimization in Indianapolis. We implement all of these tactics and more in our web based strategies. If you need a boost in search engines, give Fusework Studios a call!

Fusework Studios Launches Web Site for IU Kokomo

Thursday, January 21, 2010 by Nellie Stout

Original article by Indiana University Kokomo: http://www.iuk.edu/news/?naid=19&ncid=.

Kokomo, Ind. - Indiana University Kokomo has launched a new and improved Web site, www.iuk.edu, featuring easier navigation, online video, vibrant flash images, and socia media integration.

"The new site will allow us to share IU Kokomo in a more engaging and dynamic way. It brings with it a content management system that allows us to better manage updates and changes, as well as the ability to implement analytics that measure site usage and give us the tools to make constant improvements that better serve our users," said Katrina Janes, director of the Office of Communications and Marketing at IU Kokomo. "The redesign and launch of a new university Web site is a huge undertaking, and we are very excited to unveil this new Web presence to the students, campus and community that we serve."

The site, developed by Indianapolis-based Fusework Studios, provides easier navigation for the user, improved search functions, and a consistent look, design, and feel. The first step in the redesign was an audit of the old Web site that included an evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses. This evaluation enforced the need for IU Kokomo to clearly indentify and match target audiences with specific marketing objectives, as well as the need to transform the site from a static information source to a dynamic and engaging marketing tool.

This direction is supported by a recent TeensTALK®survey of high school sophomores which found that 74 percent of the respondents conducted general college research on the Web, and 67 percent visited a specific college Web site. It is clear that higher education institutions are positioning their Web sites as a primary marketing tool and relying more on electronic communication tools. The average Web user today is highly skilled and able to communicate through many technological formats, from text messaging to IM to Twitter. This is particularly true for prospective and current college students.

"This was a huge project and encompassed two years from vendor selection to launch. Every unit on campus participated," said Paul Nowak, vice chancellor for external relations. "A special recognition is due to our marketing and IT departments, and especially Rudy Kizer, our campus Web manager, and Katrina Janes."

Indiana University Kokomo serves a seven county, primary service area in north central Indiana. The campus offers more than 40 academic programs including four graduate degrees.
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Fusework Studios provides service in Business Blogging, IT Services, SEO Indianapolis, Indiana Website Design, Indiana Website Development, Web Based Strategy, Social Media Marketing, Indiana Video Production, Email Marketing Strategy, Corporate Blog, Internet Marketing Indianapolis, and much more.

The next phase in Indianapolis Web development: Part 2

Thursday, January 14, 2010 by Brandon Coppernoll

Previously, I discussed how Indianapolis web development has changed, and I provided a theory on what the next trend will become. I talked about how business blogging and social media community interaction has become the latest trend in providing relevant information to customers. Now we will see search engine marketing at the forefront in how web development is approached for businesses.

Search is even more important than before.

Customers have been using search to find goods and services rather than looking for specific businesses. While it is important for your business to be visible (e.g. Fusework Studios) in the search engines, it is even more important that your business is found for specific keywords based on your goods and services.

The next phase in Indianapolis web development will be about playing an integral role in search engine marketing and finding ways to get new content out and fast for what customers are looking for. Search engines are looking for sites and blogs that update often and have relevant content to what their users are searching for. It's not about "if you build it, they will come" anymore.

Early on in web development, it was about telling your story -- the whole story. Unfortunately, this requires time and money to be able to put all that work together. When print marketing is put together, it is customary to hand out a brochure, poster or some form of quick communication about the product or service. I recommend you actually follow suit for initial website release, and over time, you can add the additional content you probably would have initially included before.

The reason is Google and other major search engines value up-to-date content. New content is very important. The sites and blogs that are most active about putting content up for their visitors are getting special treatment because they are viewed as more likely to be current for their customers - those people that search. There is no magic tool or button you can use to get these results. It's about building upon a foundation to be found in search.

Contact Fusework Studios for more information about building a strong foundation to win customers through search and inbound marketing.

The next phase in Indianapolis Web development: Part 1

Thursday, January 7, 2010 by Brandon Coppernoll

The year 2010 brings on new opportunities for businesses across the country including Indianapolis. The economy is slowly on the mend. Jobs are starting to come back. Businesses are strategizing on how to attack their marketing plans and grow. Indianapolis, in my opinion, is no different from this trend.

When I first came onto the web development scene, it was primarily about having a website. Your website was more of a brochure. There was little thought to a full web based strategy or social media community involvement for businesses. The primary focus was having a great looking web design and plenty of content for people to read.

Then came the next phase which was to measure the analytical data provided for your website. Soon, it was found that people often didn't spend more than 1-2 minutes on the site. This didn't help support the theory to have more than twenty pages of content. The next step was to find a way to convert those visits into money by creating calls-to-action. These calls-to-action were provided as forms, buttons and/or videos.

The most recent trend is how to use social media marketing and business blogging to benefit your business. Search engine marketing is taking the forefront, and more businesses are implementing corporate blogs and social media as a part of their web strategy. I believe this trend is going to add a new twist to how websites will be developed beginning in 2010.

With Google Live Search and the rise of blogging as the premiere method in getting recent and relevant content, the next trend is all about flexibility and the process of getting search content out to the masses. It will be about monitoring what people are looking for and providing that information. Businesses will be taking an ever-more increased role in talking WITH their customers (not just TO their customers). Websites and strategies will be taking on a new look to feed how people will find out about their business(es), goods and services.

I will be touching on how to take advantage of this new trend in my upcoming post. For now, I wanted to get you thinking about how sites will be developed differently with this in mind. I'd be interested in hearing some thoughts from you on what you see coming in the next year.

Practicing discipline in a Web based strategy

Monday, January 4, 2010 by Brandon Coppernoll

Discipline.

For most people it's an ugly word. It makes you think of a dog that misbehaves, an athlete making wrong choices during a sporting event or sometimes even more frustrating of a child that just won't listen and needs...discipline.

Discipline is an important intangible in your Web strategy.

Throughout 2009, I spoke of many different ways to utilize tools and third-party programs to enhance your web based strategy, and I spoke in many ways how Fusework Studios is a great Indianapolis web development company that can help touch all facets of an effective strategy. In 2010, I want to focus on things that are a little more intangible.

By now, most of you know about the tangible objects that go into a web based strategy such as business blogging, web development, website design, social media communities, search engine optimization and an email marketing strategy. When used correctly, all of these tools work, but there are things that are never seen that go into a successful strategy.

Discipline is accepting a challenge and having the fortitude to see it through. When embarking on a new marketing strategy, whether it's television, radio, print or the web, you will never know the true extent of its results until you see it through.

What are ways you can practice discipline in your web based strategy?

Make a plan. A web based strategy is a plan to achieve a goal. Put it on paper and keep it where you can see it.
Make a habit. Practice working on your strategy every day until that goal is achieved.
Do it when you don't want to do it. Some days it feels like too much work to participate in a social media community for your business, but those days are probably the most important to do the work.
Have a coach. Even professional athletes have a coach to help set goals and achieve them.
Form a team. Don't try to do this alone. Find skill sets that are needed to accomplish your goals, and find the people with similar discipline and passion to achieve your goals.

Find the intangibles that make your web based strategy great. I certainly hope this can energize you when you embark on 2010.

Need a coach or a team? Contact Fusework Studios today to discuss your goals and ambitions in 2010 and to create a web based strategy to work for your business.

Web Based Strategy for the Indianapolis Prize

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 by Nellie Stout

As the Indiana website development provider for the Indianapolis Zoo, we have had the pleasure of taking on a complete web re-design of the Indianapolis Prize, the visible component of the internationally recognized conservation efforts being undertaken by the Indianapolis Zoo.

The Indianapolis Prize is the largest individual monetary award for animal species conservation in the world and is given as an unrestricted gift to the chosen honoree. The Prize is given every other year to an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to conservation efforts involving a single animal species or multiple species.

For many nonprofits and small businesses in Indianapolis, online marketing is becoming increasingly competitive, so the Indianapolis Prize web based strategy was focused on embracing the social media community, creating a clean and direct design, and engaging users through video production.

Fusework Studios is proud to be a part of this project, both for the impact the Prize has on conservation and for adding to the great examples of Indianapolis web development.

Stay tuned for information on the 2010 Indianapolis Prize Gala that is scheduled for September 25 at the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis. Visit the new site at www.indianapolisprize.org.

Web Development - The Forgotten Focus

Thursday, November 5, 2009 by Bruce McClain

With all the talk these days about social media here in Indianapolis, web development often has become the forgotten focus. I go to conferences or seminars, and all I hear about is social media marketing and the social media community.

I agree that this is an emerging trend. I agree that it is here to stay in one form on another, but while everyone's focus has been distracted by the "shiny new coin," companies have been forgetting about web development and their web based strategy.

I always like to use the example with my clients of the grocery store. Grocery store chains spend millions of dollars researching where to place each and every item. They have a plan when a customer walks in the doors. They know exactly how they want you to walk through their aisles. Do you think it is a coincidence that the milk is always in the back of the store? Of course not. The strategists want you to walk past all the other more profitable merchandise before you can get your milk. This whole process has become a science. Sure they run ads in the paper, on TV, and with their Web marketing, but when they finally get you to their store, they have a plan.

This is the type of thought that should go into your web development and strategy. What do you want your customers to do when they reach your site? What makes you money? What do you want your visitors to make sure to do before they can get their "milk?"

Social Media is fun. It is the big thing right now, but please don't forget what your business is really all about. Use these other tools to drive traffic to your site, but don't forget about what you want them to do when they get there.

Fusework Studios - Who are we?

Wednesday, September 9, 2009 by Bruce McClain

What is a Social Media Marketing Company? What is an Internet marketing agency? Who is Fusework Studios? I get these questions all the time, when I tell people what I do for a living.

I would like to take a few minutes to tell you who and what we are. First of all let me tell you what we do. We are Digital Marketing Agency with offices in Indianapolis and Muncie Indiana and clients all around the globe. What does that mean? Think about your traditional marketing agency and all the things they did for you. Now translate that to the digital world. That is where we come in.

We can help you anywhere from Web development to buying ad space on Google. Above all Fusework Studios wants to become your trusted partner and help you plan every aspect of your digital marketing efforts.

Now let me tell you about the most important part of the Fusework formula. That would be our staff. I have the opportunity to manage the greatest group of employees in the industry. Not only are my employees knowledgeable about Social Media Advertising, Web based strategy, and Internet marketing, they also know how to work with our clients.

Fusework employees care. They not only care about our clients as people, they also adopt our client's businesses as their own. My staff routinely stays late into the night to help a client write some copy, or get the just the right shot on a video shoot. My staff instantly is on the case if your server goes down no matter what time of day it is. I am honored and truly blessed to have such a great staff and I know that has been a huge key to our success.

So now you know a little bit about Fusework Studios. Hopefully when you see our sign as you head down I-69 you will know exactly what we do. If you have any other questions about our services please let me know. I would love to help.

Is Social Media a Fad?

Tuesday, September 8, 2009 by Bruce McClain

In my last post about how I think of my blog topics. I mentioned, that I received an email from somone asking me a question that would be the inspiration for this post. So here we go.

This potential client asks, " I am hearing a lot more buzz about Facebook and some of these other sites, is Social media stuff just a fad, or should I get involved with this?"

Working at an Indianapolis Internet Marketing Company we tend to get this question a lot. I am not sure if it is because we are in the Midwest and are slow to catch on to the technology around us, but never the less, I am hearing this almost every day.

Social Media and Marketing is here to stay. Make no mistake about it, this is not a fad or a trend or something that is going to go away. Unfortunately if you are just now asking the Social Media question you are greatly behind some of your competitors. Social Media needs to be a part of your Website strategy immediately.

Now another part to the question, I always get asked, is how do I decide which Social Media Network to use? This is where the fad part comes in. Or as I would rather say the "trend" part comes in.

The trend a couple of years ago was to be on Myspace.com . That is where the action was, now it rarely is mentioned when talking to business, but it shouldn't be forgotten. It is just not part of the current Social Media trend.

The big buzz these days of course surrounds facebook.com and twitter.com . We have heard these names from Oprah to Ashton, from CNN to the Indianapolis Star. They are everywhere and with good reason. Their traffic is astronomical. And yes you should have a presence there as well. However, I am here to tell you one year from today we will be talking about a new Social Media darling, that may not even be in existence today, and do you need to have a profile on it as well. My answer would be yes, yes, and yes.

Today your audience can be world wide, they can find you 24/7/365, but you have to make it easy for this to happen. Your audience is more diverse now then ever before, they have more interests than ever before and they are all part of some sort of social network. Is it the one you are marketing too. If you are only on the biggies probably not.

Don't forget about your smallerindiana.com's and your indylink.com's . They are just as important as anything you are doing in the Social media community. They are local and can influence your business today.

My suggestion would be to develop a overall social media profile. How do you want your company to be viewed on the web? It needs to be very consistant to align with your brand, but can be specialized to each social network if you like. Take the time to set these up, place time on your schedule to monitor these, and understand how to manage your company's reputation on them as well.

Finally if you still believe social media is a fad take a look at this video. While I am not positive I agree with all the data it shows, I do believe it will change your mind. Enjoy!

Complete Internet Marketing One-Stop Shop

Wednesday, July 15, 2009 by Laurie Buschmann

There is something to be said about having a "one-stop shop" for all of your needs. The proverbial shopping mall is a good example of this.  Under one roof, you have all the shops you need to get nearly everything you want. This is also the reason why superstores like Wal-Mart and Meijer are so successful.

Besides buying groceries, clothes and other consumer items, I wish the "one-stop shop" concept existed in other industries.

For example, right now, I'm in the final stages of wedding planning. I'm getting married in about five weeks, and I'm making all of the final arrangments.  Specifically, I'm calling all of my vendors (photographer, videographer, florist, caterer, DJ, cake maker, etc.) and finalizing the schedule and details of the big day with each of them.

Wouldn't it be nice to only have to go to one place....or better yet, have one person to contact for all of these meetings and decisions? That would be a huge time and cost saver, AND I would have peace of mind knowing that I had one person handling all of the details, effectively making sure that everything would run smoothly and that my wedding would be a success.

Well, I may not have a "one-stop shop" for wedding planning, but I can recommend a great one for anyone looking for complete Internet marketing services. That's, of course, Fusework Studios.

Because I'm a Project Manager here at FWS, I have the opportunity of getting feedback directly from our clients in regards to our services, and one of the things I hear time and again is, "It's so nice to only have one person to talk to for all of my Internet marketing branding needs."

At Fusework Studios, we're web marketers, and we specialize in:

Creating/Redesigning websites using our unique approach to web strategy consulting - Ever heard us talk about the Billion dollar marketing banana?
Developing a social media and marketing plan with real, results-driven advertising calls to action
Producing video and flash content using an award-winning story-telling interactive strategy
Designing print and other supplemental materials to optimize brand awareness
Managing IT infrastructures so our Indianapolis and Muncie clients are safe and secure

In this day and age when time is truly money and when budgets are getting slashed, it just makes good business sense to find "one-stop shops" like Fusework Studios to partner with for fulfilling your needs.

In the end, you'll have extra time and money, and in turn, you could spend this extra time and money elsewhere...like at your local shopping mall.

Why I joined Smaller Indiana.

Thursday, April 9, 2009 by Justin Bryant

As I proud member of Smaller Indiana, A social media community created by Pat Coyle, Communications Director of the Indianapolis Colts, Doug Karr of Compendium Blogware and Kyle Lacy of Brandswag. I thought I'd write just a few words to tell about this awesome community for Indianapolis and Indiana.

I first became aware of SI through a coworker at Fusework Studios. After I signed up for the group, I was immediately notified with a personal message from Kyle.

"Hey Justin! Welcome to Smaller Indiana and congratulations on becoming a SMOOSIER! Let us know if you have any questions about the site and remember to have some fun!"

I was also invited to the 3000 member party, which has now grown to over 5000+ members in the the past 6 months.

Since becoming a member, I have met with several hundred of it's members, joined several networking groups, both on-line and off-line. In fact, I created my own group the Social Media Lunch Club which has nearly 80 members!

SI is a great resource for any local Marketer, Designer, Web Developer or just about any small to medium business or entrepreneur.

Sign up, check it out and add me as a friend. Don't forget to join the Social Media Lunch Club while you're there!

SXSW impacts Corporate Internet Marketing

Thursday, March 19, 2009 by Chip McComb

This week has been a whirlwind and with SXSW Interactive 09 wrapped up, I thought I'd share a bite sized summary of what I think are the main takeaways from this year's hoopla.

Facebook Launches New Design - with each new design, Facebook gains a few fans and loses others, but here's the important part. The new design gives brands excellent tools that they haven't had before. The page has become more like a profile... see someone with more than 5000 friends... it's a page. Pages will become more and more prevalent and as they do, you'll see brands gaining a larger and larger foothold. Profitable Monetization still seems a far flung concept for Facebook however.

Facebook launches Facebook Connect integration with the IPhone: Read TechCrunch's post on the development.

Tweetdeck allows users to post to Twitter and Facebook simultaneously. Need I say more, if you haven't downloaded tweetdeck, I recommend you check it out.

and Best Buy Launched an API: What would a corporate web site need with an API? You'd be surprised.

And best of all... The AT&T network was overloaded by all of the IPhone usage. (they had to double the network capacity to resolve the problem!)

Although not as groundbreaking as in years past, I've kept pretty busy following the excitement in Austin via Twitter and my tweetdeck. It's the best way to be there if you have to be in Indianapolis.

Thanks to all of my tweeps for keeping me updated!

Internet Marketing to End Hunger

Tuesday, March 17, 2009 by Chip McComb

While tweeting this morning and reading up on the social media and marketing happenings at SXSW, I came across a RT (re-tweet) from Guy Kawasaki imploring his followers to head to www.PledgeToEndHunger.com and help feed hungry children in their own community.

Intrigued, and not a guy to pass up on such a request, I followed the link and found that with a few simple clicks I could help trigger a truckload of food to be sent directly to help feed the poor in my community!

This isn't only a worthy cause, but it's a great example of cause marketing that truly leverages the potential behind a corporate brand (Tyson) and social media advertising across a variety of channels blogs, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. I didn't find out about this initiative through google or through my internet marketing circles in Indianapolis, I learned about this through Twitter, researched it using Google and then completed the transition on the actual web site.

So now on to the best part... Indiana is leading this initiative in 2 ways:

Indiana is in first place to receive one of the truckloads of food! Please go to the site and pledge to volunteer, donate, or just share the link with your friends. www.PledgeToEndHunger.com
Media Sauce, an Internet marketing agency here in Indianapolis partnered with Kompolt and Tyson Foods to develop the campaign! Props to media sauce.

Please share this with your friends, and pass the word along. Indiana may be the recipient of a truckload of food to help feed the hungry in our cities.