Resource Center

When writing copy for your website it has to be attention-grabbing. You have about 15 seconds to engage your readers. That’s it. If they decide your content isn’t what they are looking for they will move on and not look back. Knowing how small your window is, how do you…
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Published: May 18, 2021 Read time: 6 minutes, 30 seconds What is content strategy? Simply put, it’s a plan to add information to your website, consistently over time, that will attract readers and direct them to the content they’re interested in. You’re likely familiar with the term “Search Engine Optimization,”…
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Be sure to join us for the first, of what promising to be many, warm and engaging networking events hosted by the HVG Chamber Equity and Diversity Committee.

Business, civic, and nonprofit members, including the Peekskill NAACP, collaboratefor sustainable actions to address economic inequity PEEKSKILL, NY, October 19, 2020 –Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce (HVGCC) members have come together to take action on economic equity. The statement issued by the HVGCC over the summer in response to…
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My Six ELEVEN Favorite Online Marketing Tools Last updated: August 10, 2020Originally published: March 4, 2014 Read time: 11 minutes, 2 seconds Westchester Marketing Cafe has been working remotely – using online tools – for, well, forever really. With so many people now finding themselves also working remotely, we figured…
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Clients often ask whether they should have a blog or a “regular” website for their business. And it’s a great question. The answer is “yes”!

Read time: 8 minutes, 57 seconds WordPress is by far the most popular website platform out there. According to W3techs, WordPress has 58.55% of the Content Management System (CMS) market share, more than all other systems (e.g., Drupal, Joomla, Wix, Squarespace) combined, and is the platform for a full one-third of all…
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Last updated: October 7, 2024Updated: May 8, 2019Originally published: January 3, 2008 Read time: 8 minutes, 39 seconds There are a few different ways to create a website for your organization. One option is to do it yourself. There are certainly a lot of DIY website solutions available. Technology has…
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Last updated: April 18, 2019Originally published: March 18, 2010 Read time: 6 minutes, 24 seconds Email marketing is one of the pillars of a successful online marketing plan. But, like any plan, it should be well thought out, with clear goals, a strategy, and specific tactics. The benefits of a…
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Westchester Marketing Cafe, LLC announced its 20th anniversary as a digital marketing agency serving small and mid-sized businesses and nonprofit organizations in Westchester County and beyond. Since it’s inception in 1999 the firm has focused on providing clients with strategic and tactical marketing support. In 2009, Founder and CEO, Jann…
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Last updated: June 20, 2019Originally published: April 24, 2012 Read time: 4 minutes, 58 seconds Clients are sometimes embarrassed to ask questions about how a website works. They often don’t understand what their web hosting company does and why it’s important to have a good one. Every so often though…
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Read time: 3 minutes, 21 seconds What is an Email Autoresponder? Email autoresponders are a workflow that automatically sends emails under certain conditions. A new subscriber receiving a welcome message is an example of an autoresponder. Email remains one of the most effective ways to keep in touch with your…
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Your website should help grow your business, drive your mission forward or create a positive impact for your organization. But how do you know if your website is working? A website can be pretty and still be ineffective.  A successful website should produce the following: Phone calls: Do you get…
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Have you ever wondered why you need an SSL on your website? Ever wonder what an SSL is?! We got this question recently from a client and thought we’d share the answer here. Read this article for more information about what your web hosting company can do for your business.

I received a call recently from a consultant who was trying to understand what a landing page is. “I am a consultant in Mexico. So-called ‘experts’ advised me that my Home page should have a narrow focus and lead visitors directly to the call to action. Other pages on the…
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When you get right down to it, its exactly what it sounds like – creating content to sell or market your business. That’s straightforward enough, right? But how do you do it in the real world and why does it matter? Content marketing in the real world In the real…
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1) The right tools make all the difference. Selecting an email application that allows you to design engaging emails without having to know complex code can make email marketing more efficient. Two of the best applications available are MailChimp and Constant Contact. Both are great tools. 2) Content is King,…
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There is an obvious shift in the approach surrounding web design. The rise of flat design, two-dimensional figures, and shapes is a major design trend and long gone are the days of distracting, flashing graphics. Full-screen background videos are on the rise (when it makes sense) and many companies are…
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To create effective website content … know your audience. Content marketing is an effective way to stay in touch with your audience, provide them helpful information, and in so doing, position your firm as a company they would want to do business with. But it’s not just touting your features…
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Usability. When a visitor lands on your website they have a specific task in mind. They need information and want it quickly and easily. If Content is King, then usability is Queen! Surveys have proven that the most important factor for a user visiting a website is the ease of…
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Last updated: June 13, 2019Originally published: May 17, 2017 Clients large and small often struggle with website scalability. “Scalability” is the ability to easily expand your website as needed. Simply put it is the capacity of your site to keep new information organized in such a way as readers are…
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Google has been taking steps to make the web a more secure and private place. Recently, on Google’s security blog, they announced that in October 2017 with the release of Chrome 62 a “Not secure” warning will be displayed on any website without an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate. When…
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Clients often ask how they can optimize their websites. We give them the wheel once we’ve built the car so to speak. This gives them more control of their online marketing efforts. Below we have comprised a list of seven key tools for clients who want to manage their online…
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How to use Google Analytics is a mystery to many of our clients; they look at the reports but feel like they’re trying to read tea leaves. They often need some guidance in interpreting what they see. At a recent round-table that I moderated, participants found the below examples helpful….
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At Westchester Marketing Cafe there are a number of online applications that we use regularly. One of those applications is Join.Me. We primarily use Join.Me to remotely train clients and conduct virtual meetings. It has been a great tool for many years now and recently proved to be the perfect…
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Briarcliff Manor, New York  Westchester Marketing Café, previously of Yorktown Heights, NY celebrated its new home with a ribbon cutting and open house at their new office located at 144 North State Road, Suite Two, Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510 on Wednesday, June 15th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.  The Westchester Marketing Café…
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Best practices for your email list marketing strategy Hi everyone, I’m Jann Mirchandani from Westchester Marketing Cafe, where we cater to your online marketing needs. Read our Email Marketing Case Study to learn how we helped one client tackle this issue We’ve been getting a lot of calls lately with…
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Westchester web design firm Westchester Marketing Café, previously of Yorktown Heights, NY will be celebrating its new home with a ribbon-cutting and open house at their new office located at 144 North State Road, Suite Two, Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510 on Wednesday, June 15th starting at 5:30pm.  The Westchester Marketing…
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Mobile-Friendliness We all know how important it is to get good, relevant answers when you execute a search. The results shouldn’t be hindered depending on what device you’re using. You should get the best answer possible, whether you’re on a phone, desktop or tablet. Mobile is critical to your business and…
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Westchester Marketing Café LLC is excited to share this great local opportunity for our youth. We are avid supporters of girls in tech as well as the guys. Free YouthSpark Summer Camps are an awesome opportunity for kids to get more techie. Kids will learn how to create their own games…
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When a project goes sideways; managing the developer/client relationship Hi, I’m Jann Mirchandani from Westchester Marketing Cafe where we cater to your online marketing needs. Today I want to talk to you a little bit about what happens when a project goes sideways. It does happen and over the years…
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Westchester County, NY (November 24, 2015) Just like for-profit businesses, it’s important for nonprofit organizations to have updated websites that are user-friendly, utilize online fundraising capabilities and effectively communicate their mission. Any nonprofit’s website must provide a clear value proposition that speaks to their audience, according to Westchester Marketing Café…
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Yorktown Heights, NY (September 16, 2015) –Girls across the country now have the chance to get their tech and jewelry on thanks to a Westchester marketing company’s new promotion. The 2015 Westchester Marketing Café “Girls Do Tech” Contest is for girls who are ages 9 to 14 and runs through…
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Our third and final segment with ACT LOCAL Marketing centers around the comparison of Wordpress to other content management systems such as Drupal and Joomla. Come along for the ride as Kalynn and Jann share their knowledge and stories of developing with WordPress and other content management systems. We really enjoyed…
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WordPress, WordPress, WordPress! Below is the first part of Jann’s interview with Kalynn Amadio of ACT LOCAL Marketing. The podcast with Kalynn focuses primarily on WordPress Websites and how it has evolved into the go-to solution for small and medium businesses. Kaylnn and Jann take turns delving into the mechanics of…
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A few months ago Westchester Marketing Cafe had the opportunity to sit down with Kalynn Amadio of ACT LOCAL Marketing and talk about WordPress Websites. Kalynn publishes a weekly podcast for small business entrepreneurs. Her goal is to help bridge traditional direct local marketing with digital marketing. Listeners gain knowledge…
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THIS EVENT HAS PASSED Google Analytics is a topic a lot of small businesses struggle with; what to focus on? what to do with the information and data provided? Jann Mirchandani will be leading a Google Analytics workshop, along with Jim Sacci of ProWeb Innovations, on Tuesday June 16, noon-1:30…
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This is the 4th and final segment of my interview a few weeks ago with Peter Moses and John Churan, hosts of Westchester Eye On The Radio,  WVOX. I am fortunate to have had this opportunity and enjoyed discussing the State of Marketing in Westchester with them. Below you will find…
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On April 20th I was a guest on Westchester Eye On The Radio, which is hosted by Peter Moses and John Churan of WVOX. Below is the third installment of that conversation and key points that were discussed. The state of marketing and specifically marketing right here in Westchester County,…
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Recently I had the opportunity to speak with Peter Moses and John Churan on their WVOX radio show, Westchester Eye On The Radio.Our main topic of discussion was the state of marketing and specifically marketing right here in Westchester County, NY. This is the second segment of our conversation, which…
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Mobile-Friendly Websites rewarded In case you’ve been living under a rock – or, you know, busy running your business – in February Google announced they are changing their algorithm to reward mobile-friendly websites as of April 21. It’s not that they “ding” you for not having a mobile site, but those…
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I spoke to Peter Moses and John Churan on their WVOX radio show, Westchester Eye On The Radio, on April 20th. We discussed the state of marketing and specifically marketing right here in Westchester County. We will be posting segments from the hour-long broadcast over the next several weeks. Here is the first…
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GROW YOUR BUSINESS WITH YORKTOWN ENTREPRENUERWestchester Marketing Café to Present at WCC GROW Conference Yorktown Heights, NY – (April 15, 2015) Award-winning web designer and Yorktown-based entrepreneur Jann Mirchandani has been selected to present at Westchester Community College’s Gateway to Entrepreneurship (G2E) Center GROW Conference on Friday, May 1st. Mirchandani,…
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What can social media do for your business? A lot! Social media is a powerful tool that can help you market your business, service clients and monitor your brand. Broaden your approach to using social media to help build your business.

Many business owners are confused by the jargon bantered about by website developers. Two of the most confusing terms seem to be Blog vs Website for business. Here Jann Mirchandani breaks down the pros and cons – and overlap – between the two.

Jann Mirchandani from Westchester Marketing Cafe explains what are the four most important steps to successful website design. Learn website design tips on how to to create a website that has the best content and that integrates your marketing goals and strategy to be able in the most effective way.

Clients frequently ask us when they should send out email marketing campaigns. Typically we advise on a Tuesday after people have had a chance to clear out their inboxes from the weekend, or on Thursday in anticipation of clearing out inboxes before the weekend. However, we thought it would be important…
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Google Analytics provides a lot of greatly detailed charts, graphs, and tables that show how well your website is helping your company establish credibility, enhance brand awareness and increase sales. But for some, the sheer amount of data can be overwhelming. Fear not. We have winnowed it down to four…
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Last month, we talked about why your business needs a multi-channel content strategy to increase your company’s awareness among clients and prospects, capture their interest and prompt them to take action. We also spoke about targeting your content to the needs of your target audience (not your peers) with text that is informative…
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The latest trends say that content is an effective way to build brand awareness, increase sales, and retain your customers. And you think, so I’ll start a blog, add a video to my Facebook page, and post a topic of interest on my LinkedIn profile. That should do it. Ah,…
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There’s no doubt, Google is good for business. Think of it. There’s Google +, Google Places, Google Docs, Google Analytics, even YouTube. And setting up a Google Account lets you access all these wonderful Google products with just one name and one password. Sounds simple, right? And really, it is….
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Here is the video of Jann Mirchandani at iCAN-Global‘s September Forum. iCAN-Global links global business and technology resources with innovators worldwide. Jann was honored to be invited to speak at their September Forum, help at Westchester Community College and broadcast worldwide. Jann’s discussion covered the basics of Google Analytics and how to use…
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I see it all the time; folks implementing some whiz-bang trick for marketing their business. You know who you are. You’re at a networking event and talking to an SEO guru who told you something about optimizing your website. You’re having lunch with a social media expert who talked about…
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“Content is King” as the saying goes. But creating content consistently over the long haul is an investment no matter how you look at it; an investment in time and money. So how does your content marketing strategy stack up to the typical B2B? Check out this infographic and see.

I came across this great infographic and thought I’d share. These social media statistics can give you some insight into how people are – and aren’t – using social media. Customer Care I found it particularly telling that 56% of customer tweets to companies are being ignored! Yikes!! Setting up…
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I recently guest-lectured for an MBA Marketing Communications course; a redux of the class I taught last year. What was interesting was the contrast between the students this year and the students last year. In particular, it was notable whether they perceived social media as a viable strategy and their role,…
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You know you need a website to reach the 50%+ of customers who begin their research online. A blog may seem like overkill. It’s not. Here’s how a blog helps your business. 1. A blog provides information to your readers. Your standard pages are great and talk about who you…
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Budgets are tight and marketing is often the first line item that gets cut. Marketing budgets need to earn their keep but how do you know if they are doing so? Let me share with you some real-world scenarios and the lessons that can be drawn from them. A bargain…
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Welcome to our final session of our Summer Lunchbox Series on online marketing webinars: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Here is the fourth, and final, webinar in the series on Search Engine Optimization: SEO: It’s not magic! This webinar was prerecorded so live questions are not possible. Feel free, however to contact us if…
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I’ve had several conversations in recent days about websites suffering from extreme growing pains. You know the kind; they have tons of information that you can’t find using the navigation maze…I mean menu. It all starts innocently enough. “I need a simple website for my business,” you say to your…
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Welcome to our Summer Lunchbox Series on online marketing webinars. Here is the third webinar in the series: Content Development: More fun than root canal! This webinar was prerecorded so live questions are not possible. Feel free, however to contact us if you’d like any additional information about anything discussed during the…
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“I thought you would just do it for me.” I once had a client say those exact words to me. The impression – or more likely, the hope – was that he would sign the contract and I would magically whip up a website with compelling content and fabulous visuals…
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Welcome to our Summer Lunchbox Series on online marketing webinars. Here is the second webinar in the series: Using Google Analytics To Drive Your Business Forward. This webinar was prerecorded so live questions are not possible. Feel free, however to contact us if you’d like any additional information about anything discussed…
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The Marketing Benefits of Running an Online Contest Last year Sound Earth, a pet-friendly household cleaning products manufacturer, began a focused effort to increase our community base and in turn increase our customer base. We wanted to appeal to our target market of pet and animal lovers. We also wanted to…
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Westchester Marketing Cafe is happy to be working again with Sound Earth on their 2nd Annual Best Animal Rescue Contest, a.k.a. “BARC”. To enter, participants upload a photo of their pet and share the story behind the rescue of their pet. Last year entries came from as far away as…
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Welcome to our Summer Lunchbox Series on online marketing webinars. Here is the first webinar in the series: “Unlocking Your Online Marketing Potential” This webinar was prerecorded so live questions are not possible. Feel free, however to contact us if you’d like any additional information about anything discussed during the…
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We talk a lot about “Content Is King”; and that’s true. Your content provides keyword-rich fodder for the search engines as well as reputation-establishing credentials for your human readers. Long live the King. Now that you are driving all this traffic to your website, what happens next? If you just…
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Granite Springs Asset Management Launches New Website Yorktown Heights, NY, (June 12, 2012) – Marketing Cafe is pleased to announce the launch of the new Granite Springs Asset Management website. The website, which relaunched in late May, was the second generation website for the Manhattan-based firm.

June 6, 2012 — Tarrytown, NY Marketing Cafe won two Bronze Big W Awards for the Yonkers Partners in Education website; Interactive Media: Blog and Pro Bono. The Big W, awarded by the Advertising Club of Westchester, is given to advertising, marketing, public relations and other creative professionals in Westchester…
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Blogging for business is a key component of your website. In this video-slideshow learn why you really do want to have an integrated blog on your business website.

I got a call today from a nonprofit here in Westchester. We had an interesting conversation about creating a mobile website vs. a mobile app. It’s a question lots of businesses and nonprofits are asking lately so I thought I’d share some of what we discussed here.Feel free to ask…
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“How much will this cost me?” It’s one of the first questions most folks ask when they begin thinking about redoing their business website. Fair question. We all live in the real world and we don’t have money to burn. To answer the question lets begin by looking at what…
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Creating Order for Chaos Commandos Yorktown Heights, NY, (March 7, 2012) – Marketing Cafe announced the launch of its most recent website development project, GarageDivision.com a division of Chaos Commandos. The new site, GarageDivision.com, the first part of an ongoing project, creates an online portfolio for Chaos Commandos to show off…
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It was my pleasure to talk to Dr. Marsha Gordon, President and CEO of Business Council of Westchester on her radio show “Westchester Means Business.” I headed down to New Rochelle, to the WVOX studios, to talk about how businesses can use online marketing to grow. We talked about how…
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I was recently speaking about social media at a graduate course in marketing communications. One of the students in the class, who’s owned several successful businesses during his career, asked if he “really needed social media to be successful.” He said it felt like a foreign language to him; no…
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“Worst Of Westchester” No MoreMarketing Café launches new website for Contest Winner Yonkers Partners In Education Yorktown Heights,NY, (January 24, 2012) — Marketing Café recently launched the new website for the “Worst Of Westchester” contest winner Yonkers Partners In Education (YPIE). The site, YPIE.org, went live on January 23.The quirky contest…
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You may be wondering what happened to Wikipedia today (January 18, 2012) or where the Google doodle went. Or perhaps you noticed nothing amiss because you’re a small business owner and are busy trying to make a living! Whatever the case, Wikipedia and many other websites have “gone black” in…
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An essential tool for content creation. What is an Editorial Calendar you ask? It is an essential tool for consistent, quality content creation. Let me be honest. I knew I was due to write a blog article, but I was not sure what would be relevant and useful. Typical “uh…what…
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There was a feature by Carolyn M. Brown in a recent issue of Black Enterprise magazine that offered some good advice on using coupons to improve sales. I thought I’d share her list and add some insights based on our clients’ experiences. 1. Offer a percentage or dollar amount off…
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Small business owners, by and large, are a down-to-earth lot. We work hard for our money and want to make sure we are spending our marketing budget wisely. So when we talk about investing in an integrated marketing campaign we want to know “How do I know if my campaign…
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Jann Mirchandani recently completed an interview on WorkAtHomeSuccess.com. The full interview is 30 minutes long and covers a variety of topics around running a small business, marketing for small businesses and social media. For more information about starting and running an at-home business, visit WorkAtHomeSuccess.com Listen to the podcast.

I had a unique opportunity recently; I was selected, along with my sister, for a “Cheap Chic” makeover courtesy of the Nate Berkus show. It was a tremendous amount of fun and a great experience. When I compared notes with my sister, also a Facebook and Twitter junkie, we were…
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No offense, but your website is not all about you. We talk to small business owners all the time that rattle off a list of the features and benefits to be highlighted on their website. But that’s not what they should be thinking about when developing a website. They need…
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Hiring a web designer or web developer is often a leap of faith; faith that they know what they’re doing, faith that they’re going to do what they say and faith that you’ll end up with something that will help you grow your business.With most things technical it may seem…
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(Podcast by Guest Blogger, Karen Graves of Your Sales Fix) Good marketing often requires networking. It also requires having a clear message about who you are and what you do. But that’s easier said than done. Often small business owners dread or avoid networking. When they meet someone for the first time…
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Many of you may already know that Marketing Cafe is the remake of Mirchandani Consulting. We spent the better part of a year focusing on rebranding; working with brand experts, business coaches, and designers to help us hone in on our essential essence – helping small businesses take control of…
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I love programmers. Don’t get me wrong. But after no less than 2 hours trying to renew a membership I wasn’t loving ALL programmers. And here’s why you shouldn’t hire a programmer to do your website.

We get this question all the time, “Do you do SEO?” And while I am rarely at a loss for words, I still struggle with the answer. Why? Because it’s a loaded question. Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, means something different for everyone. For some people, it’s Pay Per Click…
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I had a conversation with a new client in White Plains the other day. He had just completed a redesign of his primary domain and blog. Both were lovely. However, they did not share the same domain.  Conversely, I had a separate conversation with a separate client just a few…
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Marketing Cafe is proud to announce that it received four awards for web design at the 40th annual Big W Gala by the Ad Club of Westchester (ACW) held at Tappan Hill in Tarrytown, NY. The Big W Awards recognize excellence in advertising, public relations, marketing, and interactive media. We…
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I apologize in advance for my tirade, but an email landed in my inbox recently that just got me going! The email invited me to a panel discussion about how to use social media to get my business “seen”. I was curious. Marketing Cafe has, in all due modesty, some…
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We are thrilled to announce the Worst of Westchester contest winner is..drum roll please.. Yonkers Partners In Education! This nonprofit has, in just four short years, outgrown their original website. As sometimes happens, the original vision was soon surpassed by the growth and expansion of the organization. In the meantime,…
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We like to write about practical ways to market your small business online and social media marketing has become an integral way to do that. But we still get lots of questions about how all the hyperbole translates to real action on the ground. We recently came across an article…
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What can your website do? Does it roll over and play dead? Or does it fetch leads for you? Your website can be your businesses best friend but it needs to be taught a few tricks. The trick here is creating a “call to action”; that’s marketing speak for having…
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When you sit down to write something for your website do you struggle to find just the right, compelling language? You want to show your readers that your team knows what their talking about. You want to establish your credibility. But what happens too often in this desire to appear a…
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EDIT: We are no longer accepting registration for the eMarketing Bootcamp. If you’d like information about learning how to market your business more effectively, schedule a free consultation using our online calendar. Do you sometimes feel like your website belongs to your web developer? Do you feel like you’re in…
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Most small business owners have more than enough on their plate already without having to worry about “content development” for their website. But to garner the benefits of organic search engine optimization, and give your visitors a reason to keep coming back (and staying in touch with you) it is…
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By now, you’ve likely set up your social media channels and may be wondering “How am I supposed to keep up with all this?!”Managing social media can be a challenge. But there are a lot of great tools out there to help you manage both your posts and the stream…
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SORRY, THE CONTEST ENTRY PERIOD HAS ENDED Top 10 Ways to Tell if Your Website Might Be The “Worst Of Westchester” … 10.     You’re embarrassed to give people your URL. 9.       You’re losing sales because your website lacks a clear call to action. 8.       Your website hasn’t been updated since…
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When talking to clients about integrating social media into their marketing plan the first question they ask is often “Which social media sites should I use?” The short answer is “Whichever sites your customers are on.”  The long answer is “You’ll need to do some research and make some decisions…
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