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Create free, secure forms for your website with JotForm

2/4/2017

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JotForm is an online tool that allows you to create and customize fillable forms for your website. With thousands of pre-designed templates – like job applications, polls, marketing surveys and much more – and a variety of themes to choose from, you can be up and running in minutes. 


​Why would you need this? 

JotForm logo
If you use a website creation tool such as Weebly, Squarespace or WordPress for your site, you have pretty easy options for creating a form, but collecting data can be cumbersome – and if you don't have an SSL certificate, you're putting user data at risk.

Plus, with basic forms in Weebly and Squarespace, you don't have the option of allowing users to upload a file. If you want people to be able to upload a photo, resumé or document, you're stuck unless you install (and probably pay for) an app. 

With JotForm, once you sign up for a free account, create a form (using a plain or pre-designed theme) and connect it to your website, users are sent to a secure page to fill out information which gets logged into your JotForm account. You'll get an email when someone fills out the form, too, so you'll know right away when you receive a submission.
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You can provide a thank you message immediately upon submission of the form or else take people back to a page on your website. Want to send an immediate email follow-up? You can do that, too, as well as connect your data with other apps such as PayPal, Dropbox, Google Spreadsheets, MailChimp, SalesForce and more.
JotForm example
Like many online services, JotForm is a freemium, which means that you can use the basic services for free and then upgrade if you need more data storage, forms or reports. A free account offers up to 5 different form templates, 100 submissions per month, storage of up to 500 forms and unlimited fields within forms. Need more forms or storage space? Plans start at $19 per month. 

I've heard of a few issues with the size of forms and buttons on mobile devices, but for the most part, users seem really happy with the options and third party integrations available with this tool. 

Have you used JotForm or another form app for your website? Leave a comment below!


Note: 
Wise Penny has no affiliation with JotForm – we're just spreading the word on free resources for marketing teams and other businesses.
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Free Cool Marketing Tool: Canva

1/23/2017

 
Adobe’s Creative Cloud is the go-to software for designers worldwide. Considered the industry standard, Creative Cloud offers 20+ apps including Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign for computers and mobile devices.
 
It also includes a big, hefty price tag. $49.99 per month, to be exact (unless you’re a student).
 
For full-time designers and marketing teams, Creative Cloud software is just one of the costs of doing business. Yes, it’s expensive, but you have to have it and you can write it off, no?
 
But what if you don’t have an in-house design team? What if you don’t need all the bells and whistles and you just want to create a poster or blog graphic once in a while? What if you can’t afford that $49.99 every month?
 
Enter Canva.
Canva logo
Canva is an online design tool that allows you to create, share and download posters, postcards, social media graphics, presentations and much more. Once you set up your free account, you have access to thousands of customizable templates, photos and graphics that you can use to create marketing materials of all kinds.

You can also upload your own photos, logos and images to add to any design. If you need more inspiration or want to purchase some of the snazzier photos or graphics from Canva, you can do that, too.

I'm personally a big fan of the free infographic templates, which help you create eye-catching infographics in a snap. Infographics are now "liked" and shared on social media 3X more than other any other type of content, so these can help you put together an engaging post for social media really quickly.
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Infographic layout
Canva also offers design articles and tutorials that help you get up and running quickly and provide tips on improving your own layouts.
And if you want to be able to organize things into files and folders with a team, you can upgrade to Canva for Work, which also offers resizing tools and the option for customizable templates (there’s a 30-day free trial if you want to try before you buy):

Picture

What other free layout and design tools have you found that help you get the job done? Leave a comment below!

The #1 Free Way to Improve Your Website

1/21/2014

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Picture
Small businesses often spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on creating a website, only to find that their site fails to get visitors' attention, doesn't bring in the leads they were hoping for or meet the goals they set for the site in the first place.

So here's my suggestion for the best way to start improving your site without spending a dime: 

Ask for feedback from someone outside your office.

Huh?

That's right. Ask someone who's not very familiar with your business or your website to sit down and go through your website with you. Watch this person read, click, and navigate their way through the site, and then ask that person questions, such as:


  • Do the menus make sense? Is it easy to navigate?
  • Does the text make sense? Could it be improved?
  • Does the site make it clear what's being offered? Does it make you want to sign up,
    ​read more or buy?
  • Are there unfamiliar terms or acronyms in the text that leave you puzzled? 
  • What would make the site better, more clear or more appealing?

Why does this help? Because you and your staff know what your business does and what you want your site to accomplish. Other people don't. 

What's clear to you is clear to you -- and it may not be clear to everyone else.

Of course, there are plenty of other tools you can use to help improve your site (including Google Analytics and ClickTale), but this is the fastest way I know of to get feedback and use it to start improving your site.

Have other suggestions or comments? Leave them below!

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3 Ways To Take Better Care of Your Customers

1/15/2014

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Thank your customers
You've heard the phrase, “Your best customer is your current customer.” Why? Because your current customers already know what you do and have demonstrated their willingness to buy from you; acquiring a new customer costs five to ten times as much as keeping an existing customer. Plus, repeat customers generally spend more – up to 67% more – than new ones.

What does this mean? It's time to show your loyal customers some love! There are many ways to show your customers you're thinking about them, you appreciate their business and want them to keep coming back. Ideally, you'll develop raving fans of your business who want to share their excitement and tell others what you do, spreading the word for you for free through social media. Here are three tips for improving customer loyalty and sales.

1)     Keep in Touch – How often do you touch base with your customers? Do you send out a monthly newsletter in the mail or via email? Do you alert them to specials and offers that are available on your Facebook page? Do you call your customers individually after the purchase of a big-ticket item to see if they're satisfied? These are all great ways to stay on your customers' radar and keep them thinking about you. (Just be careful not to email them too much!)

2)     Get Their Feedback – Wondering how you could better serve your clients? Ask them! Create a survey to find out how satisfied they are with your products or services and then see what you can do to act on their suggestions. If you're thinking of trying out a new product, ask your customers to vote for colors, styles, features, etc., through online polls.

3)    Find Special Ways to Show You Care – In doing some recent web research for a client, I came across an excellent testimonial from a customer. The company was a family-owned funeral home, and the customer explained that they not only did a wonderful, professional job with her family member’s funeral, but took the time to write her a hand-written note on the one-year anniversary of the funeral to let her know that they knew it would be an emotional time and were thinking of her. How impressive and thoughtful is that?

What other great customer appreciation ideas do you have? Leave a comment!



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FoxyUtils: A Favorite Free Tool

11/18/2013

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FoxyUtils logo
I love Adobe software -- but it's expensive. And when all you need to do is combine a few pdf files, you really don't need all the bells and whistles (or the pricetag) of Acrobat Professional.

Enter one of my new favorite free tools: FoxyUtils. 

FoxyUtils is an online program that lets you merge, split, unlock and protect pdfs for free. It works on both PCs and Macs, which is a big help for those of us in the Apple world. If you sign up for a free account, you can merge files up to 50 MB; if you don't want to sign up, you can still merge files up to 30 MB. 

If you need to combine even larger pdfs (up to 200 MB) and want to enjoy the benefit of viewing the site without ads, you can set up a paid account for $4.99 per month.

This program saved me endless time and hassle last week when I needed to combine several large pdfs into one file for a client's CreateSpace book. I haven't used the other options (unlock or protect) yet, but expect I will in the near future.

Have you used this resource? Got another favorite online freebie? Let me know!

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Another cool free tool: Zamzar

8/19/2013

 
Zamzar logo
One of my new favorite free online tools is Zamzar -- a site that allows you to convert all types of documents and files. I first found this site when I was looking for a way to convert a client's old WordPerfect files into OpenOffice docs, but Zamzar allows for much more than that. 

With Zamzar, you can convert documents, eBooks, images, audio and video files for free. For instance, you can convert .eps files to .tiff or jpg files, .pdfs to .jpgs, and mp3 files to wav files, etc. Usually, you upload the file you want to convert and Zamzar emails you with a link to download the file once the conversion is done.

If you find you need to convert a lot of files (or really big files) on a regular basis, or if you want to store and manage files, you can sign up for a paid account (Basic accounts start at $9 per month).

This tool saved me a ton of time and hassle -- hope it does the same for you!


Have you tried Zamzar? Share your comments!

Just What Is Big Data?

1/11/2013

 
Big data is hot -- and getting bigger fast. Just what is it? Here's a great infographic from Asigra that helps explain this concept. 
​

What is Big Data?
What is Big Data? infographic
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    Natalie Bolton is a Boulder County-based marketing professional who helps businesses 
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