In an article that originally appeared in the January 2015 issue of Woodall’s Campground Management, Peter Pelland outlined a series of 10 steps that you can take to help to avoid identity theft. For example, when you dispose of an old office multifunction copier/fax machine, did you realize that it contains a hard drive and that the hard drive contains images of every tax return, credit application and other sensitive document that you have processed using that machine? Security breaches at Sony Pictures and several major retailers where we all shop reinforce the fact that our personal identities are at risk in so many ways. It is not only big businesses that are under risk of attack. Click here to read this entire eye-opening article on the Pelland Advertising Blog. We are certain that you will unfamiliar with at least one or two of the ten security tips that the article contains. By implementing them, you can help to insure both your personal security and that of your business.

It is surprising how most people do not know the truly important questions to ask a prospective webmaster. With that in mind, we wrote another recent article that covered a few of the questions that should be asked, along with some of the answers that should be anticipated. For example, you might want to ask the company for an example of what it considers its own worst work, and can you find the business online if you type the business name followed by the word “complaints” in a Google search box? Click here to read the entire article containing 10 valuable tips on the Pelland Advertising blog.

Our new responsive website for the Maryland Association of Campgrounds was launched in mid-December, coinciding with the latest printed directory that was also designed and published by Pelland Advertising. The new website has a really unique look regardless of the device being used. It includes the interactive online version of the printed directory (more on that below) and new Cabins & Cottages listings. Both projects were completed in record time while some other state associations wait and wait and wait and wait ... and are still waiting for comparable projects to be finished.

Our responsive website built for the Metras Insurance Agency replaced an earlier website that we had built several years ago and a companion mobile site built in 2013. The old site was great when it was built, but it included Flash graphics that have fallen from popularity since they are not supported on the newest mobile devices. The adaptive mobile site overcame that limitation but did not present the full user experience to users of smartphones and tablets, now the majority of users. The new responsive site overcomes those limitations and presents a whole new visual experience.

The Metras Insurance Agency is an independent insurance agency located in Chicopee, Massachusetts, writing a full range of personal and commercial insurance policies. The screen capture above shows Google search results for the term “personal insurance Chicopee, MA”. Although we cannot guarantee the same results from every website, notice how our client appears in the # 1 search results position for this search phrase ... ahead of a list of its competitors. Contact us today to be put on our list for your next fully responsive website.

Rack cards represent a cost-effective means of generating direct website traffic. Search engine placement is an inexact science at best, but a professionally designed rack card in hand is a certain and proven means of getting additional traffic to your website. If your website is designed to convert traffic into reservations, your printed advertising materials have just paid their way and will easily recover their reasonable expense. There are many highly attraction distribution options that may be available, reducing your potential new customer acquisition costs to just pennies. For example, the Campground Owners of New York (CONY) has recently entered into a program that distributes literature for its member parks at 22 camping shows through the end of 2015. Is your park a part of that program, or is it missing in action? It is not too late to call us and then participate!

We enjoyed meeting many of our clients, both old and new, at the CONY, PCOA and KOA Expos that we attended last fall. We look forward to participating in several additional conventions and trade shows in the spring. As of this date, we are schedule to be exhibiting at the Northeast Campground Association’s Northeast Conference on Camping from March 19-21, 2015 at the Radisson Nashua Hotel, in Nashua, New Hampshire. Peter Pelland will be presenting a new seminar, “Directory Advertising: Making the Right Decisions & Avoiding the Big Mistakes”, on Thursday, March 19th. We will also be attending the 2015 Ohio Campground Owners Association (OCOA) Spring Conference & Trade Show on March 6-7, 2015 at the Embassy Suites Columbus-Airport, in Columbus, Ohio. Peter Pelland will be presenting his seminar “Profit By Walking in Your Customers’ Shoes” on Friday, March 6th. Please look for us if you will be attending either of these conferences.

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