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Hello, Excel aficionados! 😃 Today we're delving into a topic that, while simple, has the power to supercharge your spreadsheets. We're talking about adding dropdown menus to your Excel cells. A dropdown menu isn't just a pretty face; it can also be a data integrity lifesaver.

Marketing is essentially the way that customers hear about your business. It encompasses everything from big billboard on a busy road that capture the attention of everyone who passes to direct social ads to a very tight and defined audience. The secret is in determining which type of media and communication is correct for your brand, your business, your customer and your strategic aim. The aim or goal is the most important thing to clarify effective marketing is based on what you are trying to achieve rather than simply copying what other businesses do it appearing anywhere for the sake of it. Square Balloon work closely with you to plan Marketing activity against your business goals, to report against those goals and deliver results.

Everyone has seen another boring business card. Everyone has a business card, but too often they provide information without any additional styling, they are purely informational. This blog article explores ways to improve a simple business card design adding interest and brand relevance.

For anyone who’s involved in digital marketing, search engine optimization (SEO) remains an important strategy. SEO has changed a lot in recent years, and currently one of its key benefits is helping local businesses gain visibility. While it’s very hard to compete in the saturated global markets, it can be relatively easy and cost-effective to help small businesses thrive through local search engine optimization. There are simple optimization strategies that are proving very effective, which anyone can replicate in their local area to achieve spectacular results. In case you’re lagging behind on this matter, this article will bring you up to speed.

Hi avid reader - thanks for stopping by.  We KNOW this topic is a total bore fest, but here's the information you need.  If you haven't started this process yet, or you need documentation, call us on 0208 123 2554.

Finding imagery is one of the big problems we face on a day-to-day basis when building websites for clients.  Imagery really makes a website, and bad imagery destroys it.  Often clients do not have preexisting material and often they expect us to provide them with images.  In some cases, we would suggest using a photographer if they have specialist equipment, interesting jobs or products or we feel it would really make a difference to the appearance of the website.  In other cases, the client either does not need this service, does not want this service, or unfortunately does not have the budget for this service.

That's why we have decided to create this HUGE guide on places you can find free stock imagery.

You may have heard the term that your website is your digital ‘shop window’. This is as true for sites selling products as it is for services. Today’s savvy customer doesn’t just find a number in the phone book, they have endless information available on the internet. This means they can research before they buy, read positive and negative reviews, watch case study videos, view images and hunt around for prices without ever talking to you or your competitors. Ultimately the decision of whether to buy from you can happen without you ever even being involved in the conversation.

In a world where technology evolves at a breakneck pace, innovation has become the lifeblood of successful businesses. Utilising bespoke technology can help your company to have a competitive advantage and add value as an asset if the company is ever sold.  Nevertheless, developing software does have a cost.  At Square Balloon, we consistently see how beneficial bespoke software can be for a company’s growth, and it’s our belief that cost should not be prohibitive. 

I was asked to speak at Joomla Day USA 2023, which was an absolute privilege.  They were even able to offer me some funds towards my journey if I was prepared to make the trip out to Austen, USA.  Unfortunately, work did not permit this, but I really wish it would have done, it would have been a lot of fun.

This would have been the first face-to-face Joomla Day USA that I would have been asked to talk at, having previously talked in 2022 (20 Actionable tips for non designers) and 2021 (build your own Joomla template) online due to Covid-19.  The hybrid event made for a lot of opportunities for speakers from across the world and also locally, which was fantastic to see.