Webware is always working to improve our Digital Services Plan to help our clients reach more potential customers and improve their bottom line through Digital Marketing.

This week, we are excited to announce Instagram images for your blog posts.

Starting in March 2019, all Webware Digital Service clients who participate in the blog program will receive social media images they can use on their Instagram account.

The Instagram images will include a professionally designed social media image that includes the title and the main points of the blog post. We will provide one main image for a post and subsequent images breaking down the blog post points for your Instagram story. For example, the image seen below.

By adding this feature to our blog program, you’ll be able to reach a larger audience by posting your blog link on Instagram with an eye-catching image and share your blog post through Instagram stories. Click here to view an example of how this new feature will look on your Instagram.

This new blog feature is included for all Webware clients participating in the blog program as part of the Digital Services Plan.

Webware will start rolling out Instagram images over the next couple of weeks so keep an eye out for them in your blog draft email soon!

If you haven’t taken advantage of our blog service, now is a great time to get started! Once you receive your monthly blog email, choose a topic and fill out the form to get started!

This feature is only available to Digital Service customers. If you are not enrolled for our Digital Service Plan, click here to join.

If you have any questions, please email support@webware.io

Visual Filmworks offers corporate, commercial video production services. They provide video production, photography services for businesses, brands and non-profits in Chicago, Illinois, and surrounding areas. To help them reach to a wider audience, we launched their new website - www.visualfilmworks.com

We wish everyone at Visual Filmworks the very best of success! 

Britt Smart Security LLC specializes in providing home security and automation solutions across Central and Northeast Ohio. To help them reach a wider audience, we launched their new website last week - www.brittsmartsecurity.com

We wish everyone at Britt Smart Security LLC the very best!

Brunning & Company Chartered Professional Accountant offers Accounting, Payroll Services for female entrepreneurs in Lethbridge, Cardston, Alberta, and across Canada. 
To help them reach to a wider audience, we launched their new website last week -  www.brunning.ca

We wish everyone at Brunning & Company Chartered Professional Accountant the best of success! 

Forged Design Custom Metal Work specializes in one-of-a-kind custom metal work and metal fabrication services across Toronto, Etobicoke, Scarborough, and the Greater Toronto Area.
To help them reach a wider audience, we launched their brand new website last week - www.forgeddesign.com

We wish everyone at Forged Design the very best of success!

Are you a small business owner looking to grow your business? 

Hundreds of small business owners are experts in their field but rely on word of mouth to fulfill their potential. The world of Digital Marketing has so much to offer, and all you need to do is reach out and stake claim to a platform that can put you on the world map.

Staples & Webware have partnered to make it easier for you to expand your business.

Here’s how...

For more information reach out to us at 1-844-WEBWARE or tap on the Chat icon.

Is your business looking to create or expand its digital marketing strategy?

Visit Webware at Staples at 12 pm on January 24, 2019, to learn what your small business should be doing to drive new business online for a successful future.

Webware CEO Cory York will be hosting a complimentary, one hour workshop on Digital Marketing Solutions for Small Business at Staples Store 25, 375 University Avenue in Toronto. 

With all the competition out there, now is the time to take advantage of all the benefits that Digital Marketing has to offer.

Digital Marketing is on course to surpass all traditional marketing techniques and develop into the eventual face of marketing.

If you’d like your business to be more visible online and attract more customers from the internet, it’s important to develop a strong digital marketing strategy to help you reach your goals.

And the sooner you implement a solid digital strategy for your business, the sooner you’ll start seeing results.  

To be successful, Digital Marketing involves an understanding of the moving parts, a proven strategy, and effective implementation.

Not sure where to start?

To help you understand what Digital Marketing is and how you can implement solutions to make it work for you, Webware hosting a complimentary, hour-long workshop that outlines Digital Marketing Solutions for Small Businesses.

Join Cory York, CEO of Webware, as he takes you through all of the key aspects of digital marketing for small businesses.  

Date & Time: January 24, 2019, 12:00 pm EST

Location: Staples Store #25, 375 University Avenue, Toronto, ON M5G 2J5 ( TICKETS SOLD OUT ) Join from home or anywhere:

Join Virtual Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/539219001

Speaker: Cory York, CEO of Webware

For more information, call us at 1-844-WEBWARE 

Artistrophe also known as Milumbe Haimbe is a visual artist and a storyteller in Toronto, Ontario. She explore stories that are not shown on mainstream media and offer gigs in different places like Washington DC, California, Oslo, Paris, Apt in France, Bellagio in Italy and Sweden.
To help them reach a worldwide audience, we launched her website last week - www.artistroverse.com

We wish Artistrophe the very best!

Staples Canada has become The Working and Learning Company and as part of the transformation, a new concept store is ready to be unveiled at 375 University Avenue, Toronto. Local media and the community are invited to take part in a grand opening celebration on Thursday, January 10 which will begin with a ribbon cutting at 8:30 a.m., and conclude at 5:30 pm with a spotlight with Canadian fashion designer and entrepreneur Joe Mimran.

Webware CEO Cory York and our Digital Marketing Specialists will be also on the ground to celebrate the opening of the new store concept and talk to the local media and customers about the services we offer to make small businesses succeed online. 

For more information, click on https://digitalmarketing.staplesprint.ca/pages/book-a-demo

Softmotion 3D offers custom lenticular printing services across New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Miami, Atlanta, Boston in the USA, Toronto, Ontario, Chambly, and Quebec in Canada, and all over North America.
To help them reach to a wider audience, we launched their new website last week - www.softmotion3d.com

We wish everyone at Softmotion 3D the very best of success!
 

Mode T Productions specialize in video production, photography, motion graphics, and print sales, and serve clients across Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Bloomington, Woodbury, Minnetonka, Edina, Eagan, Apple Valley, Chaska, Lakeville, Farmington, Burnsville, MN.
To help them cater to a wider audience, we launched their new website last week - www.mode-t.com

We wish everyone at Mode T Productions the very best!

AmerApex Moving specializes in local and long-distance moves and is equipped for both residential and commercial jobs across the USA. To help them reach a wider audience, we launched their new website last week - www.amerapexmoving.com

We wish everyone at AmerApex Moving the very best!

M.A.S. Mortgage Group Inc. offers residential and commercial mortgages to clients across Scarborough, North York, Toronto, Mississauga, Newmarket, and Richmond Hill, Aurora. To help them reach a wider audience, we launched their new website last week - www.masmortgagegroup.ca

We wish everyone at M.A.S. Mortgage Group the very best!

When you have to balance your personal and professional life - you miss out on opportunities to present your brand in the best light possible. 

Small and medium-sized businesses most often opt to stick to their in-house staff rather than seeking a professional digital marketing consultant.

They believe that learning digital marketing is a better use of their budget than hiring experts who have had repeated success.

However, given the complexities of the digital world, a digital consultant will navigate the internet in a way that makes the most sense for your business.

Apart from technical expertise…

A digital consultant knows the process of providing value to consumers.

With tools and resources, they evaluate your existing marketing and set well-defined methods that expand your customer base and increase your chance of success.

While there are several reasons you should hire a digital consultant, picking the right one can be an overwhelming task.

It seems like there is an overwhelming amount of marketing agencies out there these days, that are ever-ready to help. However, not every company suits your business needs.

Here are top five things to look for.

1. Knowledge of pain points of small and medium businesses.

Most businesses and startups have to deal with countless pain points on a daily basis. A digital consultant should have an idea of the pain points of your business. An effective digital partner can identify solutions that can improve the customers’ experience, free up the business owner's time, and increase the bottom line.

2. Marketing experience.

Digital consultants today are skilled in diverse fields of marketing and business; SEO, social media, email, content, mobile marketing and so on. Marketers with high work experience can create more effective strategies that will not only engage existing customers but attract new ones.

3. Focus on client industry.

Make sure the professional you hire has sufficient knowledge in your area of expertise. If you are searching for a firm to create brand awareness on your mortgage brokerage, consider a digital consultant who has specialized in providing marketing solutions for the mortgage industry.

4. Latest marketing trends.

With new tools and evolving social media platforms, it is crucial for digital consultants to stay on top of the most recent technologies and trends to know how it will affect and serve your small and medium business. Your digital partner should know and be ready to implement the most valuable marketing strategies to positively affect your bottom line.

5. Accessible platform.

The most effective way to manage your small and medium business' digital needs is to have everything in one place.

Does your digital partner enable you to manage your email marketing, blog, website, online store, social media accounts, and customer communication - in one place?

As a business owner, hopping from platform to platform is not an effective use of your time.

Find a digital partner that enables you to see and manage everything from one platform…

Allowing you to focus on making money, and what you do best - running your business.

If you are looking for a complete digital toolkit, just chat with us in the chat box on this page! Our platform enables small and medium businesses to easily access multiple tools needed to manage and grow a beautiful, successful online presence.

What are some of your experiences on hiring a digital marketing consultant?

The holidays bring office parties, family parties, and parties that include business associates and friends. More than that, if you are a business owner, you might need to gift your employees or even clients with just that little individualized touch so that they will keep you in mind over the holidays and into the New Year.

You want to hand out the cool Christmas gifts, not the tired old gifts of calendar magnets, poinsettia topped pencils, or a cup stuffed with tissue paper and topped with a thin layer of candies.

Below you will find a list of 12 cool holiday gifts to wow your co-workers, boss, employees or even your clients.

Read on to combat the eternal coffee mug or calendar and become known as the gift guru.

• Give a Gift Card

But don’t give just any old gift card. Abandon the big box department store or online retail giant card and give a specialty card. Here are just a few ideas for gift cards from start-ups. The coolest Christmas gifts are those that are not only original, but that keep on giving throughout the year.

• ClassPass - A gift card that gives the bearer access to local clubs and spas, often for $15.00 or less per class. It is a fantastic way for someone new to an area to sample local attractions at a fraction of their normal cost.

• Colored Organics - A company that makes ethically grown, harvested and manufactured clothing for children. Quality fabrics that are free of the pesticides that can harm the ecosystem, the workers or even the wearer. These clothing sales also contribute clothing to children in need.

• Daily Harvest - Give a $25.00 certificate to the perpetual dieter on your list. The meals-in-a-cup are easy to prepare but are planned by a nutritionist and frozen to lock in nutrients. Not only are they a boon to someone who is trying to lose weight, but they are also handy for anyone perpetually on the go.

• Society6 - The perfect gift card for that person who already has everything and is beyond difficult to buy for. Society 6 helps artists from around the world to market their designs. Their work is uploaded and can then be used as prints on everything from coffee mugs and T-shirts to throw pillows and shower curtains.

These are only four of the many cool Christmas gift cards that you could give that will not only allow the receiver to select something that will be personally enjoyed but to also be of benefit to many other people.

• Give a Box Subscription

While a gift card requires the recipient to select or perhaps to find something that is available online, a box subscription comes to the receiver’s door. This means that you, the giver, need to be a little more involved in the gift giving process, but it can be well worth it. A truly cool holiday gift shows that you’ve given thought to the gift, making it something that will be well received.

• Atlas Coffee Club - If you know someone who would like to be a world traveler, and who requires a stout morning brew to get going, this is the perfect gift. For three months, that person will receive a selection of micro lots of coffee, along with a postcard from the region of origin. The coffee bag designs reflect local traditional patterns or landscapes.

• Modsy - The perfect gift for someone new in your company, especially if they have relocated to take on the position. Modsy is an app that will use dimensions and pictures of an existing home or apartment and select furniture to create a special look or feel for the room. It will even populate a shopping list for items to fulfill the ideas. Give a gift certificate to help buy items on that list for a truly cool Christmas gift.

• PlateJoy - It can be so difficult to manage balanced meals, especially for a busy business owner or executive who is always on the go. PlateJoy is an app that connects the subscriber to nutrition experts, takes personal taste, allergies and more into account. It will create a custom meal plan, and even populate a shopping list if you wish. Oh, and don’t forget the gift certificate for those yummy goodies.

• CrateJoy - The perfect gift for readers. Each month a “crate” containing at least one book and perhaps other items arrives. The choices ranged from the “Blue Spider,” which contains gently used paperbacks, to “Earthlove,” a box that contains a book and seven other ecologically sound selections. In between are crates for young adults, crates for children or tweens, mystery lover crates, and even a crate for Wiccans - so this one rates a “cool holiday gift” rating. Crates typically contain at least one book and, quite often, a tasty treat to enjoy while reading.

• Send a Special Gift Box That Also Gives to Charity

You can be the good guy and help the person who receives your gift box feel special, too, by sending a gift that also sends a charitable donation.  You really can’t beat that for a cool Christmas gift, because it is a gift that gives twice.

• Bombas - Put a new twist on giving socks by sending a gift box of socks that will also give an additional gift to someone in need. Bombas socks aren’t just any old sock. They incorporate features such as a honeycomb support system and seamless toes. But more than that, they operate on a system similar to Tom’s Shoes. Socks are the #1 most requested item at homeless shelters. One pair purchased equals one pair donated, so when you give the gift of Bombas, you are really giving two gifts.

• Toms Shoes - This might be a stretch as a business gift, but it would be hard to pass up the “special gift that gives” section without mentioning this company. It started with shoes. Every pair sold gifted a pair to someone who didn’t have shoes. Now, Toms has expanded to eyewear to assist those who need eye care and more, and to other clothing such as socks and t-shirts. Perhaps you could purchase your next company sports shirts from Toms. They give to a variety of causes and are most recently addressing gun violence.

• Give the Gift of Connectivity

In today’s mobile world, there is little that is of more importance than staying connected. One of the easiest ways to do this is to give a Skyroam bundle, which includes a mobile hotspot that will handle up to five devices as well as a power stick that can extend your devices’ energy level by several hours.

If one of the feedback items you frequently receive from your employees or colleagues is that they are looking for a Wi-Fi hotspot, this could be the perfect gift, especially since it includes a year’s subscription to Skyroam’s GoData per Gigabyte pay as you go. While it won’t connect everywhere, Skyroam is valid in more than 130 countries. It is hard to imagine a gift that could be cooler than that, for Christmas, birthday or any other holiday.

• Advent Calendars

Kids’ advent calendars come in just about every style and size from brand name toys to traditional religious themes. The best ones contain a little gift or treat.

Your employees with children will appreciate these.

Permanent advent calendars are a charming family gift, great for that employee who has a new baby or a recently adopted child at home and is looking forward to celebrating the first Christmas.

Advent calendars for adults include alcoholic spirits or wine samplers, Lady Godiva chocolates, and quietly contemplative calendars with daily devotionals.

Amazing as it might seem, there is a little bit of kid in everyone. Even if you are just counting down the days until there is a little extra time off or until the grandchildren come to visit, an advent calendar is a fun way to get through the first gray days of winter and can be thirty days’ worth of super cool Christmas gift for anyone.  

• Kid or Adult Creative Toys

Socks, underwear, gifts that give and stuff to eat, those are all good, but a super cool holiday gift that keeps on giving is one that encourages creativity. It doesn’t get much more creative than Makey Makey, the circuit board that allows you to turn almost anything into a computer. It is a wonderful way for kids to learn about circuitry and electronics, or even a way for a puzzled adult to begin to understand how those crazy gadgets really work. But be prepared for part of your holiday feast to get hooked up to the circuit board!

Or you can pick up Game of Phones for your tweens and teens who seem to be connected by the thumbs to their smartphones, or even use the game as an ice breaker at your next holiday office party.

If you can’t separate your employees from their digital tethers, you might as well get them using those little rectangles of digital gadgetry to engage in some face-to-face fun.

• Give an App

This can be another gift certificate or credit. With so many people having smartphones, credit to purchase apps can be an excellent gift for young or old. Be sure to point the recipient toward a reputable provider. The holiday season provides ample opportunity for unscrupulous individuals to develop scams that can turn into decidedly uncool holiday gifts. Here are a few choices from the good guys.

• Webware - Beautiful web designs that offer clarity and navigability to you, your employees, and your customers. Create one website that will tie all your web-based programming and platforms together into a harmonious whole. No searching all over to find your collaborative projects, your payment collection platform, or your product catalog. Even if you use more than one platform to manage your business applications, they are only one click away on Webware.

• My Budget Book - A personal finance program that works offline. It can also work with your financial institutions.
   
• Invoices and Estimates - A buy it once application that can help the entrepreneur in your life create professional estimates and invoices. Excellent for contractors, home repair companies, lawn care, and similar small business applications.

• Give a Computer Game

If you know someone who is an avid gamer or who spends a lot of time writing or coding using a computer, give them something fun for their computer. “Fun” is one of those relative terms that can range all the way from Dora the Explorer to a collection of skyscapes, or even range over into utility programs.

Here are a few ideas:

• Dragon Naturally Speaking – if you know someone who uses touch types most of the day, this could be a lifesaver. It can also be used by people who are in some way handicapped. Although there are a lot of voice-to-type programs out there, Dragon remains the best. If you know someone for whom typing is becoming a choir, this is an extremely cool holiday gift.

• Age of Empires – a strategy game with realistic illustrations. This is not a new game, but one that has been remastered for modern players. This will be the coolest of Christmas gifts for history buffs or for people who love retro computer gaming.

• Farming Simulator 19 – Operate name brand farm machinery of all sorts, raise crops, tend livestock and ride horses. The closest you can get to farming without getting hayseeds down the back of your shirt. This is a cool Christmas gift for someone who really has a farm and loves it, or for someone who wants to farm.  

• Traditional Games

Chess, checkers, marbles, Parcheesi and more can be a way to get people talking to each other. At your next office party, collect the digital appliances in a basket, and point people toward games that will have them bonding and interacting with each other. Give copies of those games, which can often be found for a minimal cost, as door prizes or game prizes so that everyone goes home with a cool holiday gift to share with their family.

• Donations to Favorite Charities

Need is a year-round guest in most areas. The holiday season tends to increase inspiration, but you can help your employees or family to give the kinds of gifts that will keep on giving throughout the year. Since the holiday season also seems to coincide with tax collection season and higher fuel bill season, you want your charity dollars to go to organizations that use your funds wisely. You can begin your search for responsible organizations by checking them with the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance. Accredited charities are required to use at least 65 percent of funds collected toward the purpose for which they are collected, and that is 65 percent of cool Christmas gift giving.

Here is a brief list of charities that can feedback into your local community:

• United Way - United Way is a charitable organization that almost always keeps donated money within the community where it is given. However, not all local United Way programs are created equal. By checking with the BBB Wise Giving Alliance, you will be able to tell if your local chapter is accredited.
• ASPCA - American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is accredited.
• Boys and Girls Clubs of America - Accreditation, and efficacy will vary by location, and this is true of most youth groups.
• Your local charities and support groups, which will vary from community to community

Avoid dealing with professional fundraisers, but instead give directly to the organization you wish to support. When employers match the funds donated by employees, this increases the assistance to a community.

• Digital Picture Albums

Few of your business associates will lack family or at the very least, collections of pictures of a vacation or favorite project. A digital picture album is an excellent way for a business person to carry evidence of a recent project. It is also a way to keep on hand the pictures of those dearest to the heart, nicely displayed on a desk or locker.

• Desk Nameplates

Sounds crazy? It isn’t. There are very few things in the workplace that wage earners can call their own. By giving a nameplate for their desk, you grant them ownership of their small part of the workspace. Similar recognition could be a unique nameplate for an office door or even for a personal locker.

Conclusion

Gift giving is an art form, whether it is to business associates, clients, family or friends. The key to giving those really cool Christmas gifts or giving at any time of the year is to consider the personal tastes of the recipient.

If giving a gift that requires a computer or smartphone, either give a download code or program that can be used on more than one type of computer or phone, or find a way to discover the brand, type, and age of the appliance owned by the recipient.  

In all gift giving, strive to give something that the receiver will truly enjoy. Keep in mind that while some things might be terrifically useful, holidays are a time for enjoyment. The very best cool Christmas gifts or cool holiday gifts are those that are truly enjoyed and are something the receiver wouldn’t think of getting for him or herself.

Let us know some cool business Christmas gifts you’ve received throughout the years below!

David Heisler Photography provides headshots, fitness, drone and fashion photography in Austin, TX. To help them reach a wider audience, we launched their new website last week - www.davidheisler.com

We wish everyone at David Heisler Photography the very best of success!

DNY Security Corp offers surveillance system installation, burglary alarm systems, and intercom system installation across Brooklyn, Staten Island, Newark, Elizabeth, Yonkers, Bronx, Queens, Hempstead, Freeport, Valley Stream, and Long Island, New York. To help them reach a wider audience, we launched their new website last week - www.dnyscorp.com

We wish everyone at DNY Security Corp the very best of success!

Crateful Catering offers the best quality catering services across Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, Malibu, and Orange County. Their services include everything from simple corporate drop-offs to the planning and production of luxury events. To help them reach a wider audience, we launched their new website last week - www.cratefulcatering.com

We wish everyone at Crateful Catering the very best!

Grunion Recordings provides sound recording, mixing and mastering across Allen Park, Wayne County, Monroe, Farmington, Taylor, Southgate, and Dearborn, MI. To help them reach a wider audience, we launched their new website last week - www.grunionrecordings.com

We wish everyone at Grunion Recordings the very best of success!

Webware has landed in Lisbon, Portugal, for Web Summit 2018!

Web Summit is the largest technology conference in the world, featuring 60,000 attendees from more than 150 countries.

Among all the action with thousands of global media publications and broadcasters, investors, policymakers, heads of state, Fortune 500 companies and smaller tech companies, Web Summit focuses on asking one simple question: “Where to next?”

This year, Webware is attending Web Summit, from November 5th to 8th,

To answer that question.

Webware is located at booth C-101, on November 8th, next to Collision Lounge in Pavilion 3.

Webware’s fully integrated software as a service currently has customers in over 400 cities across the world and is focused on expanding internationally.

Most recently,

Webware formed a groundbreaking partnership with Staples Canada.

View the Staples Webware Website Here

Webware will be meeting at the “global meeting place for the world’s most disruptive technology companies”,

To show how we lead the tools for success -

For business owners and entrepreneurs.

If you would like to get in touch with Webware, regarding our attendance at Web Summit, please email media@webware.io.

Partnership provides bricks and mortar presence for Webware’s do-it-for-me website platform

View the Staples Webware Website here

TORONTO, October 31, 2018 – Today, Webware.io announced a partnership with Staples Canada that promises to disrupt the Canadian website market and make it easier than ever for small businesses and entrepreneurs to leverage the digital world to build their business. As part of the partnership, Webware will have staff onsite in Staples stores to educate and counsel business owners how they can enter the digital space and market to a broader audience.

Starting today, Webware staff will be onsite in four Staples stores in the GTA, including University Avenue, Front Street, Yonge and King Street, and Midtown Toronto. Over the next 18 months, Webware’s in-store presence will roll out in many Staples locations across Canada.

“For businesses to be successful online, they need more than a website. They need a robust online strategy that does not require a large investment of their time,” says Cory York, founder and CEO Webware. “In the last three years, Webware has helped more than 10,000 small business owners enter and grow a successful online presence. Extending our expertise in-store at Staples will enable us to help even more business owners lever the digital space to take their business to a new level.”

“We are very excited to welcome Webware as our digital partner,” says Gogi Grewal, Senior Vice President of Business Services, Staples. “We’re committed to providing Canadian business owners with business solutions that will make running their business as easy and successful as possible. Giving our customers, in-store access to Webware’s state of the art digital expertise and all-in-one technology platform will enable small business owners to stop worrying about their online presence and focus on their business.”

Webware’s full offering is available through Staples.

About Webware

Webware.io is a complete digital toolkit designed to help small businesses easily navigate the online world. Webware’s technology and services are used by IBM, Kernels Popcorn, Staples Canada, and over 10,000 businesses across 400 cities in North America. With Webware.io, a business has access to the technology and support required to get online and become successful. The toolkit includes a website and e-commerce platform, social media management, email marketing, blogging, search engine optimization (SEO), reputation management, and more. Visit webware.io for more information.

About Staples Canada/Bureau en Gros

Staples Canada/Bureau en Gros was founded in 1991. The company operates over 300 locations across all Canadian provinces. Through its world-class retail, eCommerce, mobile and delivery capabilities, Staples helps customers shop every day, however and whenever they want. Staples is dedicated to offering customers the latest products and expertise on everything from technology to school supplies, facility, breakroom, as well as business services and print production through Staples Print & Marketing. The company invests in a number of corporate giving programs that support environmental, educational and entrepreneurial initiatives in Canadian communities. Visit staples.ca for more information, or visit get social with @StaplesCanada on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

- 30 -

Media Contact:

Katherine Clark Beacon Strategic Communications

416-453-3288

media@webware.io