So many small businesses that I work with have a clunky outdated website, despite being developed only a few years ago. Not only are they tired and boring, they're not optimised for mobile (I don't have to tell you, yet again, how important it is to have a mobile-optimised website. DO I?).

I recently downloaded a fantastic e-book from American inbound marketing giant Hubspot called “Branding in the Inbound Age”. At 76 pages, it’s a fantastic resource for a small business marketer like myself and I’m keen to share some of the content with you along with my key take outs.

Facebook now gives everyone the option to embed posts in to their website or blog, just like I've done here in the example below, by providing code to paste in to your site.

I have to admit that I hate shopping. At shopping centres. I can't think of anything worse than searching for that elusive parking spot or worse, resorting to "stalking" (you know what I mean? Spotting an obviously shopped out shopper, copious bags in hand, following them back to their car, then waiting sheepishly while they load bags in to the car and take their sweet time vacating the parking spot...sorry. I digress...).

The sheer thought of Christmas shopping this year had me reeling. Wasting time, wandering from store to store, getting frustrated with out-of-stock items, sore feet and a sore shoulder from carrying bags, etc.

Just a quick blog update to let you know the CC Beach Fest website is now live! I'm still tweaking it, but all the event information is there and the entry form available to download. 

In keeping with my design philosophy, the CC Beach Fest website is fresh, clean and easy to navigate. I'm thrilled with the result, as is my client who sent me this lovely message via email:

"Great stuff Jody, looks fantastic, awesome effort, looks cool on mobile as well whoohoo!!!! Thanks, Sheldon."

Happy days!

Author: Jody Sharpe, Sharpe Design Solutions

I'm very excited to announce that Sharpe Design Solutions is partnering with MyCoast Promotions to bring Central Coast Beach Fest to the Coast on Saturday 30th & Sunday 1st December 2013.

MyCoast Promotions are the team who brought the legendary surfing festival, “The Careflight Surf Classic” to the Coast between 1996 – 2003, raising over $150,000 for the Careflight Helicopter Service.

The winners list of the Careflight Classic throughout the years reads like a “who’s who” of Central Coast surfing and body boarding – Adrian “Ace” Buchan, Matt “Wilko” Wilkinson, Glenn “Micro” Hall, Steve “Bullet” MacKenzie, Greg Arnold, Samba Mann, Luke Faunce, Mark and Sean MacGuigan, and Damien Wills to name a few.

Incorporating the community spirit of the Careflight Surf Classic – CC Beach Fest will be the event for the next generation of Central Coast wave warriors with competitions in surfing, body boarding, SUP & paddle races and an ocean swim.

CC Beach Fest will truly be an event for the whole family with entertainment, ice cream eating and sand sculpting by art crew the Steel City Collective who will create works of sand art before your very eyes, giving inspiration for you to sculpt your own plot of sand. There will be lots of prizes for the best “kids only” created sand sculptures, as well as great prizes for family entries – so start thinking about what sort of masterpiece you are going to create!

Details of the events are still taking shape. So that’s where I come in. Sharpe Design Solutions will be launching www.ccbeachfest.com.au very soon and we’ll be leveraging social media to promote this inaugural event and provide up-to-the-minute information. I encourage all “Coasties” to LIKE the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ccbeachfest. I’m providing ongoing support with Facebook page management and considering a Twitter account to tweet live results throughout the event (would love to hear your comments on this idea!) as well as generating spectator interest via Instagram pics and video.

I love an opportunity to provide creative marketing strategy concepts for such a fantastic local event and feel Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will provide the perfect platform for sharing information and great images of what is going to be a landmark weekend event. Mark it on your calendar peeps: Saturday 30th November & Sunday 1st December 2013.

Keep an eye here on my blog, on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

Author: Jody Sharpe, Sharpe Design Solutions