--- title: Blog | Inbound 2012 description: Inbound 2012 | --- [![Thriveim](https://connect.accrisoft.com/hs-fs/file-3355966330-png/images/thriveim-logo.png?width=250&height=39&name=thriveim-logo.png)](http://www.thriveim.com/) ## Blog Email Sign Up ## [YMCA Web Presence Matters! Reason #1](https://connect.accrisoft.com/blog/bid/158201/YMCA-Web-Presence-Matters-Reason-1) Posted by: [James Harsh](https://connect.accrisoft.com/blog/author/james-harsh) - 11/26/2015 As I sit in front of my laptop on a Monday morning, I find myself overwhelmed with ideas to share to the YMCA community regarding the importance of promoting a digital, or online image for [YMCA websites](http://www.thriveim.com/ysites/ymca-web-designs/).  The reasons are many but how I go about explaining them in one article is nearly impossible.  So, it is with great excitement I present to you the first of many reasons, in a series format, detailing why a “YMCA Web Presence Matters”!   Reason #1 - Create and Foster an Online Community I took the opportunity to reach out to Elaine Barnard, a key member of the [Lake County YMCA](http://www.lakecountyymca.org/) staff.  Elaine has been in and around the YMCA community for over 25 years.  She knows the Y mission inside and out.  I asked her, why should a Y care about its website? Rather than me translate her thoughts, I’d like to provide you Elaine’s comments. Today, building relationships isn’t limited to connecting to people in person.  Millions of people plug in every day and Y’s need to be there.  An August Harvard Business Review article about the death of marketing explained "Buyers are checking out product and service information in their own way, often through the Internet, and often from sources outside the firm such as word-of-mouth or customer reviews." When we connect to people online, it’s our opportunity to not only build relationships, but also build a reputation . . . prove we are experts in the community.  This won’t happen magically.  It requires a commitment, strategy and planning.  Our online presence needs to be more than electronic bulletin board for posting events, promoting programs, announcing closings and cancellations.  It’s our opportunity to tell REAL stories, share healthy recipes or simple exercise routines, speak to busy families, tell people what makes us different and PROVE THAT WE'RE MORE THAN A GYM! Elaine has many good points, and what I like about these points, they are from her perspective.  A view from the inside of a YMCA, not [James Harsh](http://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesfharsh) the [Web Solution Sales](http://www.thriveim.com/main/james-harsh/) guy.  The Internet is always on, your members and prospective members are looking for information at all hours of the day.  Inbound 2012 states “89% of people in the US search online before they make a purchase, even when the purchase is made at a local business”.  That’s an astounding amount of people!  What is your website saying to them?  Is your website easy to navigate?  Does your digital image look professional?  Is a visitor “invited” for a free trial? Not only are these web visitors on their desktop and laptop, but many are accessing your site on their mobile phone.   Inbound 2012 provides us with another interesting statistic, “2014 is when mobile Internet usage is expected to surpass desktop Internet usage”.  This boggles my mind but I would agree as I use my iPhone more and more to search the web.  Does your website load properly on a mobile phone?  Or, is it just a micro version of your full website that is impossible to read or navigate?  Google states that 9 out of 10 people take action when searching from a mobile device.  If your website is not mobile-friendly, you can say goodbye to that potential member or lost parent trying to find the swim meet from their mobile phone. There is not much I can add to Elaine’s points above.  Elaine is the expert.  You are the expert.  You know the YMCA mission.  The challenge is to transfer everything you know and do into the digital world.  If you don’t, as [Gary Vaynerchuk](http://garyvaynerchuk.com/) says, “you will die”.  Sorry to be so blunt, but that is the truth.  The way we do business has forever changed.  And, if you dive into a bit, you won’t be scared because what you will find out is that the ones “who care, are the ones that will win on the web.”  This also comes from Gary Vaynerchuk, social media trailblazer.  The days when doing the right thing for your customer and truly caring about your customer are back.  If this doesn’t fit perfectly into the YMCA mission, then I am not sure what will.   YMCA web presence matters!  Your website should be the foundation of all your marketing efforts.  What is your website saying about you? [Read More »](https://connect.accrisoft.com/blog/bid/158201/YMCA-Web-Presence-Matters-Reason-1) 6 Comments - [ Read / Write Comments](https://connect.accrisoft.com/blog/bid/158201/YMCA-Web-Presence-Matters-Reason-1#comments-listing) ## [Hubspot's Inbound 2012 - repurpose your content](https://connect.accrisoft.com/blog/bid/156519/Hubspot-s-Inbound-2012-repurpose-your-content) Posted by: [Ian Hartten](https://connect.accrisoft.com/blog/author/ian-hartten) - 11/26/2015 Several members of our team here at Thrive attended Hubspot's Inbound 2012 conference in Boston at the end of August. After attending one session in particular, it occured to us - we have great content but if it doesn't work in one format then we need to change it. Maggie Georgieva held a session all about whitepapers, ebooks and how to repurpose "old" content to make it fresh and new. She said content that has already been published can be used again when you redesign the way in which it is delivered. For instance, if you have written a whitepaper and created a landing page form but saw little interaction - you can tweek the content to hit a new audience.  [Read More »](https://connect.accrisoft.com/blog/bid/156519/Hubspot-s-Inbound-2012-repurpose-your-content) 2 Comments - [ Read / Write Comments](https://connect.accrisoft.com/blog/bid/156519/Hubspot-s-Inbound-2012-repurpose-your-content#comments-listing) ## [In Customer Service, Good is Not "Good" Enough](https://connect.accrisoft.com/blog/bid/155624/In-Customer-Service-Good-is-Not-Good-Enough) Posted by: [James Harsh](https://connect.accrisoft.com/blog/author/james-harsh) - 11/26/2015 I recently was emailing with one of our first YMCA clients, [Lake County YMCA](http://www.lakecountyymca.org/).  We have formed a great bond with their entire marketing team and have been able to learn a lot about their needs and wants with their YMCA website over the past year. Fortunately, we have experienced mild success and growth in this vertical market.  This growth has caused us to re-evaluate our current process; sales, implementation, follow-up and communication to our most valuable asset, our YMCA customer.  I prefer to use words like partner or teammate but for now we will use customer. This next line is copied and pasted from my email referencing our current Customer Service: It's currently good, but good isn't "good" enough for us! This should be your motto with Customer Service and, quite frankly every aspect of your business.  Let’s face it, many people and companies are good at what they do.  But, how many are great?  Great can be hard to quantify but for me, it revolves around effort and interest. Are you really concerned about your client?  Do you care whether the client received the product or service they were expecting?  Are you on to the next sale and not “servicing the customer” on your previous sale?  Gary Vaynerchuk, aka [@garyvee](https://twitter.com/garyvee),  mentioned at Hubspot’s [Inbound 2012](http://www.inboundconference.com/) conference that Client Retention is the name of the game.  And, in order to maintain your client, exceptional and unexpected Customer Service is mandatory! Do you take an interest in their business but more importantly their life.  I like to form friendships with my business associates.  You don’t have to be intrusive, just let it happen naturally.  Do they like football, do they have kids, do you share interests?  Before you know it, you will have a much deeper bond with your client and may become Facebook friends!   I believe the phrase “good is not good enough” should apply to many facets of your life.  For your business to succeed in this social, ever-changing environment, you and your business must stand out from the rest.  Your Customer Service is the heartbeat of your success and you should wake up every morning thinking “Good is Not Good Enough!"  [Read More »](https://connect.accrisoft.com/blog/bid/155624/In-Customer-Service-Good-is-Not-Good-Enough) 4 Comments - [ Read / Write Comments](https://connect.accrisoft.com/blog/bid/155624/In-Customer-Service-Good-is-Not-Good-Enough#comments-listing) [All Posts](https://connect.accrisoft.com/blog/all) ### Search Blog Search ### Follow Thrive ### Posts by Topic - 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