 Here at Berry Digital Solutions (BDS) our goal is to provide our customers practical assistance, customized website, organic SEO, and professional monthly maintenance. The best part is that we are local. Just think, do you really love your website? Or, can BDS help you meet your potential?
Do you have a contract that is holding back your marketing potential? BDS has NO CONTRACTS Call us old school, but we don't believe in contracts. If we can't take care of your digital needs, we want to find someone that can. Your digital properties are still protected by our digital Terms & Conditions, just without the annual or monthly contracts. So, if you are currently struggling with a contract issue, reach out to BDS and we will help you when you are ready. How would you like to have a say in the design of your website? BDS Customizes Your Website If you are currently struggling with your website design, that's ok. We custom quote every website we build. From start to finish, we tailor the design and functionality to fit your wants and needs. We will build a beautiful, mobile-friendly and easy-to-use website that both you and your visitors will love. If you are ready to learn more, please reach out to us so we can help you get your website to where it needs to be! Is your current SEO plan getting you noticed? BDS uses Organic SEO The most important part of your website is what you can't see: how the Google-bots and algorithms view your website and displays it in search engine results. Search Engine Optimization is a vital piece of your website, and we include organic SEO services in every website we build. This can get complicated which is why we make sure we are available for our clients. If reaching a provider is an issue, we've got your covered. Are you having trouble keeping your website up to date? BDS Provides Monthly Maintenance Our monthly plans are structured with you in mind. We are your 1-stop shop for everything website-related. Hosting, domain, and regular updates are always included. There is no reason to pay anyone else fees related to your website. Honesty and integrity is something we pride ourselves with as a small business. We want you to be successful because it helps us be successful in the process. Launching a website that is original, reaches your clients, and isn't a hassle doesn't have to be a headache. Reach out today to Adam and BDS will get you shining in no time!  2012 - Ryan Berry founded Berry Digital Solutions with one goal in mind: helping his community.
Berry Digital Solutions began with a sign advertising local computer repair in Ryan's front yard. As he began helping his community with their technology needs, Ryan quickly realized that there was a growing demand for small business digital marketing. Ryan shifted his focus and began assembling a team of experts. 2015 - Chris Anders joined Berry Digital solutions as part owner. Chris was tired of working for other people. He wanted more control, flexibility, and to start a business that treated people with respect. He spends most of his time working behind the scenes managing and building websites. Chris is the problem solver of the team and loves coming up with the best solution when faced with a new challenge. 2016 – Erika Berry officially joined the team as a Project Manager/Billing. She was excited to help the business grow and needed something more flexible with young kids at home. This was a huge milestone for Berry Digital Solutions because it meant that both Ryan and Erika could support their family while also being able to spend more time together. 2018 – Staci Wisma joined the team initially as a “Dot Connector”. In that role she oversaw connections between businesses and organizations to local resources, creating partnerships that benefit the entire community. She then briefly attempted a role in sales but quickly realized it wasn’t for her. Today she focuses on Customer Relations and is often the main contact within Berry Digital Solutions for clients. 2018 - Kelli Ross joined Berry Digital Solutions as a website builder. She needed a place that could be flexible with her schedule because of the time she has to spend to care for her special needs son. She can work from home, and the business is so supportive of her life situation, while also allowing her to grow and thrive in her job. 2021 - Danielle Norton joined the team and quickly became a vital asset as our Project Manager. She came to us at a time of much growth and helped develop and implement many of the processes we use today! Today - Ryan Berry spends most of his time helping to connect his community with local experts while serving on local boards and helping fellow entrepreneurs with startups. His dream and passion for helping local businesses has brought all these amazing people together to form the Berry Digital Solutions team you and know and trust. We couldn’t be more thankful for Ryan and that sign he placed in his front yard ten years ago This week, let’s look at organizing your goals for accountability. Last week, we discussed how to make a goal SMARTER and the importance of writing it down. This week, let’s take a look at making it manageable and accountable. Pull out your goal and let’s get started… 
“A young lady is wanting to run an entire 5k to honor her brother. Unfortunately, she is not a runner, nor runs regularly. To be successful, she will need to build up her strength, stamina, and endurance. This takes time and can cause fatigue if one overdoes it. So, with the help of some friends she sets small goals. Goal 1 - She will run a mile without stopping at the end of the month. Goal 2 - She will be able to run two miles without stopping. Etc.” The important thing to notice here is the timeline, manageable goal, and the ability to revise. She may find out that one mile was too much for the first month and half a mile would be more realistic as she builds endurance and strength. The same thing applies to business. Having short achievable goals helps a business owner have more frequent wins to build towards the bigger goal down the road. This is where BDS can be a great partner in helping your business grow. (Click here if you would like to learn more ways that we can help.)
 Rocky tends to be an all-time favorite movie to many. The story of an underdog resonates with us for many reasons. Not to mention, it is one of the best series of movies to quote, “Yo Adrienne.”. The New Year’s Goal setting ritual hits us hard, much like the Rocky quote above. Typically, we do not approach our New Year’s Goals SMART enough, or for that matter, write them down. A Dominican University professor once noted that when a person writes down their goal, they are 42% more likely to achieve it. This is a decent statistic, but we still need some umph. This is where we need to train ourselves SMART(ER) like Rocky in his movies. Throughout this post we are going to look at seven components to making our goals smarter than before so we can pen our goal to paper and achieve it. Let’s jump in!
S-Specific Make your goals specific and narrow for more effective planning. M-Measurable Define what is going to prove you are making progress and reevaluate when necessary. A-Achievable Make sure you can reasonably accomplish your goal within a certain timeframe. R-Relevant Your goals should align with your values and your long-term objectives. T-Timebound Set an end-date that is ambitious, but realistic, for task prioritization and motivation. E-Evaluative Set some benchmarks to evaluate your progress along the way. Reflection on progress is important. R-Revisable By making your plan revisable, you account for unexpected errors and hiccups along the way to adjust your goal to align to your ultimate vision. Now, write it down. This helps to clarify and intensify your intentions. Once you have it written, post it some place where you will see it regularly and be reminded of how YOU are making progress each day! If there are ways that we can assist you with aligning to your goals here at BDS, please click here. Looking forward to strengthening your business!  Happy New Year from the BDS Team and Family! As we roll into 2022, there have been some amazing things that we have experienced as a local company and this all starts with support from readers and clients like you. On behalf of all of us at BDS, thank you!
Over the next several weeks we are going to be diving into “GOALS.” This isn’t your typical New Year’s resolution goal post either. We want to equip you with skills and tools to help you achieve the best for yourself or business by (RE)Imagining how to set and accomplish goals. Tony Robbins once said, “Setting goals is the first step to turning the invisible into visible.” This is true on many levels and something that BDS would like to help you with along your journey this year either personally, or professionally. Just start with this question, “Do you have a vision for where you want to be in five years?” If you don’t, that is okay. If you do, great! Regardless, no matter where you landed with an answer, we have you covered. As we venture through this series, we are going to be discussing how to set goals and accomplish them by following these simple steps in goal setting process:
No matter where you are in this process, the first thing to do is go back to the original question. Where are you in five years? Work on answering that question and come back for some ways on how to make it a SMARTER Goal next week!  Strong Focus on Videography
Videos are likely going to replace hero images on many sites this year. This is a trend that has been up and coming for a few years, but strong videography is going to be a huge asset to websites this year. With a video, you can tell a more complete story about your business and what makes you unique and stand out from the rest. This trend will likely be videos that either have no sound or have some sort of soft background noise. The goal is to portray a feeling that the audience can connect with and be the first thing that captures attention when people visit your site. Overlapping Design Elements This trend isn’t new to digital media but is being more widely embraced on websites now. More and more sites are using design elements in unexpected ways and experimenting with overlapping elements like photography, vector art, text, and more. This goes hand in hand with the collage trend that is currently popular. User Friendly Buttons Not having buttons that are large enough to click is a huge user experience error on mobile websites. A trend to counteract this is having oversized buttons on your website. Large, easy to use buttons, are going to dominate web design this year. Another button trend you are likely to see is the outline design. This just makes the shape of a button around text without the traditional color fill or gradient that people are used to and plays right into the next trend of minimalism. Modern Minimalism Modern minimalism is a way to utilize current trends in a clean and concise way. This trend keeps the color palette minimal, often just black and white, and the design elements simple (i.e., line art icons, monochromatic vector art). This is a great design choice if you have strong photography or videography that you really want to showcase. One Page Websites This has been a trend in the past but is coming back in a big way this year. Whenever a one-page site makes sense and can be strongly utilized, it is a great option to go with. It streamlines the experience for people visiting your page and can be impactful. Oftentimes websites end up with so much content because there is literally no limit to how much you can include but stripping it down to the basics of what you do and what you offer can help your brand. Not only will it make it easier for people to understand, but will also give the site a modern, clean feel. Oversized Typography This trend started to take off in 2021 and is here to stay this year as well. Type is going to be big, eye-catching, and in your face on websites this year. This trend plays well with many other trends on this list including overlapping design elements, videography, and modern minimalism. Large text is a great way to get your message across quickly and easily. Make sure what you are writing is worth reading and people will be hooked as soon as they see your site. By Chelsea Bray- Elle A. Design  January is a time for reflection on the previous year and to think about the coming year. It’s a time to assess what went well for you and to address anything you want to work on changing. It is the fresh start of a new year, and we are so excited you are here with us on this journey! During 2021 we made some amazing moves within our business to support the growth we have seen throughout the pandemic. As we continued to push forward into the unknown, we brought on two new team members, Mckenzie and Danielle. Mckenzie joined our team as a Web Specialist and Danielle joined our team as our Project Manager.
With the growth of our team throughout the year, we were able to bring on 60 new clients. Each one has been essential to our growth, and we have had so much fun bringing all their ideas to life and getting to know their businesses. The experience of trying to expand our business, and help others do the same during a pandemic have helped us develop our skills and strengthen us as a team. We were so blessed to not only survive but thrive this year! Looking forward to 2022, we have no plans of slowing down. Our growth and development as a team is one of our top priorities. We want to push each other to the next level in everything we do. When we support each and our individual growth, the entire will benefit from it, and we can continue to grow together as a business. Another major goal for the year is to create new business and community partnerships. We focus on small, local businesses, and love being able to be part of their growth. We also want to help all our current clients meet any goals they have for the year. When we strengthen the businesses around us, we strengthen the community, making it a better place to live, work, and visit. By Chelsea Bray- Elle A. Design  Christmas is the time for giving. This year we want to encourage as many people as possible in the community to give back in one way or another. To help inspire you we have come up with a list of simple ways to help spread holiday cheer this time of year.
Buy Gifts for Families in Need Many local organizations provide easy ways to either donate toys or adopt a family in need. Some places request new toys and others will take gently used toys. Giving can go far beyond toys though as many of these families also need new clothes and sometimes even food for their holiday meals. If you don’t know where to find a family to help, your local place of worship should be able to assist you. Volunteer Your Time Extra help can be hard to find this time of year but is very much needed. Places like nursing homes, food pantries, and churches all get busier this time of year and rely on help from wonderful volunteers to make the holiday season magical for everyone. Make a Monetary Donation to a Local Organization Sometimes the best gift you can give to an organization is a monetary one to go towards goals and projects they are already taking on. Below you will find a list of local non-profits that are currently taking donations. These organizations do so much for our community and now is our chance to give back. Champaign County Historical Society Champaign County Preservation Alliance CRSI West Liberty Historical Society Caring Kitchen Downsize Farm Chasing Greatness Mental Health, Drug, and Alcohol Services Board of Logan & Champaign Counties These are just a few ways you and your family can give back this year. Make it a yearly part of your holiday season. Pass on traditions to your families that help those in need and remind everyone that Christmas is about more than just presents, it is about spreading love and kindness, and helping those in need.  It’s that time of year again when we all stop to reflect on what we are thankful for. The past couple of years have been very hard on small businesses, but there are still plenty of reasons to be thankful this season!
Community Support Throughout the year we have been so thankful for our community and the support they provide not only us, but each other. We are so thankful to be part of a community that jumps in to help when help is needed. Without each other, there are many small businesses that would not have survived the past two years. Support from Our Families A HUGE thank you must go out to all the family members of our Berry Digital Solutions team members. Running a small business is not an easy task. There are countless hours that must go towards keeping everything running smoothly. The support we get from our spouses, siblings, parents, children, and everyone else we consider family, is what makes it possible for us to do our jobs. Suppliers and Vendors It’s no surprise that supply and distribution chains have been hit hard this year. The supply shortage has affected so many different industries and many local businesses. We are so thankful for all our vendors and suppliers that have had to adjust on the fly to make sure every business has what they need to operate. The Team at Berry Digital Solutions This list would not be complete if we didn’t take a minute to recognize the team here at Berry Digital Solutions. They have been up against every battle you can think of this year and have always come out on top. We would not be where we are today without the hard work and support of our team. We hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Be sure to take time to tell those you love how much they mean to you and how thankful you are for them.  Small Business Saturday is right around the corner, so now is the time to make sure your business is ready! Here are a few ideas on how to prepare for the big day:
Prepare Your Staff Start off by making sure you have enough staff for the holiday season and consider bringing on a few seasonal employees if necessary. Once you have your staff in place, it is time to prepare them for the day. Make sure they are all up to date on training and know what specials or deals you are offering for the day. Your employees will have to go through a lot during the holiday season, so make sure they know how thankful you are to have them on the team and consider providing lunch to those who work special days like Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. Prepare your Store Small Business Saturday can bring a lot of foot traffic through your store. Be sure you look at your layout and ease of access to all items and rearrange areas if necessary. The easier your customers can get to specific retail items, the easier it will be for them purchase those items. Plan a Promotion Get creative when thinking about what kind of promotion you want to offer. Set a goal (i.e. more sales, return customers, more website traffic) and make the offer work toward that goal. If you want customers to return after their initial visit, offer a coupon with purchase that is good for a later date. Partner with Other Local Businesses Many other local businesses will also be working hard to make Small Business Saturday successful. Why not partner together and make it great for both of you? It could be a neighboring business or even someone from another town, just find a good fit for you. You could also partner with a local charity and use the day to give back to the community. Check All Online Accounts Prepare for the day by checking all of your online accounts to make sure your information is accurate. Your store hours, location, phone number, and website are all important information that customers will be looking for. Leverage Local Events If there are local events happening that weekend make sure you are playing off them to drive traffic into your store. You can use sidewalk signs to let people know your hours and the deals you are running that day. Consider offering something like hot chocolate or popcorn and use the scent as another way to attract foot traffic. By Chelsea Bray- Elle A. Design |
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