Welcome to MatthewAshcraft.com
You have come to the website of Matthew Ashcraft, a writer and web developer specializing in the food an wine industry. Throughout these pages, you will find the various services I offer, resources, and advice on topics like traditional and online marketing, social media, and creating vivid experiences for your customers. Personalized service is not just for the people who walk through your doors, and your online presence should show it.
Hi, I’m Matt or Self versus Brand
May 10th, 2010 by Matthew
It’s been a long while since I’ve posted anything here.
I could use any number of valid excuses (if any excuses can be considered valid): I’ve been busy with client work, tons of spring projects, and joining a new start-up this summer. But the real reason is that I am simply dissatisfied with the “brand name” I created on MatthewAshcraft.com.
Now every word on the site is true – I have been in the food and wine industry as long as I can remember and I am passionate about the creative processes involved in helping local businesses build online identities. But I commited a big mistake that I often warn my clients against. My site design and content don’t tell a story. They don’t tell my story.
Instead of telling who I am, the site tells about who I thought I should be.
Nowhere does it show my drawings or stories. Nowhere does it show how my love of architecture and LEGOs has helped me to build complex sites and solve difficult problems. It doesn’t hint at the unhealthy fascination I have with Norse mythology, fantasy fiction and comic books. (Okay, so maybe a little filtering isn’t a bad thing.)
In business as well as art, it is vital to make it real and to make it fun, otherwise you end up with something that’s bland and uninspiring. If it’s not interesting to you, how it is it going to catch the interest of others?
Ideally, I would send the next few weeks working on a redesign for the site and give it a little more of my personality, but as other projects are kicking into high-gear, I just don’t have the time. Besides, I’ve got 2,000 business cards to go through first. So, instead, I’ll focus on some of the little things I can add through the blog and plan a redesign after the summer.
How does your website and your business reflect your personality? And if it doesn’t, what are some little things can you change without having to start over?
Recent Posts
Are You a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing?
December 1, 2009
Aesop’s fables may be centuries old, but the lessons in them still hold true. In marketing your business, there can be a fine line between putting your best foot forward and selling yourself as something you’re not. Beware crossing that line because once you lose the trust of your customers, it is gone forever.
How to Add a Custom Menu Tab in Facebook
November 20, 2009
Facebook allows you to add new custom tabs to your fan page. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to add a menu tab.
Tips to Avoiding Social Media Frustration
November 14, 2009
Based off of the presentation given at Wine Road’s Social Media Seminar.
Every spring, I pull out the old bike and dust it off, give it a good cleaning, check the brakes and chain. I get it prettied up and perfect for that first ride of the year. And when I take it out on that [...]
What Does Your Website Do For You?
October 28, 2009
Some winery and restaurant owners don’t know what their website does for their business. To be successful, you need to set goals, determine what type of site you want, and commit to investing the time and money it takes to do it right.
MatthewAshcraft.com goes live
October 27, 2009
The first blog post for MatthewAshcraft.com, my new site featuring the writing, consulting, and web services I offer for businesses in the food and wine industry.
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RT @RockYourDay: Just uploaded a video teaching how to build a responsive list of repeat buyers :-) http://bit.ly/8ZKB8T
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