You can get your tickets online and save yourself the long wait.  This may not seem like a big deal, unless of course you consider some of the stops on the tour like Minneapolis in FEBRUARY.  I'd pay 5 times the price at the door to skip standing in line outside there.  Goto www.motorcycleshows.com and get your tix early.

   Also our dedication to Chris is really heartfelt.  I am truly going to miss contribution he could have had on this project going forward.  I'm sure Wildside Entertainment will go on but it won't be the same without him.

                                                                                             
                                                                                                   Scott Schoenbauer
                                                                        The Revolution Continues

Motorcycle Marketing 101

Topic of the Week: “Is it time for a website re-design”?
Brought to you by M3Pro www.m3pi.com.

Quote of the Week: “Your website will create the first impression of your business for many of your potential clients and customers. If it doesn’t accurately reflect the level of success or professionalism of your business, consider an upgrade” -
  Each issue of  “Metric Times”  is going to offer business’s ”Motorcycle Marketing 101”; tips and solutions on how to grow your business.  This week we focus on identifying that time your website needs a facelift or re-design.
  Many businesses face the challenge of knowing when they need to invest some money in a re-design of their website. If you’re in this situation, here are 9 ways to tell when it’s time.

1 - Outdated Look
  Websites are like anything else, certain styles come and go. If your site was designed several years ago, it may be a little bit “out of style” with today’s internet users. Even a well designed site will go out of style eventually.

2 - The Navigational Structure is No Longer Adequate
  Ease of navigation is essential to have a user-friendly website. If considerable amounts of information/pages have been added to your website since the last design the navigation may be difficult to understand. This is common if the site and the navigation was designed for a much smaller type of website than what you currently have.
  If visitors have difficulty maneuvering through your site, or if it takes several clicks to get from your homepage to specific information, your visitors may not be able to find what they want. Depending on the severity of the problem, this may be something that can be fixed without a complete re-design.

3 - Your Business has grown, but the Website Still Has an Amateur Look
  Your website will create the first impression of your business for many of your potential clients and customers. If it doesn’t accurately reflect the level of success or professionalism of your business, consider an upgrade. You may have had the site developed when your business was just starting up or when money wasn’t available for a more professional design. Take a look at your current situation and see if a new design is feasible. Consider Streaming media and adding video content to take your site the next level.  

4 - Change of Direction
  Sometimes a company makes a major change in its strategy. Many times this may include new products or services. If your website no longer reflects the direction your company is headed it may confuse your website visitors and have adverse effects. Be sure that your website portrays the image that you want your visitors to see.

5 - Traffic is falling
  Many times a new design will reinvigorate the flow of traffic to your website. A new look and a new concept can give your company a fresh appearance to your visitors. While a new design is not the “answer” to traffic problems, it can help the situation.

6 - The Competition Requires You to Keep Up
  If your website severely lags behind the quality of your competition’s website(s) you may be losing money unnecessarily. Keep pace with the competition or out do them, with a better-looking, more functional site of your own.

7 - The Current Design has Severe “Search Engine Optimization” Deficiencies
  Search Engine Optimization (SEO) involves far more than the structure of a website, but having a website that is built with proper SEO principals is essential and it is the first step to having a search engine-friendly website. Minor SEO flaws can easily be corrected without an entire re-design, but depending on the severity of the deficiencies you may be better off to start over with a solid foundation for your SEO efforts.

8 - Your Pages Load Too Slowly
  One of the realities of doing business online is that your potential customers have a very short attention span. If your pages aren’t load quickly enough, you’re almost certainly loosing valuable visitors every day. This problem is compounded when you are advertising or paying for traffic, in which case you’re probably paying for traffic that leaves before ever seeing your pages. (Read our article Designing Pages to Load Quickly)

9 - Invalid Code
  If your website was built several years ago there’s a good chance it uses a lot of invalid HTML or CSS code. Web standards have come along way in recent years and valid code is becoming more important every day. With invalid code you may be limiting who can access your website and how it is seen by your visitors. To check the validity of your code, visit the W3C’s HTML validator and CSS validator. 

Final Thought: Video content and streaming media has become a huge part of the (www) world wide web. Websites such as www.youtube.com and www.myspace.com are virtually popping up everywhere. Consumers don’t have the time to read through each page of your website to understand what products and services companies offer. Consider having a corporate streaming video placed on the home page of your website. Check out M3Pro’s latest client www.jetuniversity.com for a sample.

The staff of M3Pro wishes you a very successful week!  For ideas on building a new website log onto www.m3pi.com/web_samples.htm  M3Pro is hear to help your company grow!

Go To The Metric Revolution Calendar

The Metric Revolution loves giving things away for free.  If your are on our mailing list you are already entered.  Every week we will be randomly choosing names from our email list and giving products away.  The following is a list of our sponsors that are making this possible.  This month we added KBC Helmets to the mix so now you have an opportunity to give your coconut a safety upgrade.  Check them out, visit their websites and don't forget to tell a friend.  All winners will be notified by email and posted in the news section of the home page.

  KBC America, Inc. has over 15 years of dedication toward manufacturing and development of superior helmet products.
  KBC is one of the fastest growing helmet manufacturers and brands in the world; it also is the world leader and trend setter in the private label business (OEM), manufacturing 75% of the world’s motocross name brands.
  Based out of Los Angeles, California, KBC America Inc. understands the needs of the consumers by keeping in close contact with its dealers and customers.
RIDE HARD… RIDE LONG… RIDE SAFE… KBC Helmets!!! www.kbchelmets.com


   Thunder Mfg. is dedicated to the development of high quality performance products, all of which are rigorously tested to ensure maximum performance. This allows you, the customer, the confidence to know you are receiving the best possible performance you can get from your bike. If you have an idea for a product we currently do not have, please feel free to contact us. Thank you for your interest in our products and we hope you have an excellent riding experience.
www.ThunderMFG.com 

   What do you get when you combine a machinist with a motorcycle racer? An unrivaled adjustable billet lever set from Pazzo Racing. With the mentality of a racer and the mind of a machinist the questions of how can I be more comfortable riding and how can I make a high quality part to accomplish just that. So those questions have now been answered and now all riders, street or race, can benefit from the ingenuity that is a Pazzo Racing lever.
www.CTSMoto.com

    “Finally” your switching needs on your motorcycle is now located in the left hand grip. You control your switching functions with only a slight movement of the fingers, while you maintain  positive control of the bike. The Grip Ace adds self canceling turn signals, hazard lights, Hi/Lo beam headlight and two 5 amp switches to all stock or custom bikes. The Grip Ace can be programmed to control audio systems, video cameras, bike starter or to accommodate your wildest imagination. No wires are cut on your stock bike for installation."
www.GripAce.com

    At Nelson-Rigg we are commited to providing you the most convenient way to browse and learn more about our products so you can make your important buying decisions when it come to accessorizing your bike. The latest technology, design, and innovation goes into all of our products. We adhere to the highest levels of manufacturing and quality. All materials, components, and construction are tested by us and at independent testing facilities to ensure the that all of our products are held to the highest standards. You can feel confident when buying a Nelson-Rigg quality product, you now own the very best, because, as we always say...."It's Not Just a Bike!"
www.NelsonRigg.com