According to the Secretary of State, Iceberg Hosting, LLC was incorporated on May 20th, 2005. Today we are celebrating our 5th birthday – and what a wonderful five years it has been!

We would like to thank all of our clients for your support over the last five years, and we look forward to working with you for the next five (and hopefully more!).

To celebrate, we are offering some incredible specials for new and current clients:

$100 Credit on New Website Design or Website Redesign

Does your business need an online presence? Is it time for a website makeover, redesign, or upgrade? Through June 20th, Iceberg is offering a $100 credit to all website design projects quoted over $500. Contact us today to get started!

$200 Custom Hosted Blog Setup

Start blogging today! If you already have a website and want to start blogging, Iceberg will set up a hosted blog and integrate it with your existing website for just $200! PLUS – we’ll have it running for you in two business days, guaranteed. Start driving traffic to your website with your own custom, hosted blog that matches your website. Contact us today to get started!

What is a blog? You’re reading one right now! A blog (short for the term “web log”) is a type of website where someone posts news, photos, videos, or other content on a regular basis. The newest posts are displayed at the top, so that visitors will see what’s new when they first visit. Posts can be filed into different categories, and visitors can browse through previous content, which is automatically archived as new posts are added.

If you have enough to write about, a blog alone can be an entire website for an individual or a business! It can also be used as a supplement (as this blog is) to add fresh content to the site, keep customers updated, and bring in new traffic.

Blogs are not “just for kids” to use like public diaries for their friends to read. Many businesses are taking advantages of blogging software to promote their products and services, announce specials, and answer questions for new and potential customers.

How can a blog help your business? Keep reading!

A blog can keep your website up to date.

Sure, your website has a lot of valuable information about your business. But your clients (and search engines) have already seen it. So why come back to visit?

Adding new content to your website not only gives your clients a reason to come back – it shows them that your business is still succeeding. It provides assurance for existing (and potential) customers that you’re still doing your job, you’re still accepting business, and your doors are open for them.

A blog lets you add content yourself!

That’s right – no need to call your website designer when you want to update your blog! You can add text, photos, videos, even upload mp3 music files directly to your blog through an easy-to-use admin control panel.

Add formatting:

• bold font
• italicized content
• custom font colors and sizes
• and bulleted lists

to your blog posts with just the click of a mouse. It’s very similar to using Microsoft Word. If you can type and use your mouse, you can keep your blog updated whenever you want, from any computer with an Internet connection. You can even update your blog using your cell phone!

Plus, every time you add a new post you will be generating more content for Search Engines to scan through. Keywords and instant search engine optimization you can do yourself. File your blog posts into categories, add links to other pages on your website (or to other websites), and be seen!

A hosted blog brings more traffic to your website.

Hosting a blog on another domain is one of the biggest mistakes a business can make. Sure, you can set up a free blog at Blogspot, Wordpress, or elsewhere – but doing so will be sending your visitors away from your website, and they will be more likely to wander off and never return. Plus, you’ll be sending the search engines there as well.

The purpose of blogging for your business is to promote your products, your services, your company … your website. Put your blog where it belongs: at Your-Website-Dot-Com.

If you already have a blog and would like to transfer it to your domain, Iceberg can help you export the content from your existing blog and set it up on your new hosted blog. You can even redirect your old blog’s address to send current followers to your own website.

A blog encourages customers to be part of your business.

When your clients are actively engaged in your business, they will be more likely to turn to you than to one of your competitors. Remind your customers of new products or services, promote sales, and offer customer discounts via your blog. Ask for feedback or comments – what do they want from your business? What new products or services have they seen that you could offer?

What are you waiting for?

Existing Iceberg clients: For a limited time, we are offering an incredible special on custom blog setup. For just $90 we will set up a blog on your domain with a custom design (matching your current website design). Start blogging in just 24 hours – guaranteed! Click here for complete details.

Not an Iceberg client? We can still work with you to set up a blog on your own domain. Contact Iceberg for details on setting up a new domain for your blog. We have pre-designed templates that we can work with, or we can create a custom blog design just for your business. Contact Iceberg for a quote on your new Blog project!

The Iceberg Penguin is all dressed up for the holidays this year, and is anxiously waiting to unwrap those presents!

Our office will be closed December 24th-27th, and New Year’s Day.

Thank you for your business and support in 2009! We send warm wishes for a wonderful holiday season to everyone, and we are looking forward to working with our current website clients and on new website projects in 2010.

And, you’ve probably already noticed … we decided to dress up the website as well. We’ve added a few new features and pages, including an area for clients to pay your invoice.

We think the new design is refreshing, and easy on the eyes. Mostly though, we just felt it was time for something new. Web design is our passion, and by giving our own website a new look from time to time, we hope to inspire you to do the same.

Contact us today, or click here to receive a free quote if you are interested in a refreshing new website design or simply changing the color scheme on your current site. Or… maybe your logo would like a witch hat or some turkey feathers next month!

We are very excited to launch a new division of our business this month: Iceberg Design & Print. For nearly five years, Iceberg has been helping small businesses build their image with professional web presences. Now, we are excited to help take your image and put it in print!

The new Iceberg Design & Print website

Now, you can complete your image with business cards, brochures, vinyl banners, and promotional materials that compliment your website. We take care of the design and printing – but we can use your original artwork if you already have a design.

To bring it all together, for a limited time we are also offering 500 FREE Business Cards with all new website hosting or design accounts. Contact Iceberg today to see what we can do for your business. The possibilities are endless.

Vist the new Iceberg Design & Print website to see our products and pricing, and learn what we can do for your business. Iceberg can be your source for both online and printed advertising.

Wickedly Chic is a small business, helping other small businesses succeed. And that’s what Iceberg is too. We know first-hand what it’s like to quit your day job and enter blindly into a new entrepreneurship. And we’re here to help people like YOU, who have done the same, succeed by opening your sales to a new – global or nation-wide – customer base.

A blog is a great way to start getting your name out. Even if you’re already selling on Etsy or ArtFire, your blog can direct traffic to your shop. And a domain name (Your own “Dot Com”) brings your business to a whole new professional level. Plus, you get an e-mail address @yourcompany.com, which will add to your professional image.

So, what are you waiting for? Visit Wickedly Chic and sign up to win a FREE website Blog plus domain name – for an entire year! No strings attached.

Iceberg is a woman-owned business. I started the company in 2005, and since then have formed close relationships with other women in business. I have also been a long-time supporter of handmade products and artisan crafts – which is exactly what Wickedly Chic spends their time promoting.

Here’s an excerpt from the Wickedly Chic website about their company:

Wickedly Chic is geared toward women (although there’s no reason why men can’t enjoy it too). The businesses that you see highlighted throughout our pages are independently owned. This means that big-box retailers (while they certainly have their place) are not our focus. Some of the businesses that you see featured carry handcrafted items and some of them are smaller shops which don’t create their own products but exist independently of a corporately-owned chain.

We have an ad posted on their website this week, leading up to the Blog For A Year Giveaway this Sunday, August 30th. We’ll post another link to it this weekend. Don’t miss it – it’s a great prize!

The billboard is a promotion supporting the Stevens County Fair, where we set up our first booth in 2005. This billboard is scheduled to be moved to Morris this week, where the County Fair is held.

Our many thanks go out to Jennifer Jones at Georgia Peach Designs for taking this photograph!

The Elk River Chamber serves the Sherburne County community, and its members include local businesses located from St. Cloud to Minneapolis, Minnesota.

We have built strong working relationships with businesses, organizations, and individuals in Morris Minnesota by being a member of the Morris Area Chamber of Commerce. After just four months of membership at the Anoka Area Chamber of Commerce we are forming strong ties to the local community. We now hope to make strong networking connections with businesses and individuals in the Elk River area.

You can learn more about the Elk River Area Chamber of Commerce at their website, http://www.elkriverchamber.org. We encourage all small businesses and individuals interested in community growth to contact their local chamber office today!