Saffire Blog

Saffire Updates: Version 1.6.5

Last week, up made a few minor updates to Saffire that are now live on our customers’ sites! Here is a quick summary of the changes to bring you all up to speed. 1. You now have the option to print mailing labels for your SaffireCommerce™ orders! We made sure that our software was compatible with … Continue reading “Saffire Updates: Version 1.6.5”

Last week, up made a few minor updates to Saffire that are now live on our customers’ sites! Here is a quick summary of the changes to bring you all up to speed.

1. You now have the option to print mailing labels for your SaffireCommerce™ orders! We made sure that our software was compatible with Avery 5160 labels. You can also add custom text on the receipt so you can use it as a packing slip.
Watch this video to learn more!

2. Now changing your homepage featured events is easier than ever! You will notice on your featured events tab when you add items to your homepage, the dropdown menus automatically sort your events in alphabetical order and display the date for easy searching.
Watch this video to learn more!

3. Your Saffire site is now running smoother with faster load speed on your interactive event schedule, which helps event pages load faster too.

We’re already getting started on our next updates. That’s the beauty of Saffire: we are always improving without having to charge you for every single update. And trust us, we like not having to charge you!

Welcome Palomino Fest & Pro Rodeo!

We are excited to announce lucky client #13: Palomino Fest & Pro Rodeo of Uvalde, TX! Last week, Cassie made a road trip out west to meet with the festival committee and show them all of the features included in Saffire. They must have liked what they saw because they signed up right on the … Continue reading “Welcome Palomino Fest & Pro Rodeo!”

We are excited to announce lucky client #13: Palomino Fest & Pro Rodeo of Uvalde, TX!

Last week, Cassie made a road trip out west to meet with the festival committee and show them all of the features included in Saffire. They must have liked what they saw because they signed up right on the spot!

We’ve already started on the look and feel of their website and will be training them on the software later this week. It will be ready to go soon so they can take full advantage of their new online presence before Labor Day weekend.

Our trip to the Big Show: Rodeo Houston

As rodeo season got into full swing, the Austin office realized that we all had one thing missing in our lives: none of us had ever been to the Houston Rodeo. Kendra quickly took matters into her own hands and bought tickets for us to take a little field trip down to Houston, and it … Continue reading “Our trip to the Big Show: Rodeo Houston”

As rodeo season got into full swing, the Austin office realized that we all had one thing missing in our lives: none of us had ever been to the Houston Rodeo.

Kendra quickly took matters into her own hands and bought tickets for us to take a little field trip down to Houston, and it was quite a fun evening!

Once we arrived, Kendra, Jessica and Rebekah wanted to take a walk around the grounds, but Cassie headed straight for the arena so she wouldn’t miss a second of the action. She even got to see her childhood friend Kay, whose husband is Pro-Bareback Rider Steven Dent.

We were happy to be a part of the crowd of 76,987 that attended the rodeo on Thursday night as we enjoyed a night filled with fried food and cold beer.

I think I can speak for the whole team when I say that the highlight of the night was Lady Antebellum! They played a great set and really had the crowd going.

(Photo courtesy of Houston Radio Station KHMX)

The next morning, we couldn’t help but notice the cutest cupcake shop on our way out of town. We decided to make a quick stop at Crave Cupcakes to get a treat from their rodeo inspired selection for the ride home. It was a great decision!

The Austin office had a great experience at Rodeo Houston, and we hope to make it back next year. We wish their team the best of luck on the last few days of their 2012 event.

Saffire 101: Interactive Event Map

When we first started working with Rodeo Austin, we created a completely custom interactive map for their website, but we quickly learned that event locations don’t always stay the same. Rodeo Austin needed to make changes, but didn’t have the control. We didn’t think events should have to choose between a custom interactive map at … Continue reading “Saffire 101: Interactive Event Map”

When we first started working with Rodeo Austin, we created a completely custom interactive map for their website, but we quickly learned that event locations don’t always stay the same. Rodeo Austin needed to make changes, but didn’t have the control.

We didn’t think events should have to choose between a custom interactive map at a higher price or just a plan PDF, so we were inspired to create a way for Saffire customers to build and control their own interactive map. We studied the way we created our first custom map and built a tool for customers to choose unique color-coded categories and arrange hotspots themselves.

In today’s episode of Saffire 101, Kendra will show you how to create and manage your own interactive event map.

The How and Why of QR Codes

A QR Code is a matrix barcode that can be read with a smart phone. It directs the user to a specific location of your choosing. You can create a QR code to quickly link a user to your website, social media account, phone number, email or countless other options. People ask us all the … Continue reading “The How and Why of QR Codes”

A QR Code is a matrix barcode that can be read with a smart phone. It directs the user to a specific location of your choosing. You can create a QR code to quickly link a user to your website, social media account, phone number, email or countless other options.

People ask us all the time, “Why should we use QR codes as a part of our marketing mix?” I think this infographic can give you some insight to make the decision for yourself. The main thing I would like to point out is that your target audience (women ages 35-44) are the main users of QR codes, so it may be worth it.

Also, remember that people are expecting something in return for scanning the code. Whether it’s a discount or special offer, make sure that you make the scan worth their time.

If you decide that you’d like to give QR Codes a try, the good news is that creating one is completely do-it-yourself. We recommend using QR Stuff , which is a free service that allows you to select the data type, content and color of the code. But a little tip from us: black is the way to go. We tested a few colors, but black codes are the easiest for a mobile device to read.

Placing codes around your event is a great way to get people to interact with you while they are on your event grounds. You could offer a scavenger hunt where each codes provides a clue to the next location. Maybe you could direct users to an secret page on your website where they can find a coupon from a vendor. The options are endless, so just use your imagination!

Join our Webinar “Increase Event Revenue with Better Online Marketing ”

Increase Event Revenue with Better Online Marketing Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/536153886 If you have attended the IAFE, WFA or TAF&E conferences recently, you likely saw our bright blue jackets and heard people talking about Saffire. Now is your chance to find out what the buzz is all about. … Continue reading “Join our Webinar “Increase Event Revenue with Better Online Marketing ””

Increase Event Revenue with Better Online Marketing

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/536153886

If you have attended the IAFE, WFA or TAF&E conferences recently, you likely saw our bright blue jackets and heard people talking about Saffire. Now is your chance to find out what the buzz is all about. From this Free Webinar you will learn:

How easy it is to manage your website content with Saffire
Five ways to integrate social media that you may not be using
The answer to the question “Is email dead?” and what to do about it
How to have a mobile and tablet strategy… without going crazy!
Three easy things you can do to enhance your Google ranking
One thing you MUST do to increase online sales and why it’s critical (hint: RAIN!)

Register now to join Kendra Wright, President of Saffire, and Cassie Roberts, Manager of Sales and Partnership, as they answer these questions and provide a free overview of how Saffire stretches your online marketing dollars while boosting revenue.

Title: Increase Event Revenue with Better Online Marketing
Date: Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM CST

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

Is Email Dead?

When you hear that 188 billion email messages are sent each day, you may think the title of this post seems a little silly. But the truth is, this is a topic of conversation among online marketers every day. People are obviously still using email, so that is not the problem. The question is: can … Continue reading “Is Email Dead?”

When you hear that 188 billion email messages are sent each day, you may think the title of this post seems a little silly. But the truth is, this is a topic of conversation among online marketers every day.

People are obviously still using email, so that is not the problem. The question is: can your customers filter through the massive amounts of messages they receive to take action? You’ll hear different opinions on this, but we believe email is worth the effort.

We think the image below proves email is still an important part of your marketing mix. The spikes you see are increases in online sales on days when a company sends an email. We often compare the increase in web traffic and sales after an email send to a heart monitor, and you really can’t argue with dramatic statistics like that.

A great example of an event that takes advantage of email marketing to drive ticket sales is Rodeo Austin. In the email below, you’ll see that they sent a visually appealing email on the day they announced their 2012 concert line-up. They created a sense of excitement for their customers, and it made an impact on their ticket sales.

When we look back at our clients over the years, the most successful ones have a clear common denominator: they regularly communicate with their customers via email. This keeps your event fresh in the customer’s mind and keeps them coming to your website to learn the latest information.

So, is email dead? We don’t think so…as long as you’re doing it the right way.

Saffire 101: Admin Access Rights

One of our goals is to give our clients features that they want and need, so last fall we surveyed our clients and asked for ways that we could improve our software and make their lives easier. One of the answers we heard over and over was the ability to create different levels of admin … Continue reading “Saffire 101: Admin Access Rights”

One of our goals is to give our clients features that they want and need, so last fall we surveyed our clients and asked for ways that we could improve our software and make their lives easier. One of the answers we heard over and over was the ability to create different levels of admin access.

So you asked, and we listened! With Version 1.6, you now have the ability to regulate the access levels of all admin users on your admin site.

If you want to let a user help on certain parts of your site but not others, you now have the control.

In this video tutorial, Jessica will teach you how to set the access levels for your users.

Welcome Chowchilla-Madera County Fair!

Our partnership with the Chowchilla-Madera County Fair has been a long time coming! We first met them at the IAFE Convention in Las Vegas. We were so happy they joined us for our happy hour, and we really had a chance to get to know Dana and her husband, Peter, over cotton candy cocktails. At … Continue reading “Welcome Chowchilla-Madera County Fair!”

Our partnership with the Chowchilla-Madera County Fair has been a long time coming! We first met them at the IAFE Convention in Las Vegas. We were so happy they joined us for our happy hour, and we really had a chance to get to know Dana and her husband, Peter, over cotton candy cocktails.

At WFA, we were excited to reconnect and tell them even more about what we had done to enhance the Saffire software since the last time we were together. After several more meetings, we couldn’t be happier to officially welcome the Chowchilla-Madera County Fair to the Saffire community.

Since they current contract was just about to expire, we are working as fast as we can to get their website back up by March 1. Can’t wait that long? Okay, here is a sneak peek of what their website will look like.

Join our Webinar “Why Mobile Marketing is No Longer Optional”

Why Mobile Marketing is No Longer Optional Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/874663118 It is estimated that by 2014, more people will access your website via a mobile device than a desktop computer. This means that the future of the web is in the palm of your hand, and it’s … Continue reading “Join our Webinar “Why Mobile Marketing is No Longer Optional””

Why Mobile Marketing is No Longer Optional

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/874663118

It is estimated that by 2014, more people will access your website via a mobile device than a desktop computer. This means that the future of the web is in the palm of your hand, and it’s time to make it a priority.

From this Free Webinaryou will learn:

Why mobile is a “must have” for any event
Strategies to successfully market through mobile
How to get people to engage with you on mobile during your event
Tools you can use to enhance your mobile presence
The Great Debate: App vs. Mobile Site?

Register now to join Kendra Wright, President of Saffire, and Cassie Roberts, Manager of Sales and Partnerships, as they discuss the future of mobile marketing and why it is essential to the success of your event.

Title: Why Mobile Marketing is No Longer Optional
Date: Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM CST

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer