The Society for International Affairs (SIA), a non-profit educational organization that provides information related to the federal export and import regulatory process, now offers many new, highly interactive capabilities with the launch of its revamped Web site, www.siaed.org. 

Powered by Tendenci membership management software (www.tendenci.com), the site features quick and easy online event registration, an online e-tail store and employment opportunities of interest to the international trade marketplace.

The SIA Web site serves as a central component of the organization’s effort to provide a forum for the exchange of information on the export and import process.

Tendenci’s “all in one” Web based platform offers Content management to permit SIA to update its site with the latest educational information and details about the organization’s upcoming conferences, an online calendar for easy-to-access event promotion, online event management to track payments and organize attendees, and a membership directory that is easy to self-update and manage. 

Tendenci’s integrated  capabilities enable anyone who wants to stay updated on international trade to subscribe to automatically receive word of site updates as they happen.

Tendenci also makes it easy to develop and distribute electronic newsletters, create an online job board or business directory, post articles, news releases and podcasts, post surveys to keep track of changing attitudes and offer Web-based continuing education courses.

“For those involved in international trade, knowledge is critical, and what makes our new Web site so powerful is that it will be easier for our community of users to share knowledge,” said Matthew Doyle, SIA’s Director of Communications.  “With Tendenci, we acquired key functionality that enables us to track our members’ interests and better respond to their needs.” 

Tendenci is developed and marketed by Schipul – The Web Marketing Company (www.schipul.com), a leading worldwide provider of Web-based solutions for membership organizations. 

About Schipul – The Web Marketing Company

Schipul – The Web Marketing Company developed and builds on the Tendenci® membership management software. Schipul is based in Houston, and provides marketing services on the Internet to a variety of service industries in local, national and international markets. Schipul’s clients include Clear Channel Exhibits, National Pharmacy Technician Association, The Children’s Fund, Wolff Companies and DPK Public Relations. Additional information about Schipul is available at www.schipul.com and www.tendenci.com.

About the Society for International Affairs

The Society for International Affairs, Inc. is a volunteer, nonprofit, educational organization that was jointly formed in 1967 by US Government and Industry.  SIA provides a forum for the exchange of information related to export and import licensing. Additional information is available at www.siaed.org.

The Businessmaker's Radio Show recently interviewed Schipul's CEO Ed Schipul as part of their focus on local entrepreneurial success stories.

Ed Schipul and Russ Capper discuss the trials and tribulations of starting up a technology business, surviving the Dotcom Bubble burst and growing a technologically savvy company.  

Be sure to tune in to the podcast to hear the history of Schipul - The Web Marketing Company, the importance of a recurring revenue model and just how far a little determination can take you.

Click here to listen to the Schipul technology business start-up interview

Are you looking for more clients or better public exposure?  Is your Web site performing as well as you would like it to?

The Medical Imaging Magazine recently published an article entitled 'Enhancing Your Imaging Image' offering valuable tips on re-evaluating your marketing plan for better business success.  These tips move beyond the medical industry and can be incorporated into any business or industry.

Ed Schipul and Lauren Hall give some practical advice on Web site maintenance and search engine marketing:

"You're dealing with a more computer-savvy audience nowadays. Now even senior citizens are surfing the 'Net regularly, so a Web site is essential to any good marketing campaign. Among the tips that Schipul and Lauren Hall, his director of search-engine marketing, offer:

• Make sure your site is updated regularly. If not, it's not worth bothering, especially if you're trying to present yourself as someone on the cutting edge. Remember, the same "announcements" you're making in your press releases can (and should) go on your Web site.

• Do keyword research. Keywords are words or phrases you have determined are most likely to be typed into the search engine by your target market. Schipul found that "rhinoplasty" actually would glean a higher number of hits than "nose job" for a plastic surgery client, indicating that patients are highly educated. Enlist the services of an outside firm or bring in an Internet specialist of your own to tackle the research.

• Offer lots of information on your home page. Among the information, Hall suggests, are testimonials, case histories, office hours, and upcoming special events. Bear in mind that your site must offer a clean visual while presenting all of this information.

• Test your Web work. Use the "A/B" test. Run one headline or picture on your Web site (or in an ad) for the first 2 weeks, then a different one the next 2 weeks, and see which garners the most hits. Just make sure to change only one variable each time."

Read the Medical Imaging magazine article in its entirety for further suggestions on 'Enhancing Your Imaging Image' and be sure to read Schipul's Web Marketing Fundamentals article for a top ten list of 'must-have' elements for increasing sales lead generation from your Web site.

Rapidly growing Schipul – The Web Marketing Company, which has made the Houston Business Journal’s Fast Tech 50 list the past two years in a row, has relocated to larger offices in West Houston. 

Schipul has taken 6,100 square feet at 11757 Katy Freeway, which is managed by Premium Assets, Inc.

The new location, which is roughly twice the size of Schipul’s previous home at 11999 Katy Freeway, provides the added space needed for Schipul to continue expanding. 

Schipul developed the proprietary Tendenci® membership management software and is a leading worldwide provider of Web-based solutions for associations and other membership organizations. 

Schipul’s diverse team of Web marketing experts combine SEM, direct marketing fundamentals and social networking software to maximize their clients’ return on their Web marketing investment.

Exhibitors preparing for the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) 2006 won’t want to miss the OTC Event Marketing Seminar, organized by Sullivan Group, which will feature Ed Schipul, CEO of Schipul – The Web Marketing Company (www.schipul.com). 

Schipul will present “Blogs, RSS and More: Harness the Power of the Web to Maximize Your ROI at OTC".  The presentation will be part of a unique panel discussion covering the essentials of event branding, online marketing and communications basics. 

Other panelists include Clare Sullivan Jackson, president and CEO of Sullivan Group, and Phil Morabito, CEO of Pierpont Communications.

The seminar is scheduled from 2 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, February 2nd at Majestic Metro Theatre in Houston. The focus of the OTC Event Marketing Seminar will be on helping exhibitors cut through the clutter to attract attention and forge meaningful relationships with customers and prospects. 

Schipul’s presentation will focus on how marketers can leverage the rapid, widespread adoption of emerging technologies that enable user-generated content, such as blogs, vlogs, podcasting and wikis to stay a step ahead of the competition.

“Exhibiting at OTC requires a significant investment, so it is critical that organizations utilize their Web sites to their fullest potential during the conference,” said Schipul. “We will focus on the powerful and easy-to-use online tools that are available to drive traffic to an OTC booth and increase sales.”

Registration for the OTC Event Marketing Seminar is $50 and will be accepted through February 1st 2006. To register online, visit www.sullivan-group.com.

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company has been named the number 28 company on the Houston Business Journal's FastTech 50.

The Fast Tech 50 Awards were presented November 4, 2005 at the Hyatt Regency in Houston to the top 50 high tech companies in Houston that experienced the greatest percentage revenue growth in 2004.

"The Schipul team attributes this award to our clients, as without them, we would not be here or among today''s winners. We look forward to continued growth in 2006 and beyond and salute our clients," said Ed Schipul, CEO, Schipul - The Web Marketing Company. 

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company was named the number 14 company on the Inaugural Aggie 100 list, announced Friday, Oct. 28, 2005 at a ceremony at Texas A&M University in College Station.

The Aggie 100 program identifies, recognizes and celebrates the 100 fastest growing Aggie-owned or Aggie-led businesses in the world and was created to celebrate the success of entrepreneurial Aggies and to provide a forum for them to pass their lessons on to the next generation.  

Founder and CEO of Schipul- The Web Marketing Co. Ed Schipul, is a political science graduate of Texas A&M, attributes the success of the company to the clients and employees of Schipul - The Web Marketing Company. 

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company Releases Tendenci® 4.1 Membership Management Software

Web-based software helps organizations change the way they do business through tools that manage time and members

HOUSTON, Dec. 6, 2004 – Schipul – The Web Marketing Company today released Tendenci® 4.1 Membership Management Software for organizations to enhance their online membership management and overall organizational effectiveness.

Tendenci 4.1 Membership Management Software is an all-in-one web-based solution that helps membership organizations save time and money while making it easy to recruit and retain members. Current Tendenci customers will enjoy added software features such as table registrations for events, group discounts, a consolidated calendar of events, a “speed-formatting” newsletter template and a “rate-this” feature that provides audience feedback about Web content. 

Additional Tendenci features include modules for job boards, résumés, news articles, press releases and an online calendar of events. 

Through Tendenci software, organization leaders can quickly and easily capture, organize and fully leverage membership data through the use of dynamic and secure Web-based tools, including:

• Event scheduling software: Tendenci allows an event planner or administrator to set-up event pricing structures for individuals and groups, set a registration deadline, collect payment online, export an attendee roster to Excel and print name badges to ensure hassle-free event check-in.

• Consolidated Event Scheduling: Tendenci allows organizations with similar member bases to share a consolidated calendar of events that appeals across memberships, complete with links to registration on respective organizational sites so payment is recorded correctly.

• Electronic newsletters: Most organizational newsletters include content that is (or should be) also available on its Web site. Tendenci’s new newsletter functionality allows clients to create a newsletter based on site content in a matter of minutes. Clients also may format their newsletters with specific content and images.

• Real time reporting features: Tendenci 4.1 records all incoming and outgoing data and correlates increased event registrations, article reads, ratings, job postings and views with these communications. Tendenci’s reports help organization leaders make sure their offerings are aligned with what members want and need. 

Members benefit from Tendenci software by being able to participate in a membership organization from their desktop by completing membership forms, learning of current events and industry news, registering and making payments online and sharing information with others.

“Many organizations do not have a comprehensive Web-based membership management solution, so they have sought to address their needs through a collection of solutions, which is not profitable and dilutes the organization’s brand,” said Ed Schipul, founder and CEO of Schipul – The Web Marketing Company. “Tendenci 4.1 is a single, robust solution that relieves administrative burdens, successfully engages members, increases the organization’s visibility and has a track record of being a profit center.” 

Schipul’s membership organization clients include the World Health Organization, the Houston Technology Center, the Houston Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, the Houston Chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, 
the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Gulf Coast Section and SPE-Permian Basin and the Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group.

“The Society of Petroleum Engineers Gulf Coast Section has used Tendenci to power our organizational Web site for several years. With more than 12,000 members accessing our site and more than 95 percent using the software, registering for our events has to be a simple and effective process for us to be successful. We look forward to the new software features that will help us meet increasing member needs and improve our services to our members, who depend on the Web site to keep them informed and active in the organization,” said Melissa A. Schultea, SPE Gulf Coast Section Liaison. 

Schipul also has introduced a new tiered pricing structure for Tendenci 4.1 that is based on the number of members that belong to an organization and the level of support the organization prefers on a monthly basis. Costs are as low as $175 per month for organizations with fewer than 500 members. Additional information about Houston-based Schipul – The Web Marketing Company is available at www.schipul.com and www.tendenci.com. 

Schipul - The Web Marketing Company is the number 12 company on the Houston Business Journal's FastTech 50.

The Fast Tech 50 Awards were presented November 4, 2004 at the Hilton Americas Hotel - Houston to the top 50 high tech companies in Houston that experienced the greatest percentage revenue growth in 2003.

"The Schipul team recognizes our clients upon receiving this award, as without them, this would not be possible. We look forward to continued growth with a focus on our clients'' profitability and success," said CEO Ed Schipul.

Schipul-The Web Marketing Co. has weathered the down times by focusing on continuous revenue deals rather than downloading one-time projects. 

Click here to read the entire article by Houston Business Journal Reporter Allison Wollam.