Web Savvy Marketers Ideas, Thoughts & Tips

Improve Productivity, Save Energy and Reduce Waste!

May 11, 2026 Beth Devine

Are you looking for a free (yes, I said free!) resource that helps your manufacturing facility save energy, improve productivity and reduce waste? Look no further than this Department of Energy funded program at UConn…

The UConn Industrial Training and Assessment Center, or ITAC, helps small and medium-sized manufacturers in the New England region by providing no-cost technical assessments conducted by university-based teams of engineering students and faculty. This is way more than your standard energy efficiency review and wider-spanning than the offerings from Eversource or many energy efficiency consultants – and its free, with no sales pitch, just a list of recommendations and potential savings.

These assessments review your energy usage with a holistic approach, looking at energy consuming equipment, HVAC systems, compressed air systems and much more (more complete list below).

And the best part…participation in the program entitles you to grant funds from some of the larger energy projects that are only available after an Industrial Assessment Center audit.

ITAC in a snapshot

Who do they serve? Small and medium-sized U.S. manufacturing plants within 150 miles of UConn with annual energy costs exceeding $100,000, gross annual sales under $100 million, and fewer than 500 employees at the site.
What do they do? A complete on-site assessment and a full report with savings, costs, and payback. The assessment includes a site walkthrough, tons of measurements, and short-term data logging to validate recommendations.
How do they do it? The students assess major energy systems and operational opportunities tied to plant conditions.
How much does it cost? Nothing! It is a U.S. DOE-funded program.

Typical focus areas include:

Compressed air systems
Motors and drives
HVAC and building systems
Process heating and steam
Cooling and refrigeration
Pumps, fans, and fluid systems
Controls, scheduling, and operating practices
Waste reduction and productivity opportunities tied to plant operations

After the site visit, the ITAC team delivers a comprehensive report that outlines your opportunities to improve competitiveness, including available rebates and incentives, where applicable. Each recommendation includes estimated savings, implementation cost, and simple paybacks so your team can confidently prioritize next steps.

Web Savvy Marketers has referred several clients to ITAC and all have been very pleased with the results. Please contact us to get started.

Youth vs Experience – What’s the Best Marketing Approach?

April 28, 2026 Beth Devine

If your shop floor has an aging workforce, you risk incredible knowledge walking off into the sunset. However, if they’re all newly minted machinists, they have no one to learn from and don’t yet have the experience to solve complicated problems. The real trick is finding the right balance between new talent and seasoned experience. Just like your shop floor, your marketing team should be built with intention.

Youth or Experience?

Young marketers bring something genuinely valuable to the table. They are curious, energetic, and often see new trends first – whether that’s content, platforms or digital tools. Their enthusiasm can be contagious, pushing you and your company forward in new and interesting directions. There is great value in that.

On the flip side, youth can sometimes mean impulsivity…making big changes without thinking through the consequences to the end. Or a young marketer can grab onto a trend that doesn’t fit their industry or audience and spend important budget dollars on a dud.

Experienced marketers, on the other hand, bring something that can’t be duplicated: perspective. They have seen trends come and go, watched campaigns that flopped, and seen a single email pull in more revenue than ever expected. They’ve developed the instinct to know which opportunities are worth pursuing and which ones aren’t. They know that great marketing serves your overall business goals, not quick fixes or fun side quests.

The flip side of experience, however, can be a hesitancy to try new things or always having a reason why ‘it won’t work’. The real magic happens when you create an intentional team – on where both new and experienced marketers work together. The combination brings energy and experience together to meet the goals of the organization.

The Best Combo Deal

For years, Web Savvy has partnered with clients with in-house young marketers and helped them grow into confident, capable professionals. We have worked alongside as their responsibilities expand, stepping in to handle the strategic and business-focused work so they can focus on developing their craft, whether that is copywriting, graphic design, web development or something else. Watching them grow has been one of the most rewarding parts of what we do.

When you have an in-house marketer, it is most important to pair them with a team that understands how to prioritize, evaluate options, and make decisions that align with business goals – all of which take time to learn. Web Savvy Marketers helps bridge that gap, providing the guidance and strategic support that give young professionals room to build their skills and their confidence.

Young talent is an asset worth investing in but relying on them to carry the full weight of your marketing strategy without experienced support is a risk no business should take.

If you’re looking to advance your marketing with experienced support, Web Savvy is here to help. Give us a call and let’s talk about how we can support your team.

Second Chance Hiring is the Most Untapped Talent Pipeline

April 2, 2026 Beth Devine

Last week, Goodwin University held an Advanced Manufacturing Summit, in partnership with the NAACP Million Jobs Campaign (MJC). The Jobs Campaign serves individuals who have been directly impacted by the criminal justice system, which includes people that have been incarcerated, on probation, have an arrest record, or another direct contact with the justice system.

It was an eye-opening event. Did you realize there are 9600 people released from CT prisons every year who have an extremely difficult time finding employment? That’s a huge number of potential employees for the CT manufacturing industry. Did you also know that justice-impacted employees have a higher rate of retention than other groups of employees?

A few years ago, I learned about the impressive Second Chance program at Pursuit Aerospace (formerly Whitcraft Group). They started a partnership with a CT prison in 2018 to fill their workforce needs while also doing something positive for their community. They built a structured work-release model for inmates that enabled many to transition to full-time employment after their release. This initiative focused on training individuals for skilled manufacturing roles, facilitating both pride in their learning and incredible growth potential for true careers, not just jobs. Learn more about their program on the Manufacturing Shake-Up podcast episode with Pursuit EVP, Jacqueline Gallo.

According to the research shared at the Advance Manufacturing Summit, gainful employment like this increases successful re-entry and reduces recidivism by 50%! That’s a massive change in behavior.

The MJC is seeking more manufacturers to get involved – to be willing and able to support the justice-impacted community. It’s a win-win for both communities. Manufacturers get the employees they so desperately need and justice-impacted individuals earn the potential for a great career. Often, these employees can’t be poached by the big guys (EB and Pratt) due to their tight hiring restrictions.

Successful second chance initiatives aren’t a one-off hiring decision. They must be a structured strategy with intention and commitment behind them. Take a look at the Employer Toolkit: Second Chance Hiring by Central Connecticut State University to learn about the steps and pathways to start a Second Chance program.

The Million Jobs Campaign is doing important work, and the Connecticut Manufacturing industry can play a big role. We can’t wait to see how this grows!

Do Your Consultants Treat Your Business Like Their Own?

March 25, 2026 Beth Devine

Consultants provide expertise in areas of your business that you either don’t have in-house or don’t have the capacity for. By outsourcing some tasks, you can focus on what you do best – manufacturing!

If you choose to outsource marketing, be sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck. Your marketing consultants should be an integral part of your company. They should want what’s best for your organization, just like you do! They should be proactive, not reactive. There’s a big difference between a contractor and a partnership. Which do you have?

Ask yourself, are my consultants…

Staying up to date with the markets I serve?
Finding clear ways to save or make more profit for the organization?
Assist me with vetting subcontractors without commission or mark-ups?
Aware of and seeking available funding options to offset their cost? (There are many grants available to manufacturers.)

If you answered ‘no’ to any of those questions, you’re probably not in a partnership and not benefiting fully from your investment. At Web Savvy Marketers, we partner with our clients using a monthly ‘program’. Like many marketing consultants, this is a monthly fee – but unlike many consultants, we don’t sit around waiting for you to tell us what to do. We use the program as an opportunity to build a partnership and become fully invested in your organization. We take the time to dive deeply, to find out exactly what you need; we don’t prescribe, we discover.

From the start, we look at your entire company. What is your number one challenge? For many manufacturers, that answer is: workforce. Like business development, talent is easier to find if they come to you instead of hunting for them. That is why we work closely with both sales and HR teams for many of our clients. Traditional marketing focuses on sales prospects, but in the current climate, recruitment marketing is essential.

Next, we ask about your capacity. I always say, “the only thing worse than having a product and no customers, is having customers with no product.” It’s important to know how to grow your business at rate you can manage. It’s also important to understand which products are easier to produce and/or most profitable. This will help determine your marketing (as well as business) path.

Whether you need an entire marketing department, or just extra help for your existing one, we can assist. If your consultants aren’t treating your business with the same love and passion that they treat their own, do not hesitate to contact us.

Is Your Website Protected from Lawsuits?

February 18, 2026 Beth Devine

Data drives everything in our lives from the advertisements we watch to the music we listen to. It has become so intertwined in our daily life that we don’t think about it. However, January 28th marked International Data Privacy Day, and it might be worth investigating the last time you updated your website’s privacy and data collection policy.

There are currently twenty states with some form of data privacy law (Connecticut being one of them), and your website needs to comply with all rules and regulations. Violations can cost you not only in legal fees but also in potential fines that could set your business back and put your growth on hold.

Not sure if this applies to you? Well, if you’re using tools like Google Analytics or have a form on your contact page, your policy needs to be up to date. The challenge is how to do this. Large corporations like Disney and Pratt & Whitney have departments dedicated to compliance with state regulations and even they fail to do so at times.

Manually editing your policy on a regular basis is cumbersome. Even if you have the staff to make these updates, who is going to monitor the legal changes for each state? Fortunately, we’ve partnered with a company that can help. For an annual fee of less than $150 you can ensure your policy stays up-to-date regardless of legal changes in any state. They keep track of the law and simply send a code to add to the website when new laws take effect.

Not that your privacy policy is all set, what’s next?

If you’ve taken the time to ensure your privacy policy is up to date, be sure you go a step further and use the data you’re collecting.

Use your analytics to help improve your website for better search engine optimization
Make sure you monitor your contact forms and act on them. Respond to inquiries. Add them to your database. Sounds simple, but you’d be amazed how often this slips through the cracks

If you need to update the privacy policy on your website or want to better utilize the data you’re collecting don’t hesitate to contact us. We have a history of helping small to medium manufacturers in Connecticut and would welcome the opportunity to help you with any of your marketing or website-related needs.

Resolutions You Can Live With

January 27, 2026 Beth Devine

At the beginning of the new year, people often set new year’s resolutions like going to the gym or eating better. But setting a goal is just the first step – you actually have to follow through with action. THAT’S where the rubber meets the road, because if you don’t want to do it, it’s probably not going to happen. I mean, we all know that running is a good way to lose weight, but if you hate running, it probably isn’t the right task for you. So, maybe you should try a team sport or swimming instead. You’re way more likely to complete a goal that you like!

Establishing goals in your business works the same way as personal goals. Your goal may be to excel across the board only to find that you’re great at some things but struggle with others. Sometimes the struggle comes, not from being bad at a task, but maybe you just don’t like it. For example, maybe you’ve got to do some cold calling to company targets, but if you don’t like doing it, you’re probably putting it off or rushing through it, even if you’re good once you’ve got someone on the phone. Instead of taking on that task, you should probably assign it to someone else who likes doing it and is good at it.

When setting business goals, it’s best to focus on the things that you enjoy doing and let others take the load off for those things you’ll spend your time avoiding. Whether it’s delegating to someone else in the company or outsourcing, having the right person for the job can save you time and money.

That’s where Web Savvy can help. We can take on lots of the things you may not like, like that cold-calling! From business development to marketing tasks to researching funding opportunities, Web Savvy can take things right off your plate.

If you are a small manufacturer in Connecticut with 50-200 employees, reach out to discover how we can help you. If you don’t meet these criteria but could use some help or guidance with your company’s goals, you can still reach out. We’re sure we know someone who can assist you!

For more information on goals and more specifically the importance of setting goals that work for you, check out I Stopped Setting Personal Goals by Ajay Prakash.

Navigating Funding Opportunities for CT Manufacturers

December 22, 2025 Beth Devine

Today’s topic is funding. More specifically the grants available that could help you meet your 2026 business goals.

In the past, when I’ve spoken to manufacturing company leaders about accessing grants, they’ve voiced some reservations. These concerns usually revolved around perceived increased paperwork or not wanting to give more information to the government.

The process to receive grants has been simplified dramatically in recent years, so if your manufacturing company…

Has been in CT for at least two years
Is in good standing with the IRS and Department of Labor

YOU QUALIFY!

You could be eligible for multiple grants, these include access to funding for…

Equipment
Plant updates
Training for new/existing employees
Additive manufacturing
Internships/Apprenticeships
Energy Efficiency
Business Development/Marketing

Obtaining the grants is only the first step in the process. Spending the money efficiently is another piece. Some grants are more flexible than others. You’ll want to save the flexible grants for a variety of business needs while using the equipment-only purchases for, well, equipment.

It’s also important to know which programs to use for additional funding. For example there are state programs that will allow you to access federal funds, provided you go through the correct program.

We work with manufacturers to ensure they navigate funding in a way that’s most fruitful. It is our goal to ensure that CT Manufacturers have access to tens of thousands of dollars of capital that can transform their business.

As we approach the new year, it’s important to note that grant programs that aren’t used won’t be supported in the future. Some estimates show that close to one billion dollars of grants expired without being used.

This is only the tip of the iceberg, and it’s a lot of information to take in, which is why we’re here to help. At Web Savvy Marketers, we have the experience to maximize the chances of securing every grant available for the future of your manufacturing company. If you have been a manufacturer in Connecticut for at least two years and have 300 or fewer employees, please reach out so we can discuss how we can assist with your funding needs for 2026.

What is Your Plan for 2026?

December 10, 2025 Beth Devine

As we approach the new year, many businesses are considering how they want to grow in 2026. Should they expand their offering in some areas and scale back in others? What does the market demand? To determine this, you need to have a sustainable way to attract new business while maintaining your current customers’ needs.

But before we create the Business Development and Marketing plan, now’s the time to focus on a targeted strategic plan. In a recent Harvard Business School review, they state that 48% of businesses fail to meet at least half of their strategic goals. Proper foresight and planning will help allow you to position yourself with the other 52%.

Knowing the importance of strategic planning will help you to maximize all that you can in 2026 and beyond. Some basic things to think about might be….

Do you have a clear understanding of each of your products’ profit margin?
Do you need to invest in new equipment? (are you aware of the funding opportunities?)
Are you planning on investing in your workforce? (are you aware of the funding opportunities?)
Do you need to invest in your facility? (are you aware of the funding opportunities?)
What are your current lead times?
Do any of your current customers have any plans for expansion that might affect your business?
Are there any foreseeable issues with your supply chain?
Do you have a clear understanding of the direction your markets are going?
What tools are you using for your plan? (ex: SWOT analysis)
What metrics will allow you to track your continued success?

If your strategy is well formulated and executed, you will see your business grow faster and increase profitability according to research done by PricewaterhouseCoopers. If not done well, you could see missed opportunities or even decreased output and other negative effects.

This is where we can help. Together we can create a custom plan tailored for your business, specific products and markets served. We can also help you implement this plan and provide continued personal support for your business throughout the year. We want to help you succeed, and with the right strategic plan, 2026 can be the year for you and your business. Contact Us for more information.

A Plan Will Define Your Tools

November 19, 2025 Beth Devine

“I need a new website” is a statement we often hear. While a website is one of your most important marketing tools, it is easy for your site to get lost in the vast sea of search results even if you offer a superior product or unique solution.

You might think the remedy to this problem is a new website to stand out amongst the crowd, but without strategic content and a marketing plan to take advantage of this tool, you and your business might find little to no success with a website rollout

Before you build any marketing tools, ask yourself…

Audience

Who is your audience? (not just industry but roles in the company)
What are the purchasing habits of your audience? (engineers vs purchasing)
What is your message to them? (does it vary depending on the individual)
What do you want them to do? (actions to take once they’ve received information)

Point of Differentiation

What problem does your product or service solve? (case studies help people see how you can help them)
What is your point of differentiation? (product, quality, delivery, customer service, etc.)
Are there any other reasons to choose your company over another? (ex. one-stop-shop)

The answers to these questions will affect the way that you structure your website, providing useful information, the most effective navigation, and search engine optimization

While this might seem like a lot to take in, we can help you with these questions and set up a plan that will work now and in the future. Feel free to Contact Us about your business and how we can help you be even more profitable.

Note: It’s also important to have a strategic plan that drives all subsequent plans, but we’ll discuss this next time.

AI – How Does it Apply to Manufacturing?

September 17, 2025 Beth Devine

With each passing week, it seems that more businesses have started to utilize AI to introduce new features and enhance productivity in their workforce. While this can be useful, in many cases as with any new technology, oftentimes who comes out ahead is not who can use it the most, but who uses it the best.

It is important to understand that while AI can be a useful tool, if used incorrectly, it can amplify existing issues, driving away customers and alienating workers. A recent article in Industry Today highlights how AI is affecting the customer experience.

As we make our way into the “AI age”, automation in manufacturing will soon transition into autonomy. Where the two differ is autonomous systems not only execute critical tasks, but can solve problems and adapt to issues that may arise on your floor. This key change can help increase output and efficiency without drastically increasing labor or overhead. Read more about manufacturing autonomy.

With more technology implemented in all steps of manufacturing, there also come more risks. Cybersecurity matters just as much as physical security if not more in the current environment. This is why along with training your workforce to use technology to make their jobs more efficient and less stressful, you must also train them in how they can help stop threats before they become a catastrophic problem. Read more on the need for cybersecurity training.

Training and certifying your workforce in cybersecurity could also qualify you for a CMMC grant. The bottom line is if you have customers in the defense industry, you need to be invested in cybersecurity. Don’t have defense contractors? It’s only a matter of time before a CMMC certification is required in other industries.

If you would like to further discuss funding opportunities, or want help in elevating your business to new heights, Contact Us