Your Brain Has an Algorithm. Are You Getting Bad Search Results?

people using devises for searching online.

As a website developer, I spend a lot of time thinking about search engines and algorithms. So, when I came across an article about how brain algorithms and how our brains filter and classify information, the topic hit close to home. Surprisingly, our brain algorithms work a lot like Google. We have a built-in filter called the Reticular Activating System (RAS) that decides what information gets our attention and what we ignore. When we feed our brains feelings of frustration, irritation, and disappointment, our brains optimize for more of the same. The brain is not being mean. It is just doing its job. Of course, when we have positive thoughts like wins, successes and what makes us happy, the brain will optimize for these instead. Does this sound familiar? Think about your Facebook feed. The Facebook algorithm learns what gets your attention and keeps serving up more of it. Your brain runs the same way.

Your Internal Story Shapes What You See

A second system in the brain is called the Default Mode Network (DMN). This is the part of the brain that powers internal thought. Basically, it writes the story around all that data you consume. Left to its own devices, the DMN can lock you into a loop. Your current mood shapes what you notice, which reinforces the mood, which shapes what you notice next. I compare this to bad SEO, basically. The fix is to update your search terms. This, in turn, adjusts your brain’s algorithms.

Re-Train the Algorithm for Better Results

When we actively look for good things, even small positives, we start building new neural pathways. We are essentially re-training the algorithm. Over time, our internal search engine starts returning better results because we changed what it optimized for. As a web professional, I think about better optimization all the time. We spend serious time and money, making sure websites show up for the right searches. Maybe it is worth putting a little of that same intention into what our own minds are searching for. Adjust the inputs. Improve the output. Same principle, different platform.

One of my personal mottos in life is “Live to Inspire.” (Read more at Live to Inspire: Bill Koehne is Business Person of the Year Finalist. As the founder of Packerland Websites, I strive to inspire the people I work with in positive ways. I carry this mission with me through life, whether I’m at a business event, client consultation, team meeting, or elsewhere. Imagine the possibilities of positivity, and do your part to make your corner of the world a better place.

Swing Big to Win $10K at Golf Outing

Every June, Packerland Websites tries to give away $10 grand. In rain, wind, sunshine, heat, and cold, we stand watch at the tee box just waiting for that elusive hole-in-one swing. For the past 10 years or more, Packerland Websites sponsored hole-in-one-contests for various golf outings. The contest quickly gets golfers’ attention when they arrive at the tee. A $10K prize definitely ups the ante at tee off, adding excitement and anticipation to the golf outing. Even the most inexperienced golfers fantasize about how they’ll sink the ball and then spend the $10,000. Drinks for everyone in the clubhouse usually ranks pretty high on their fantasy list.

Bill and Joan Koehne at GBIG golf outing 2025

Joan and Bill Koehne at GBIG golf outing 2024

Swing Big With GBIG Golf Outing

This year, golfers can try their luck at winning $10,000 at Green Bay Innovation Group’s summer golf outing, Swing Big With GBIG, co-sponsored by First Business Bank. The 2026 golf outing is Thursday, June 18, at Mid Vallee Golf Course, https://www.midvallee.com/ 3850 Mid Valley Drive, De Pere, Wisconsin. The 2025 sold-out event raised $41,500 to benefit nonprofit organizations like Trees for Tomorrow, Apricity, Valley Packaging Industries (VPI) and St. John’s Ministries.

Register as a Golfer or Hole Sponsor

Swing Big With GBIG is always a fun day of golf and camaraderie for a worthy cause. Packerland Websites is proud to be a GBIG member and proud to have Bill and Joan Koehne represent us on the GBIG Board of Directors. GBIG is a business consortium that brings together the 5P Industries (paper, pulp, packaging, printing, plastic) and converting. The nonprofit organization and foundation spurs innovation through collaboration, education, and networking. GBIG also gives back to the community in a big way by donating to nonprofit organizations. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with GBIG members to achieve their website design and digital marketing goals. Register today as a golfer or hole sponsor at Swing Big With GBIG. We’ll see you on the green.

The Most Challenging Trek of My Life: Mount Everest Base Camp

I don’t think the word “adventure” can possibly describe my hike to Mount Everest Base Camp. How can that one simple word describe my 20-day journey? This was more than an adventure. It was a globetrotting journey just to get to Lukla, Nepal, at the base of Mount Everest. I traveled to foreign lands I never imagined seeing in my lifetime. Hong Kong and Kathmandu were exotic and fascinating. After all, they are located on the exact opposite side of the world.

This Hike Took Everything I Had

It will take a while to process the reality that I hiked to Mount Everest Base Camp and then hiked back down the mountain. Mount Everest tested my physical fitness and mental toughness more than any other trip, including summiting Machu Picchu, Mount Kilimanjaro, and the 14ers in Colorado. The Mount Everest hike took everything I had. I traveled four days just to reach Nepal at the base of Mount Everest, but the adventure was just beginning. Now came the hard part – the climb.

Climbing to Mount Everest Base Camp

My home in Wisconsin is located at 696 feet above sea level, and our team of six climbed up to Base Camp at 18,000 feet. Although I fantasized about hiking to the summit at 29,000 feet, I decided that Base Camp was enough of a challenge. I was right! At high elevation, the air is so thin. When I was breathing only 50 percent oxygen, I got tired just putting on my hiking boots. When hiking, I set a rhythm that was both simple and exhausting. One breath. One or two steps. Mount Everest is a never-ending staircase. Our team of six, plus two sherpa guides, hiked eight long, grueling days up the steep and rocky trail. We gained elevation quickly, sometimes almost 3,000 feet in a day. Some days, we only hiked one mile an hour. That may not seem like a long distance, but we hiked up to 7-8 miles a day, so we were on the trail for 5-8 hours.

Unbelievable Sights on the Mountain

The landscape was so different from home. I’d look around to see snow-capped mountains towering beyond me. Who knew that rock and snow could be so beautiful? The suspension bridges were another unbelievable sight. The bridges were long and high above the valley floor. Although the bridges were sturdy enough for a pack of yaks to cross, they still swayed and bobbed as we walked across. The porters, yaks and horses carried packs up and down the mountain trail, and I could hear them coming from a distance because of the bells around their necks. I was actually happy to hear those bells because that meant I had to step off the trail and take a break while they went by.

The Cold Weather Tested My Spirit

We were exhausted after a day of hiking, but sleeping in unheated bunkhouses was another test of fortitude. Some mornings, I would have to break the ice on the top of the basin of water to wash up. I am so thankful for my two rechargeable hand warmers. They were a wonderful source of heat inside my sleeping bag. A warm sleeping bag was a godsend. When morning came, getting out of the sleeping bag in the cold was a shock to the senses. At times like these, it made me wonder if this trip was worth it. But then I would walk outside the bunkhouse and look at the mountain ranges all around. What an amazing view! The view made the trip worthwhile.

Everything I Imagined in a Mountain Climb

Traveling to Kathmandu and climbing to Mount Everest Base Camp was everything I imagined it would be and more. I filled my head with so many wonderful experiences, memories, and sights. There were so many times when I would say to myself, “I’ll never see anything like that again!” Thanks to my wife, Joan, for her love and support, my mountain guide Ricardo Pena of Alpine Adventure s, and the Packerland Websites team for keeping the office running while I was away. It was an incredible adventure and the most challenging trek of my life.

Phishing Attempt: Report as Spam but Do Not Respond

We have been alerted that some people received an email from bill.packerlandwebsites@gmail.com. It is not authentic. This is a phishing attempt by someone impersonating me to potentially issue fraudulent billing invoices.

Please do not respond to that email address or provide any confidential information. I recommend reporting the email as phishing or spam through your email provider.

Scammers often claim they cannot speak by phone and request communication only via email. You know that’s not how we do business. Our team answers phone calls from clients every day, and we enjoy interacting with you. Thanks to everyone who called our office to report this fraudulent email. I commend you on your astuteness, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to talk with you to put your mind at ease.

If you need to reach me regarding your website, please continue to use my official business email: bill@packerlandwebsites.com

Thank you,

Bill Koehne

How One Intern Transformed Her Website Design Skills

Everyone remembers the excitement of landing their first “real” job. Over the years, Packerland Websites has helped several college students break into the labor market. We hired them as interns, setting them up for rewarding careers. In 2024, UW-Milwaukee student Alexis Lonzo interned with our team. She returned to a full-time summer internship in 2025. We are grateful for her willingness to learn new things and her conscientiousness in completing website design projects. We wish Alexis the best as she returns to college and eventually, finds a “real” job.

Now, let’s hear from Alexis, as she describes her internship with Packerland Websites.

Website Design, Coding, Content writing

In the time I’ve worked for Packerland Websites, I have learned a lot of valuable information both through my coworkers and experience working on projects. It was wonderful working with a team of people who truly wanted me to succeed. I appreciate the time they took to train me on design, coding, content writing, and many other aspects of the website development process.

Gaining Experience Building Websites

Coming into this internship, I had little experience building websites. I only knew what I had been taught in class. When I started, I always had someone on the team working alongside me. As I got more comfortable, they let me take the lead on projects, but they were always there to help me if I ran into any issues.

College Studies Apply to Internship

My internship at Packerland Websites gave me great insight into what the website development and design careers would look like. Not only that, but they took into account both my journalism and advertising majors and gave me the opportunity to do content writing and graphic design. I was able to dive further into search engine optimization (SEO) and how to write blog posts tailored to that style of writing. I appreciate that they took the time to give me projects that were applicable to each of my areas of study in college.

A Caring Team that Valued My Work

I truly value the knowledge and experience I have gained through my internship at Packerland Websites. It was great to work with a team that cared about me and valued my work. I appreciate that they took a chance on me, and I’m grateful I had the opportunity to work with them for over a year.

Craving Exposure? Try ‘Mini Me’ Email Marketing

Small businesses and nonprofits crave exposure. They constantly try to get people’s attention and move them to act (send a donation, buy our product, schedule our service, etc.). However, many organizations are afraid they’ll waste money on digital marketing campaigns that don’t get results. To prosper, businesses and nonprofits need effective marketing tools that keep their brand top-of-mind with customers, volunteers, and donors. One of the most effective marketing tools for organizations is email marketing. At Packerland Websites, we create E-newsletters for five different organizations. With every edition, we see the impact of email marketing.

Email Marketing Stats

70% open rate for a nonprofit client, reaching nearly 300 readers. (The average newsletter open rate is 42%, so this nonprofit is really effective in reaching its target audience.)
6,000 email contacts for a different nonprofit client, with contacts sorting into lists for targeted campaigns. (Members submit articles for publication, giving them broad exposure as a perk of membership.)
3-5 phone calls and emails from readers every time we send Packerland Websites’ newsletter. (This may not seem like a lot of engagement, but some of the calls and emails result in jobs worth thousands of dollars.)

Newsletters as a Website ‘Mini Me’

To turn a newsletter into an effective marketing tool, organizations must consider branding strategies and design. We design E-newsletters as a “mini me” of a client’s website. This contributes to a consistent brand identity that’s recognizable and trustworthy. We incorporate the same colors, logos, and mottos for websites and email marketing campaigns. It’s like emailing a website to contacts. With one click on a newsletter link, readers can visit a client’s website to find out more information, contact them, or make a purchase. Email marketing is just one more “touch” in a business relationship. Newsletters encourage engagement, with buttons linking to social media links, Contact Us pages, and Read More buttons connecting readers to blog posts.

Digital Newsletter Goals

The goals of a digital newsletter vary depending upon the client, but here are some general digital newsletter goals.

Increase conversions by publishing an E-newsletter that’s timely, engaging, educational, and relevant to a target market
Increase traffic to a client’s website via links to articles and Visit Our Website button
Increase the number of new clients requesting a Free Consultation or taking other actions
Increase a newsletter’s reach by consistently adding contacts and publishing Subscribe/Forward links

Constant Contact’s Reporting Features

Packerland Websites partners with Constant Contact for email marketing, and Constant Contact’s reports contain helpful statistics to measure impact. By reviewing reports, we can tell who opened the newsletter and who clicked on a specific link. In our most recent newsletter, we featured a tile company’s website redesign. It was our most popular click-through. We made note of this popular click-through so we can feature similar website redesigns in the next editions. Additionally, we can export a list of contacts who clicked on a particular link and follow up with them about that specific topic. The analytics reports give us beneficial feedback and sales leads, too.

Highlights of a Newsletter

Creating a newsletter requires commitment, time, and attention to detail. Professional design skills aren’t required, but it helps to have a basic understanding of color, copywriting, and marketing.

Goals of Newsletter Development

Information is presented in a clear, easy-to-understand format
Full-color design and graphic layout appeals to the eye
Quality photos are featured prominently
Event and meeting notices are published in a timely manner
Branding is consistent across all communication channels
A subject line is designed to encourage opens
A Call to Action motivates readers to act

Partnering with a Professional Writer

Packerland Websites partners with a professional writer, Writer to the Rescue, for email marketing services. The “Wonder Writer” at Writer to the Rescue has sent out hundreds of email campaigns to target audiences over the past five years. As a newsletter editor, the Wonder Writer writes and compiles articles, organizes and designs a layout, and collaborates with clients to develop email lists. Basically, email marketing is a partnership between the client and the Wonder Writer.

Digital Marketing Strategy

Email marketing enables businesses and nonprofits to deepen their relationship with potential and existing customers. With every newsletter we create, we see the effectiveness of E-newsletters as a digital marketing strategy. Are you looking for a new way to connect with clients to promote and grow your business? Contact us to get started.

5 Tips: The Power of Storytelling in Content Marketing

note card about storytelling in content marketing

A common misconception we run into is this: A great product will sell itself. If you have an exceptional product or service, people are bound to discover it. Right? In a crowded, competitive marketplace, that’s wishful thinking. Today’s sellers are competing against thousands of brick-and-mortar shops and online retailers. What buyers need is confidence in your product – and confidence in you. You gain customer confidence with the KLT factor: Know, Like, Trust. Customers want to be confident in your brand and your team before they’re confident in your product or service. That’s why your website content marketing is so important.

What Do Customers Want to Know?

When potential customers visit your website, you have minutes – sometime seconds – to connect with them and answer their questions. They want to know:

Can I use this product or service?
What makes this brand different than others?
Am I excited about the possibilities this brand represents?
Do I believe in the brand enough to make a purchase?

Your audience is looking for content marketing with a clear message, professionalism, and a story that resonates with them. This means that your website needs to go beyond the basics of what you do. In addition, you need to tell why it matters so buyers want to be a part of the story, too.

Brand Storytelling Ideas

Here are a few brand storytelling ideas for content marketing on your website.

1. Focus on the Home Page

Provide a quick, compelling overview of your brand on the Home page. Your Home page is like a business card on steroids. Keep it visual, and let the photos do most of the talking. Publish photos of people enjoying your products and services, not just products on a shelf.

2. Emphasize Your Key Selling Points

Tell a story about what differentiates you from the competition. Instead of just describing your brand in generic terms like everyone else in your industry, lead with what makes you distinct. Maybe it’s your techniques, awards, customer service, or experience in the industry.

3. Tell Your Story in Sales Language

Instead of saying, “Our beef jerky is high in protein and B vitamins” say, “The protein-rich jerky is packed with B vitamins for an energy pick-me-up.” Of course, you don’t want your marketing content to be over-the-top salesy or robotic-sounding. You want content to be conversational and easy to understand.

4. Consider Publishing a Video

A short video introduces your brand to the audience and allows viewers to connect with your team and your story in just a few seconds. Even if the video isn’t super-polished, it can be effective. Videos catch the eye and attention of your audience.

5. Offer Solutions to Customers’ Pain Points

Highlight the ways that you make your customer’s life easier. Do you offer small production runs? Quick turn-around times? Flexible ordering? Tell a story of how your brand connects with your customers’ goals.

Believable Content Marketing

Your customers are out there, waiting to know, like, and trust your brand. Make your content intentional, and give them a reason to believe in you and feel confident buying from you. Lastly, don’t just educate your audience. Empower them to feel good about their purchasing decision.

Contact us today. We have so many other marketing tips to share! We love helping businesses and nonprofits achieve their marketing goals.

Harness the Power of AI Website Ranking

business owner with laptop for AI ranking

The internet highway runs at top speed, especially with Artificial Intelligence (AI) merging into the fast lane. Today’s businesses and nonprofits know that driving the information superhighway keeps them top-of-mind with consumers. To get found on the internet, organizations need Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools and strategies. (Learn about SEO by reading What Is SEO?) Now, businesses and nonprofits are running into a new SEO challenge –staying up-to-speed with AI for website searches. How do organizations give AI the exact information for website ranking in a format that AI understands?

Attracting Website Visitors with SEO

Before AI become mainstream, SEO primarily focused on the robots crawling and indexing the internet for website ranking. These search crawlers don’t view webpages like humans do, so web developers use specific tools to help the bots understand the text on a website. The robots index websites to determine where the website should appear on a search results page like Google. Organizations with higher rankings gain more exposure and therefore are likely to attract more visitors to their websites.

Enabling AI to Understand Web Content

With the emergence of AI, web developers needed to find a tool that allows AI to search a website better. Traditional SEO tools are well-designed for search crawlers but not for reasoning engines like AI. AI systems get bogged down with nonessential information when they try to process webpages. To solve this issue, digital professionals created a super-cool tool that’s added to the root of a website. LLMs.txt support allows AI to better understand and utilize web content.

Appealing to Humans & Search Engines

Basically, websites now cater to three audiences for website ranking. Of course, humans are the primary audience. The secondary audiences are AI assistants for reasoning engines and search bots for search engines.

Incorporating the Latest Technology

To achieve the best results for our clients, Packerland Websites incorporates the latest technology available for website development. Thus, our team is incorporating the AI tool into the WordPress websites we build and maintain. Packerland Websites already offers on-site and off-site SEO techniques, but the AI technique is different. These AI-specific files are based on a website’s content. So, if website administrators update the content on their websites, then the files need to be updated as well. By doing so, AI can scan a website and find the most up-to-date information.

Giving Clients a Techy Edge

Contact us for more information about SEO, AI, and website development. We love “riding shotgun” with our clients as their partner in digital marketing. Packerland Websites gives clients a techy edge in a competitive marketplace.

6 Spring Cleaning Tips to Make Your Website Sparkle

A female hands in bright yellow gloves washes the windows

Shift the vacuum into overdrive! Spring is the time to wash the windows, scrub the rugs, mop the floors, and straighten up the clutter. Spring is a time of new beginnings, and there’s something extremely satisfying about deep cleaning your house to welcome the warm days of April and May. A thorough spring cleaning removes the dust and cobwebs in your home. Your website has cobwebs that need attention as well. The team at Packerland Websites offers these spring cleaning tips to keep your website sparkling.

Dust Off the Welcome Mat

Your website is a virtual welcome mat to visitors, and you want to make a good first impression. So, website content should show visitors who you are, what you do, and why. Websites aren’t just selling tools, they’re recruiting tools, also. A website that shows a welcoming corporate culture will be more appealing to potential employees. Unlock the Power of Google Jobs.

Clear the Clutter

A well-organized website is inviting and easy to navigate. Visitors won’t be overwhelmed by clutter, and they won’t be frustrated when they can’t find what they’re looking for. Take a fresh look at your website, and make sure it’s organized to your target audience. Website Navigation: A Maze or a Seamless Experience?

Freshen Up

Give your computer a fresh start this spring with these three steps. First, clear your cache, where your browser stores data. Clearing your cache regularly helps websites load correctly and display their most recent version. Second, reboot your computer on a regular basis to keep it running smoothly. Third, check for updates. The software updates will implement new features and security patches for your computer, keeping it up-to-date and protecting against cyberattacks. Did you know that Microsoft will end support of Windows 10 on Oct. 14, 2025? Now’s a good time to check if your current Windows 10 PC is eligible to upgrade to Windows 11. How to Prepare for Windows 10 End of Support by Moving to Windows 11 Today.

Clean the Windows

You can see everything more clearly by cleaning the windows in your home. Likewise, you put your brand into better focus by creating brand guidelines. Brand guidelines help establish a company’s identity by ensuring that colors, logos, fonts, and images are consistent. The guidelines also showcase your company’s mission and vision. They put your brand into focus.

Out With the Old

While you are spring cleaning, take a close look at your furniture, fixtures, and household goods. Maybe it’s time to update. Over time, a website collects outdated graphics and written content. So, show your brand in its best light by editing and updating the written content, images, and other content. Up-to-date content helps websites remain competitive as customer preferences change. Make sure your content is readable and written specifically for your target audience. Additionally, your Calls to Action need to be clear and convincing. Grammar Queen’s Guide to Website Editing.

In With the New

Brighten up the house with spring art and decorations, and brighten your company outlook with lively, dynamic marketing strategies. Spring gives you a fresh start, so now’s the time to freshen up your social media platforms, blog, email campaigns, and Search Engine Optimization. Effective marketing strategies will keep your company top-of-mind when your target audience needs your products and services. What is SEO?

Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning comes around just once a year, and that’s a relief! A deep clean definitely takes time and effort, but the results are worth it because your home looks its best. You don’t want your houseguests to see a messy house. Likewise, you don’t want your website visitors to see a messy, out-of-date website. Beyond the practical benefits, spring cleaning also gives you a sense of accomplishment, organization, and control. So, give your website a fresh start this spring and enjoy the results. Need a hand? We are spring cleaning experts, ready to make your website sparkle again. Contact us today.

Unlock the Secret to Making Money with Email Newsletter Campaigns

This week, a client sent me an awesome story with photos and graphics. It was the organization’s monthly newsletter, and it was slick. But I think my client is missing a golden opportunity to get more bang for their buck. Why not publish the article, photos and graphics on their website as blog articles? Then, they can shorten the newsletter a lot and add a Read More button to take the reader to their website for the full story. This is how email marketing makes you money. They drive traffic to your website when conversions happen.

Advantages of website blog posts vs. stand-alone email campaigns:

The newsletter articles, photos, and graphics become archived stories. Anyone who visits your website can enjoy the content. The content isn’t just for the newsletter subscribers.
The articles, photos, and graphics show what you are about, rather than just telling what you are about.
Better user engagement and experience. Blog stories help visitors identify with you, your products and services which can increase conversion rates of sales
Terrific keyword density for Google ranking

Increasing the Open Rate

People don’t always have time to read a long story. Oftentimes, they like to scan more than read. If they read a summary and the topic interests them, they can click a link to read the full story. If the topic doesn’t interest them, they know they didn’t spend a lot of time checking it out. When they see the next email, they are likely to open it again, knowing they can scan the topics. This strategy increases the open rate for email campaigns.

A Newsletter as a Mini-Me Website

Imagine this: Instead of having people search for your website, you email a mini-me of your website to them. The design incorporates your website’s colors, logo, and branding. Navigation buttons link directly to your website. Readers who aren’t interested in your articles may be interested in something they see in the navigation menu instead. They might contact you about a product or service you offer that’s unrelated to the email marketing. Clickable buttons/links at the top of a newsletter make it easy to get in touch.

Free Email Template, Blog & Mentoring

The best part is that a blog and newsletter template cost nothing:

Packerland Websites includes a free blog with every website we develop
Our team offers free mentoring to recommend ways to leverage the blog
If Packerland Websites manages your Constant Contact account, Constant Contact will build a template as a free courtesy. The template drives traffic to your website and boosts open rates.

The Constant Contact Email Platform

The primary purpose of marketing content is to educate, inform, and entertain. Newsletters promote your brand and drive traffic to your website. We recommend using Constant Contact as your email campaign platform. Constant Contact enables you to create, personalize, send, and track email campaigns. We have used this email marketing platform for years. It’s easy to design an email, upload contacts, and divide contacts into various lists. To indicate reader engagement, Constant Contact reports the open rate, click rate, and other statistics. Some Constant Contact subscriptions also enable you to see who clicked on which articles, so you can follow up.

Contact Us to Manage Your Email Campaign

If you don’t have the resources internally to manage email campaigns, Packerland Websites offers this marketing service. Contact us to see samples of our work and email results. Our engagement results consistently exceed industry standards. Turn clicks into cash by leveraging email marketing campaigns to the fullest.