Green Bay: (920) 826-5901
Marinette: (920) 639-5609
Marquette: (920) 393-3088
Abrams: (920) 826-5901

Packerland Websites Opens Marquette Office


Participating in the ribbon cutting, from left, are Hanna Westra, LSCP Outreach and Development Specialist; Christopher Germain, LSCP CEO; Alayna Sutterland, Carnegie Higher Ed; Jennifer Lindsay, CRO Metrics; Alexa Haferkorn, Packerland Websites Web Design Specialist; Eric Lindsay, Semco Energy; Bill Koehne, Packerland Websites Founder/Owner; Erica Huss, Small Business Support Hub Project Manager; Erin Mahaney, CoLAB Manager; Bethany Cody, Veridea; and Brooke Quinn, LSCP Senior Business Development Representative.
Participating in the ribbon cutting, from left, are Hanna Westra, LSCP Outreach and Development Specialist; Christopher Germain, LSCP CEO; Alayna Sutterland, Carnegie Higher Ed; Jennifer Lindsay, CRO Metrics; Alexa Haferkorn, Packerland Websites Web Design Specialist; Eric Lindsay, Semco Energy; Bill Koehne, Packerland Websites Founder/Owner; Erica Huss, Small Business Support Hub Project Manager; Erin Mahaney, CoLAB Manager; Bethany Cody, Veridea; and Brooke Quinn, LSCP Senior Business Development Representative.

Marquette-area businesses and nonprofits now have a new, local, digital marketing company working for their success. Packerland Websites, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, has opened an office in Marquette, Michigan, at CoLAB, 101 W. Washington St. Suite 8, Marquette, Michigan. The Lake Superior Community Partnership assisted in the opening by holding a ribbon cutting ceremony on Feb. 28, 2024.

Opened in 2011, Packerland Websites is a family-owned website development and digital marketing company led by owner/founder Bill Koehne. Koehne chose the name “Packerland Websites” because of the dominant influence of the Green Bay Packers in the Green Bay community and because of the team’s winning tradition.

“We’re excited to open our Marquette, Michigan, office, meet with businesses and nonprofits, and build winning websites across the Wisconsin, Michigan border,” he said. “Our websites are more than just a brochure on the internet. Instead, they’re developed around a marketing plan to meet specific goals.”

Website Design Specialist Alexa Haferkorn will manage the Marquette, Michigan, office. Haferkorn earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Communications from Northern Michigan University in 2016. She applies both visual design skills and marketing skills to create branding that gets results.

“I design web pages, logos, and fliers to catch customers’ attention and share a unique message,” she said. With her background in graphic design and website development, Alexa brings a combination of talents to Packerland Websites.

“Aside from her technical and artistic skills, she has a knack for communicating with clients to help them create websites that meet their business goals,” Koehne said.

In addition to website development, Packerland Websites specializes in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), geofence marketing, content writing, and app development.

“We’re excited to help Marquette organizations advance to the next level with website design and other digital marketing tools,” Koehne said.

To schedule a complimentary marketing consultation call Cheri Simonet, Sales Account Manager, at 920-265-2632.


National Slam the Scam Day


National Slam the Scam Day

March 7, 2024

National Slam the Scam Day. Opens PDF with details in a new window.

DIY Tutorial: Upgrade to Google Analytics 4


Is your website equipped with the latest Google Analytics? Google will transition to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), the next generation of Google Analytics, on July 1, 2023. Every new WordPress website we build is equipped with GA4; it’s the tech industry standard. Even if you’re not a number-cruncher or someone who likes looking at marketing graphs, it’s important to upgrade to GA4 to maintain a good relationship with Google.

Easy DIY Tutorial: Step-by-Step Guide to Set Up GA4

Packerland Websites makes it easy. Our team created a do-it-yourself GA4 set-up tutorial. Link to tutorial This tutorial features step-by-step instructions and helpful screenshots. Fortunately, you don’t need to be a techy to upgrade your website’s Google Analytics to GA4. However, if you don’t have the time or inclination to update to the latest Google Analytics, we can help.

Packerland Websites’ Strategy: Prioritizing GA4 Upgrades for Clients

Packerland Websites’ strategy is updating to GA4 in the following order:

  1. Platinum and Gold hosting clients
  2. SEO clients
  3. Clients who request GA4 through our Support Ticket system.
  4. Clients who respond to our emails and newsletter requesting an upgrade All others as time allows

Ensure a Smooth Transition: Provide Access to Your Google Analytics Account

Please note, our team can complete the upgrade only if we have access to your Google analytics account. This might require a little bit of cooperation from both of us. We plan to update the first four groups to GA4 before the change-over occurs on July 1. We expect most of the other accounts will be completed as well, but it is not guaranteed. Giving the size and scope of project, this will be a 160-hour process. This is why we provided the DIY tutorial. Try it out, and if you’re not successful in upgrading yourself, contact us to be placed on a priority list.

Take Advantage of Your Website Management Allowance

You might be wondering how much is this going to cost, right? Good question! Packerland Websites offers each client a dedicated amount of time for website management. If clients other than groups 1 and 2 have not exceeded their annual allowance, they will not be charged a fee. Over 90% of clients are currently under the allowance, so transitioning to GA4 would be free for a huge majority of you. It’s worthwhile to check into this, to shake hands with Google and keep your website operating to the fullest potential.

Request Your GA4 Upgrade Today: Submit a Support Ticket

To request a Google Analytics upgrade to GA4, send us a support ticket.


Branding at its Best Webinar is March 23


Bill Koehne with Packerland Websites Chevy Voilt

You already have a logo, website, and Facebook page. But are you leveraging branding to its fullest potential to increase sales and attract employees? What aspects of branding are you missing? For branding advice you can use, attend the Branding at Its Best webinar, presented by Bill Koehne, owner of Packerland Websites. As a marketing expert, Bill provides insights and perspective, along with wit and wisdom. Everyone will walk away with at least one aha moment that will make them look at their organization in a completely different way.

Green Bay Innovation Group Webinar

The free webinar is sponsored by Green Bay Innovation Group, a business-to-business consortium of Northeast Wisconsin companies in the 5P industries: paper, pulp, plastic, printing, and packaging. Packerland Websites will host the webinar on its website. The business training event is free and open to the public.

Branding at Its Best Webinar Details

Green Bay Innovation Group logo

When: 2pm CT Thursday, March 23

To register:

Visit the Green Bay Innovation Group (GBIG) website Events page.

Where: To access the webinar on March 23:

  1. Visit Packerlandwebsites.com
  2. Scroll to the footer
  3. Click on Conference Room 1

Branding & the Millennial Generation

In this webinar, marketing expert Bill Koehne will share information that every business leader should know about branding. Plus, Bill will share specific and practical ways to strengthen your brand. You will learn:

  • What is branding and why is a key to success in business?
  • How to build an authentic brand that tells the world the right story
  • How to get your brand found on the internet for your desired search terms
  • How to differentiate your organization from others in order to recruit, manage, and retain employees

Register Today for Business Branding Webinar

What is your organization’s brand presence now and how can you improve it to achieve your business goals? Register today for this business branding webinar presented by Packerland Websites’ owner Bill Koehne and Green Bay Innovation Group.

Meet the Webinar Presenter

Bill Koehne is a high-tech people-person with a brain wired for numbers, marketing, and optimism. He built his first website in 1999, putting him on the cutting edge of technology. Bill earned a business administration degree at UW-Green Bay. He managed a multi-million-dollar home construction company for 20 years before opening Packerland Websites in 2011. Packerland Websites creates WordPress websites and SEO strategies to achieve clients’ goals, like ranking higher on Google or gaining more customers. To see samples of Packerland Websites’ work, view this portfolio of commercial, municipal, and nonprofit websites.


RSS Feed: 100% Opt-In Marketing Gem to Grow Network


Imagine you own a specialty foods store. Wouldn’t your clients love a new recipe in their inbox every month? Or maybe you’re a business coach offering a weekly secret to growing your business
tip. What about a loyalty program offering a discount coupon of the week? Perfect for any industry. 

Channel to Build Brand Awareness

Getting your message out to your audience keeps your business top-of-mind when someone needs your products and services. Certainly, social media gets the message out to your audience, but you can’t control who sees the post unless you pay to boost the post. Gosh, the advertising costs of boosting a post add up quickly. How great would it be to share your latest recipe, tip, blog post, or news update with your target audience as soon as it’s published, being assured it reaches them? 

100% Opt-In, Nothing Unsolicited 

Give followers quick access to your most recent marketing content with Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds. An RSS feed packages your posts and displays them in a central place. Instead of relying on your audience to visit your website to read the latest content or happen upon it on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, send the content to them directly. As soon as readers subscribe to your RSS feed, they’ll receive your latest news and special offers. Instead of having to visit a bunch of their favorite websites to read updates and new posts, readers can track all of them at once from their RSS feed reader on their favorite device. 

Benefits of RSS Feed in a Marketing Mix

RSS feeds deliver content without running into issues with blacklists or filters. Because readers opt in as subscribers, marketing content doesn’t compete against hundreds of other emails. Readers subscribe with a click of a button and are notified every time new content is published. A popular method for syndicating is to publish a scannable headline and article snippet, with a link to the full article. The audience reads the content in a feed reader. 

RSS Feed Logo

Helps Search Engine Rankings When RSS is Indexed

In addition to engaging a human audience, an RSS feed speaks the language of search engine robots that index the web. The robots read a website’s code, add it to a database, and retrieve it to answer a query by someone searching the internet for a related topic. Furthermore, an RSS feed helps increase traffic to your website. The more traffic, the better! More traffic means more potential customers. More traffic also means search engines like Google see a website with more authority and show it higher on search engine results pages. Lastly, an RSS feed builds quality backlinks to a website, which also improves search engine rankings.

RSS Feeds Built into Every Website

Packerland Websites builds RSS feeds right into a website’s design. Clients provide the marketing content, and Packerland Websites provides the avenue to send the information to their audience. The RSS feeds are customizable, allowing clients to filter the feeds into specific topics. Websites with an RSS feed will display an RSS icon. The icon, often orange in color, shows two curved lines radiating from a small circle. Website visitors click the RSS icon to subscribe. Packerland Websites just added an RSS feed, so subscribe to the Packerland Websites’ RSS feed to be in the know. Just use this link https://packerlandwebsites.com/feed/ in your feed reader.

RSS Feed Advantages for Publishers

Adding an RSS feed to your marketing mix offers a number of benefits:

  • Grow relationships with subscribers
  • Get your message out easily
  • Simplify your writing – headline and short description only
  • Be assured a message reaches subscribers, instead of filters
  • Add valuable link-backs to your website
  • Share relevant, timely news

Ready to take your organization’s marketing communications to the next level? Contact us today for more information about an RSS feed for your WordPress website.


Holly Jolly Year for Packerland Websites, Thanks to You


Packerland Websites owner Bill Koehne and his wife Joan at GBIG Golf Outing

As we reflect on 2022, the staff of Packerland Websites would like to call attention to what gives us the most satisfaction – giving organizations the strategies and tools they need to reach their goals. We love helping businesses and nonprofits move to the next level. We provide exceptional writing, design, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and ingenuity. Please allow us to do a little bragging.

Managing over 550 websites

The Packerland Websites’ team manages over 550 websites, offering the latest in cybersecurity and web design. We support the business community with memberships in five Chambers of Commerce. These include Pulaski, Green Bay, Oconto, Oconto Falls, and Peshtigo and the Howard Suamico Business Association. Owner Bill Koehne serves on the Oconto Falls Chamber Board of Directors. He understands the challenges of operating a business. Before opening Packerland Websites, he co-founded and co-owned a multi-million-dollar home construction company.

Supporting nonprofits with reduced prices

Packerland Websites’ prices are fair and competitive. Plus, nonprofit organizations get the VIP treatment, with up to half-price discounts. Additionally, Packerland Websites greatly reduces hosting fees for nonprofits. On occasion, Packerland Websites waives hosting fees altogether. It’s just another way to give back to the community. Packerland Websites is a proud supporter of Artists for the Humanities, Society for Faith and Children’s Education, Abrams Spotlight Productions Inc., the Volunteer Center of Brown County, and other nonprofits.

Active in Business & Professional Organizations

Bill is a 30-year member of the Brown County Home Builders Association, having served on the Showcase of Homes committee and other BCHBA committees. He also serves on the board of Green Bay Innovation Group. GBIG is a Northeast Wisconsin business-to-business consortium of manufacturing and converting companies and supporting industries. 

Serving the community

In addition to his professional affiliations, Bill is president of Abrams Spotlight Productions Inc., a local community theater organization. Most recently, Bill was assistant director for “White Christmas” and performed as Harry the Horse in “Guys and Dolls.” He helped organize the Green Bay Walleyes for Tomorrow fundraiser for many years and serves as committee chairman for Windjammers Sailing Club. At St. Pius Catholic Church, Bill is a music minister, Eucharistic minister, and lector who volunteers at Anchor of Hope TEC youth retreats. He’s a busy guy who’s committed to his faith, family, and community.

As Packerland Websites concludes its 11th year in business, we’re thankful for all of the businesses and nonprofits that helped make us who we are today. We appreciate your loyalty and trust in 2022 and look forward to serving you all in 2023. Happy New Year!


$10 Security Upgrade: Protect Your Website from Cyberattack


Do you know the signs of a hacked website?

A padlock at a computer keyboard to highlight security from cyberattack
  • Your online password isn’t working, so you can’t login
  • You receive emails about login attempts, password resets, and two-factor authentication codes that you didn’t request
  • You notice plugin-ins, add-ons, or links that don’t belong on your webpages
  • Your website “crashed,” and you can’t view it – and neither can your customers

After effects of a Cyberattack

Small businesses are vulnerable to cybercrime. When a website goes down because of a
cyberattack, visitors can no longer interact with your business online. Your reputation suffers,
and your audience may look elsewhere for the goods and services they need. Especially for
websites that have daily visitors, any amount of downtime is unacceptable.

Cybersecurity Measures

At Packerland Websites, we understand the importance of secure, fully functional websites that
represent your brand 24/7/365. That’s why we have so many cybersecurity measures in place
to protect against hackers and maintain visitors’ confidence in your organization. Packerland
Websites’ full security suite locks and defends the doors and windows to websites.

Upgraded & Premium Security

For even greater peace of mind, we highly recommend the Upgraded Security and Premium
Security options. We believe that cybersecurity is worth the upfront cost to prevent malicious
attacks that disrupt business and potentially put sensitive information at risk. Upgraded
Security and Premium Security are optional monthly enhancements added to your website.
These are separate from standard hosting. Upgraded Security and Premium Security add an
alarm, extra protection, and system recovery if a website is hacked. Details are at:
https://packerlandwebsites.com/our-services/website-design/a-la-carte-and-security/

Special Deals for Clients

We offer clients special pricing at $10/month for Upgraded Security and $15/month for
Premium Security. Normally, the plans are $14.99/month and $19.99 /month respectively, and
renewals are $29.99/month for Premium, plus the labor to install. By keeping the cost at $10
or $15 a month and not charging for labor, we help our clients improve their cybersecurity
without a high price tag.

Uptime & Peace of Mind

A website is the heart of your business. Your website showcases your brand and your amazing
products and services. Thus, your website deserves to be protected with all of the tools
available to keep business operations humming. Contact us today, 920-826-5901, to activate

Upgraded Security or Premium Security. Extra cybersecurity leads to reliable uptime for your
website and peace of mind for you.


We’re a Top Digital Marketing Agency in Green Bay!


We have been selected as one of the Best Digital Marketing Agencies in Green Bay, Wisconsin area by expertise.com.

They use public databases and customer referrals to check availability and service areas. Selection was based upon our primary area of expertise, the variety of services we offer, and years of experience.

It is on the “Best Digital Marketing Agencies in Green Bay” lists for 2022.

best digital marketing agencies in green bay 2022 award image

Technology Company Builds Great Corporate Culture



Building a Great Corporate Culture by Learning New Technology

Packerrland team seated at a table talking about technology

When it comes to technology, it’s always changing. The Packerland Websites team is always learning, giving our clients the best possible website design, branding, and digital marketing results. As a part of our corporate culture, Packerland Websites places a high value on ongoing education. Thus, owner Bill Koehne provides tuition reimbursement and company time for continuous learning. Not only do the website developers learn individually, they also share their knowledge with the whole team, multiplying its impact for our clients. As the school year starts, we asked the team of website developers what web-related topics they are studying.

What website-related topic have you studied recently?

Noah: Photography! I went back to school for a couple of semesters and earned a degree in Digital Photography. The classes that I took specifically discussed photo editing, workflow, and shooting basic videography.

Miranda: I’ve been researching Google Data Studio

Mike: Recently I have been looking into mobile app development and Server REST (Representational State Transfer) APIs. These things go hand-in-hand with each other so it is definitely fun to learn how to set up your own secure API points. (REST API is an app interface used to exchange information.)

Tom: I’ve been looking more into website security and integration over the last few months.

What is your educational resource?

Noah: Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. I attended virtual and in-person classes over the past several months.

Miranda: Google

Mike: Since this is a pretty big subject with a lot of different solutions, most of my resources come from just normal everyday research on search engines. Things like YouTube videos, stack overflow, Udemy and just talking to my awesome group of peers.

Tom: There are several sites dedicated to web development as well as the security software sites themselves that offer solutions and explanations on how to ensure a website is safe.

Why do you want to learn about this technology topic?

Noah: Photography was always a side hobby of mine, but I didn’t really have the technical knowledge to go along with it. For the most part, I was a “point and shoot” hobby photographer. As I learned more about photography, I saw the benefits of receiving some technical training. So, I not only improved my skills for my personal photography, but also made photography an asset for the websites that we build for clients. Now I have the skills to confidently take photos for our business partners and clients.

Miranda: Data Studio replaces some of the functionality, particularly reporting, of Google Analytics that was taken away when they implemented the new GA4 (Google Analytics 4). My goal is to make sure that our clients are receiving reports via analytics, and this is how it will be done in the future.

Mike: Mobile apps are something that just come second nature to the everyday user, but it is a whole new thought process when creating mobile apps. It isn’t the same as creating a simple html page that is made for mobile because more in-depth coding is required to really make it function well and look great.

Tom: It’s important to stay current with security trends and solutions to ensure that the websites we work with are as safe and secure as possible.

What is your dream topic to learn about?

Noah: Winemaking/beer brewing. I’ve ventured into beer-making/brewing during the past few months and it’s been a blast. I would love to learn more about the and intricacies of both processes. On a more technical level, I would love to continue to learn more about blockchain technology and the impact it could continue to have on technology and our society. Blockchain technology allows users to centralize transactions in a peer-to-peer network which replaces a central cleaning authority. This technology can potentially be used in voting, banking, and sales.

Miranda: Music Production

Mike: Honestly, I don’t think I have a dream topic. I am pretty interested in all topics web related and get excited to learn anything that is new! There is so much out there, so you just need to find time for it at the end of the day.

Tom: I’ve been interested in (and attempting) wood working and refinishing furniture the last several years and would like to improve my skills.

Continuing Technology Education

Our team is expanding its knowledge of app development, new methods of data analysis, and the latest trends in photography. By keeping up with the latest technology, Packerland Websites assures that clients get the best performance, brand strategies and ROI on their digital marketing investment. In closing, we wish students and staff all the best in the new school year. May your studies today inspire a lifelong love of learning.


10 Essentials for Building a Great Municipal Website


City of Oconto Falls Website screenshot

Businesses aren’t the only entities that want a top-notch internet presence. Municipalities do, also. One important aspect of a municipality’s digital presence is its website. That’s where a city, village, or town can promote its brand in words and images.

Role of a Municipal Website

A municipal website performs multiple government-related roles:

  1. Provide names and contact information of municipal leaders and department officials
  2. Publish municipal meeting agendas and minutes as an additional way to comply with public notice laws
  3. Inform residents of elections and polling information
  4. List information about services like trash and leaf pick-up
  5. Post municipal ordinances regarding snow removal, parking, pets, etc.
  6. Post job openings, descriptions and application forms

A municipal website also performs multiple community-building roles:

  1. Show prospective residents a slice of life
  2. Highlight places of interest like parks and beaches
  3. Attract business and industry with economic development information like available property and funding resources
  4. Showcase events like a citywide rummage sale or concert series

Leveraging Social Media

To expand the reach of a municipal website, many municipalities publish a Facebook feed on their website. Others link their websites to their social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Maintaining ADA Compliance

The overarching role of a website is to share information with visitors in a way that’s easy to find and understand for everyone, including people who are blind or use assistive technology. Thus, municipal websites are required to comply with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. Just like ramps for wheelchairs, websites need to prevent barriers to accessibility for those with disabilities. Individuals who are blind or use assistive technology need to be able comprehend the information on a municipal website. Fortunately, accessible design does not necessarily mean the price of a website skyrockets. ADA elements like color contrast and behind-the-scenes coding can be built into websites to maintain compliance.

Updating a Website with the Latest News

An easy-to-update website is a must for municipalities because of all the meeting agendas, public notices, minutes, and other information they post on a regular basis. A content management system like WordPress makes posting quick and intuitive. If a municipal official is familiar with Microsoft Word, it is likely to be easy to transition to WordPress. For website clients who need an introduction or refresher, the Packerland Websites team offers complimentary training, plus video and written tutorials.

Presenting a Municipality at Its Best

Lastly, a municipal website needs to be built by a professional who pulls together design, navigation, hosting, and security. To see these elements in action, view our portfolio of municipal websites.

3 Key Elements of Every Municipal Website

  1. Fast-loading with reliable up-time, reducing frustration and wait time for website editors and visitors
  2. Easy-to-navigate, funneling visitors quickly and easily to the webpages they want to view
  3. Attractive-looking design, building a brand image that represents the municipality in its best light

Contact Packerland Websites

Every municipality needs a website, but government officials often lack the time, skills, and technology to create their own website. Packerland Websites partners with municipal leaders to design and manage websites that make you proud of where you live, work, and govern. If the website of your city, village or town is ready for a tune-up or complete rebuild, contact Packerland Websites.

Green Bay

2140 Velp Ave. Suite 101
Green Bay, WI 54303

Phone: (920) 826-5901

Abrams

5406 Mary Ct
Abrams, WI 54101

Phone: (920) 826-5601

Marinette

844 Pierce Ave. Suite 101
Marinette, WI 54143

Phone: (920) 639-5609

Marquette

101 W Washington Ave. Suite 8
Marquette, MI 49855

Phone: (920) 393-3088

Conference Room 1 Conference Room 2 Conference Room 3
Conference Room 4 Conference Room 5 Conference Room 6

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