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Is Your Website Ready For Visitors?

Customer Service, Marketing, Tips, Web Design / By /

Is your website, the place you hope to convert prospects to customers, ready to receive visitors?

When we use links to our websites using Social Media, we essentially invite people to our website. When we invite people to our homes, we generally check to see if everything is in its place and that there is nothing seriously amiss. Is that true with your website? When was the last time you reviewed your website to see if it reflects your business and your products or services as they are today?

Here is a little check list to make sure your website is ready for visitors.

  • Know and state who you are, what you do, and the benefits of what you offer to your visitor.
  • Know who you would like to visit your website.
    • Knowing your audience is critical. If you believe your audience is everyone, you will likely fail.
    • Who are they? Why would they want what you offer? When would they want it?
  • Speak to your visitors from their perspective, not with an industry-speak sales pitch.
    • Explain that you know some of their challenges, and how they can benefit from your products or services. If possible, show some specifics.
  • Does your navigation present a clear and easy path to your most important content?
  • Is your contact and location information readily visible?
  • Is your website mobile friendly?

If your website looks as good as you would like, and you check off all the items in the list, your website should be ready for visitors.

Of course, we are always happy to help. Email or call us today! — 1-800-281-9993 or 608-822-3750

PPC – Why You Should Bid On Your Business Name

Ads - Pay-Per-Click, Marketing, Search / By /

Google AdWords Example AdThere are many excellent reasons to invest in a Google AdWords and/or a Bing Ads PPC (Pay-Per-Click) campaign. If you have read this blog or talked with us, you know we believe nearly every business should be taking advantage of PPC advertising. If you do nothing else, start a Google AdWords campaign and bid on your business name.

Here are a few good reasons why you should bid on your business name.

  1. Branding – Improve Brand awareness – Value without paying for clicks
  2. Double Exposure – Display in PPC Ad and Organic listings
  3. Improve your CTR using Google AdWords “Extensions”
  4. You control your ad content
  5. Often, competitors are bidding on your name
  6. Make it easier for returning customers and other visitors to get to you

Start doing cost effective branding today by bidding on your business name.

Call us about starting a Google AdWords campaign. 1-800-281-9993 or 608-822-3750 

3 Summer Estore Tips To Increase Sales

ecommerce, How To, Tips / By /

Sales growth chartSummer sales lead quickly to the beginning of the holiday season. Now is the time to make some changes to your estore that will help improve your holiday sales. Here are 3 tips for your ecommerce website that will increase sales.

  1. Fine-tune Your Product Descriptions — Search Engine Optimized, yet engaging and inviting product descriptions.  Your descriptions are your sales pitch for each of your products.
  2. High-Quality Product Photos — Great photos sell products!  Money spent on professional-quality photos will translate into sales. It is that simple. Photos snapped with your phone are not high enough quality to be used in your estore.
  3. Auto-responder “Thank You” 15 Days after sale — Schedule an email follow-up with a “Thank You again for your order” message with the order summary and customer service contact info. When possible include, “Customers who purchased this (these) item(s) also purchased (or viewed) these items.”  Please don’t make it one big sales pitch. The message should focus on appreciation for their business, ending with a “Thank you” and “Hope you are enjoying your new ____________,” or “Hope your ____________ is __________. “

Doing those three things, will take some time but will, without a doubt, increase your estore sales.

As always, we are happy to help.  Please call us at 800-281-9993 or 608-822-3750.

How Content Marketing Benefits Your Small Business

Content, Marketing / By /

Content MarketingThis is the first of a short series of posts on How Content Marketing Benefits Your Small Business.

Content Marketing is more than a buzz word. Done right, it will benefit your small business, community, or association.  So, if it is not a buzz word, what is it?

Here is the definition from The Content Marketing Institute.

“Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.”

Okay, I know that reads a little like a mission statement straight from a committee from a galaxy far, far away, but let’s talk about getting started with an outline of some of the elements. As we are getting started, it is important to remember, Content Marketing is only effective if it is focused and delivered to the right audience.

Important Elements of Successful Content Marketing

Audience

  • The most critical element
  • The old adage, “If you target everyone, you’ll hit no one” is worth remembering
  • Learn who and where your audience is, and what they do, online and offline
  • Your audience-preferred media channels, formats, and communication styles may vary widely

Objectives

  • Raise brand awareness
  • Lead generation
  • Build email list
  • Convert prospects to customers
  • Retain customers

Determine Goals

  • Specific outcomes and benchmarks
    • Increase number of forms filled out per week, specific number of new subscribers, etc.

Subject Matter

  • Determine your core message. (The primary benefit you offer your customers.)
  • Align your core message and your reader’s interest
  • Focus on benefits for your audience

Content Type

  • Email Newsletter
  • Blog post
  • Video
  • Tweet
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook post
  • E-book, white paper

Distribution Method

  • Blogging (RSS Syndication)
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Google+

Schedule (Depends on delivery type)

  • Daily, Weekly, Monthly
  • Try to be consistent

Of course, we are just scratching the surface here. Watch for our next post about How Content Marketing Benefits Your Small Business.

5 Quick and Easy Tips to Improving Your Website

Content, Tips, Web Design / By /

It doesn’t always take a complete redesign to improve your website traffic and engagement. Do it quickly using these quick and easy tips.

  1. Prominently display your Toll Free (or Local) Phone Number at the top of all your pages.
    1. In the top right-hand corner, in a size and color that will make it easily seen.
    2. This is an item where function over form pays dividends.
  2. Review your contact information, and update it if needed.
    1. We believe your contact info should be in the footer of every page.
    2. Be sure your phone numbers, address, business hours, and events calendars are current
  3. Quick, Easy TipsIdentify your audience, and start your copy with the benefits you offer them.
    1. You only have moments to convince visitors to look at more.
    2. Don’t place your value proposition at the bottom of the page.
  4. Make sure your home page copy has links to your most important pages
    1. Google loves properly coded internal links to relevant pages
  5. Real, verifiable testimonials can help change a visitor to a customer.
    1. Having canned-appearing testimonials from a name with one initial for either name is simply a waste of time.