Entries Tagged 'Web Marketing' ↓

My SEO content production service is about getting the right traffic to your site. But that’s just the first part of the equation.

Above all else I am a web marketing consultant and advisor, so I am always giving my clients ideas for getting more results from their websites. Here are a few quick tips for getting your online customers to take action:

1. Include an “Opt-in” Form.
Easily the most important function of a website is to capture leads. The only way you’re going to get in touch with your web visitors after they leave your site is if they give you permission to contact them by email. Create a free monthly e-newsletter or offer a free report to encourage sign-ups.

2. Make Your Site Easy to Navigate.
Let’s face it – if your customer gets lost, he or she is going to bail! The “landing page” your online customer sees first is the most important place to capture their attention and send them in the right direction. Look to the most popular sites in your industry for examples.

3. Promote Your Online Business Offline
Always be sure to include your URL on all marketing collateral – business cards, brochures, even license plate frames! I also suggest using capital letters to distinguish between words (e.g. www.JasonClegg.com instead of www.jasonclegg.com).

4. Make It Easy to Order
If you really want your customer to call, put your phone number at the top of every page. If you really want your customer to order online, bury your phone number. Also, go with the best e-commerce package you can get for a sleek user experience.

5. Include a FAQ
Customers always have questions, and questions are almost always about resistance. The more resistance you can reduce online, the more sales you’re going to make right on the website without further offline processing. Be sure to keep your Frequently Asked Questions link visible and updated. What are your most common questions? How can you answer them with simple, positive language?

The biggest change in the advertising and marketing world for the 21st century will be found online.

If your company is not already online with an existing website, you’re going to see a decline in sales and profit in the years to come.

Consider one very important example:

In the past, when consumers needed to locate a local service provider or business (attorneys, doctors, dentists, auto dealers, etc.) where would they go?

That’s right – the phonebook.

Today, that is no longer the case. Most consumers are turning away from their phonebooks as the web becomes more and more central to our lives.

One of the best parts of my business today is helping clients get “in front” of local customers searching for their products and services online. But, I must admit, far and away the MOST exciting part of what I do is delivering Search Engine Marketing and Search Engine Optimization products at a very reasonable price.

Did you know that a full page ad in the yellow pages could run you thousands of dollars per month or more? Sure, you may get some results today and in the future. But as we move further into the online-information age, you’re likely not going to see the kind of Return on Investment you should expect.

When the Internet became an important part of our culture, many business owners wanted to get their piece of the pie right away. In the late 1990s and beyond the year 2000, most small to medium-sized businesses wanted to get their own site and boost profits quickly!

Although this was a smart move for virtually every business, it often did not bring the desired results.

So what’s the problem? Why do most business websites fail?

Simple.

Most sites are created by “artists” who create a visual presence that inspires their business owner clients and promises an impressive image online.

Image is helpful, but unfortunately it’s not everything.

Now that the Internet and the World Wide Web are playing even greater roles in the lives of the everyday customer, having a business site is incredibly important.

Yes, your business site should look great. Image does help. Customers are more likely to enter a real-world store if the building looks nice and the entrance is inviting.

But what if that nice looking restaurant was very difficult to navigate once the customer is inside? What if no one is ready and waiting to lead the customer to a table? What if menus are unavailable or poorly organized?

As you might imagine, the same rules apply to business web sites. An effective business site must look nice AND funnel your customers with effective and proven marketing built into the design. And - perhaps more importantly - an effective business site must include lots of behind-the-scenes elements that encourage major search engines like Google, Yahoo, and MSN to funnel customers your way.

This is where most business owners need help today. That’s why I’m here to help.