Mobile marketing is THE way of getting your business noticed and known. Explore the various mobile avenues businesses can use to contact new customers in this report. It is time for your business to jump in and unleash a hidden traffic source of over a billion eager buyers that very few of your competitors know about…yet! 

 

     Mobile marketing has become the hottest new way for businesses to spread their message to customers. It is not really a surprise as Smartphone and tablet sales have been increasing year on year. As a result the trend of surfing the internet using mobile devices rather than PC’s is growing each year. Merrill Lynch has estimated that by the end of 2013, mobile devices will surpass PC’s as the most common device to access the Internet. Searches on mobile devices have grown 5 times in the past two years with over 50% of all LOCAL searches being done on a mobile device.

 

     This opens up a great opportunity for local businesses like yours who want to directly reach potential new customers. Consumers that own and use Smartphone’s make searches for local businesses nearly twice as much as general mobile phone users (61% vs. 32%). This is great news for all local businesses that can rank high on searches, as their new customers are ready to buy there and then.

 

     Once a customer gets to your site they expect to see a mobile friendly website that is easy to navigate giving them a positive experience that will encourage them to buy from you.

 

Here is what they are likely do once they get to your site:

 

     • Get directions and opening times (74%)
     • Contact your store (64%)
     • Find product information (61%)
     • Make a purchase or order a service (50%)

 

     That figure of 50% making a purchase is phenomenal. You have a 50% chance to make a sale for every visitor who views your website on a mobile device. Perhaps now you can see why it is vital for your business to have a mobile friendly website to entice these new visitors to buy from you or use your services.

 

How to Plan Your Mobile Marketing Campaign

 

     Just like any other advertising campaign, your mobile marketing must be carefully planned so that you can achieve the best possible results.

     

     Here are some steps you should follow if you want to run your own successful mobile advertising campaign:

 

     The first thing you need to do is decide what you want to achieve. The main objective of mobile marketing is to find leads and convert them into paying customers. However you might also want to redirect your visitors to your bricks and mortar store or office.

 

     You need to understand your audience. It is important to remember that you have to actively engage users for your mobile marketing to be effective. To do this you need to do your homework and understand the audience you are aiming for so that you can effectively tailor your marketing and information to reach them.

 

     Don’t be afraid to be innovative and try something new. Mobile marketing is still relatively new making it the perfect medium for exploration and creativity. Even if the campaign fails, there will be lots of lessons that you can learn from it that will help make your next campaigns much more successful.

 

Cost Effective and Powerful

 

     Because they don’t fully understand mobile marketing, a number of small businesses we speak to feel mobile marketing is too expensive or too complicated. So they back away from it, decide not to investigate further.

 

     If that is how you feel, this article will definitely reassure you and help allay any fears or hesitations about mobile marketing. It will show you how any small business can set up an easy, yet effective, mobile marketing campaign on a budget.

 

     Here is a selection of the most cost effective marketing strategies which are easy to set up and very powerful, resulting in more sales for your business:

 

SMS Marketing

 

     SMS marketing is simply marketing using a mobile phone. SMS stands for ‘Short Message Server’, otherwise known as text messaging. The beauty of SMS marketing is the fact every mobile device has SMS capability. Virtually everybody can send and receive a text message now. That means no matter what business you are in, SMS is a viable marketing option.

 

     SMS marketing is one of the most affordable mobile ad campaigns, because the cost of sending a text are so much cheaper these days. To get the most out of an SMS campaign, don’t send too many messages out too often as this will only serve to annoy your potential customers. You need to think very carefully about the message or offer that you are going to send. Try and put yourself in their shoes. Ask yourself: Is the message I am sending out really something that I would want to receive? If it is, then be sure to always include a ‘call to action’ in the text.  

 

     For example you might tell them if they present the text when they come to your store to make a purchase, they will get a discount, or you could direct them to visit your website to enter a competition using a particular codeword that is included in the text. There is no limit to the options of promotions and offers you can use. You just need to remember to include your business name and contact details in each SMS so they know who the text is from.

 

QR Codes

 

    Although you might not be familiar with the name, you will definitely have seen QR codes before. If you hadn’t noticed them, now that they have been pointed out to you, you will see them everywhere. QR, stand for Quick Response and they are just simple two dimensional codes very similar to retail barcodes that have been used for years. You usually see these codes on printed advertisements in magazines, newspapers, flyers and even on TV. People scan them with their Smartphone’s to view the content. They are a fantastic opportunity for any local businesses looking to do something different with their marketing, particularly if they are on a budget. They cut down the costs on paying for huge advertisements in the local newspapers and magazines. 

 

     For example, if you are in Real Estate, you could put your QR codes on For Sale signs, flyers and in the local newspaper ads. Then, when people view these codes with a QR reader app on their Smartphones, they will be taken directly to a video or full page website, where they will be given a full tour of the property. Before QR codes came along you would have paid a fortune for a half or even a full page ad to make sure to get in all of the information you wanted. Not anymore! All that information can now be accessed just by scanning one tiny QR box. Now you understand how to use QR codes, you will no doubt come up with many more ideas relevant to your business. 

 

Mobile Phone Applications

 

     Mobile phone applications provide businesses with a great way to strengthen the bond between you and your customer. Virtually every major business has their own app, but even smaller businesses are realising that, for less than the price of a one-off full page ad in their local newspaper (which would be seen for just one day), they can have a useful marketing tool that could generate a ton of brand new business.

 

Mobile Phone App Ads

 

     There are literally thousands of free apps available in Smartphone app stores. These apps are free because instead of paying for the app, the user knows the app will display ads as they are using it. They expect to see the ads and are not offended by them. As a result, this  ype of mobile marketing can be particularly effective when the ad is related to the subject of the app. So, spend a few minutes looking around apps related to your service industry and choose which app you would like to advertize on.

 

Location Based Mobile Advertizing (often referred to as Proximity Marketing)

 

     This kind of marketing is generally used with Bluetooth-enabled devices. These custom ads, created by local businesses, are displayed on mobile devices whenever the phone user is in a particular location. This kind of advertizing is very popular and welcomed by the phone user. After all, who doesn’t love to receive a bargain? They will receive a simple text message, coupon, picture message or even a short video showing what offer is currently available, and as these offers are normally time sensitive it encourages them to take action quickly.

 

Your Business Can Cash in on Mobile Marketing Today

 

     Although some of these ideas might seem too complicated or out of your budget, don’t let this put you off looking into them as you are going to be pleasantly surprised. The fact is, if your business is to survive, you need to get involved in mobile marketing as soon as possible. Your customers are actively using their Smartphones every day to find and purchase products and services like yours. They will expect your company to get involved too. If you don’t, then your competition is going to get there instead, making irresistible offers and ranking higher than you. So when the customers make a local search on their phones your competition is going to steal the business away from right under your nose. Don’t put off making your website mobile friendly. You will definitely lose more money than you save if you do!

 

 

How We Can Help

 

     As so many of your customers now access the internet via their mobile phones having a mobile friendly website is essential for any business.

     We are a local online marketing company. We are incredibly friendly and have a wealth of experience in online and mobile marketing. We have a number of services and packages to suit your business perfectly and give you a strong online presence which will attract thousands of extra visitors and customers to your website.

     If you don’t have the time or confidence to get started online then please give us a call or email us. You will be so glad that you did. We are not pushy but you will love our enthusiasm and will be very excited to learn what we can do for your business.

     Your website has the potential to drive your customers away. Use these 6 tips to steer clear of some common website pitfalls.

 

     Attracting a potential customer to your website is hard enough but grabbing their interest and persuading them to buy or use your services is even more difficult. That is why it is so important to design your website so that you don’t frustrate or irritate your visitors, making them jump through hoops to find the information that they need. Here are some examples of common website mistakes that make visitors leave a website within the first few minutes.

 

 

Putting up Barriers that Prevent Them Viewing the Information

 

     Avoid putting up barriers between you and potential customers by forcing visitors to register before them can view content of your site. In most cases, the visitor will leave and try to find the information that they are looking for elsewhere.

 

Stale Old Content

 

     It is no good having a glossy, professional looking site if your content is old and stale. You need to keep your site constantly updated with fresh new content. Not only will this make your site more relevant and interesting but it will also contribute to higher rankings on the search engines.

 

Too Many Ads

 

     If your site bombards your visitors with too many ads that pop up, flash at them or fill the entire screen then you are really going to infuriate your visitors, which puts them off staying on your site to buy from you. Running ads on your site makes good business sense but in order to maximise your retention rate, and not chase away your visitors, your ads need to be discreet and fit in with the theme of your site.

Bad Navigation

     Nothing frustrates a website visitor more than a site that is hard to navigate. If it is too complicated or too hard for your visitors to find their way around, it will make them feel confused, angry and irritated. These are definitely not the emotions you want your potential customers to feel when they visit your website.

 

Hiding Your Website Content

     It’s a big mistake to make your visitors search your entire website just to find the relevant information they need. Try to group similar content in a clear, concise manner. Don’t complicate things by distributing your content and information across multiple pages that could easily have been put on one page. Bad content structure can literally destroy your conversion and retention rates. Make all of your content, especially your contact information easy to find. It is estimated that as many as 50% of sales are lost because potential customers can’t find what they are looking for.

 

Invasive Use of Audio and Video

     Most of your visitors will prefer to choose what content they want to absorb. Having voice or audio content that loads up and starts playing automatically can potentially drive a lot of customers away. Give users the choice of viewing videos or listening to audio content. Don’t force them.

 

     If your website would benefit with from a free website health check, call us today.

 

How We Can Help

     If you found these tips helpful then you are going to love all of the other ideas and suggestions we have that are guaranteed to promote your business online and get so many more online sales.

     We are a local online marketing company, incredibly friendly with a wealth of experience in online marketing. We have a number of services and packages to suit your business perfectly and give you a strong online presence, which will attract thousands of extra visitors and customers to your website.

     If you don’t have the time or confidence to get started online then please give us a call or email us. You will be so glad that you did. We are not pushy but you will love our enthusiasm and will be very excited to learn what we can do for your business.

 

     14 ways to maximise the exposure of a small business to new clients without having to spend thousands on extensive marketing campaigns and expensive advertising. 

     

     Most businesses are on a tight budget, especially when it comes to marketing. Many companies are finding that they don’t have a lot of money to invest on advertising and marketing. The irony is, not marketing your business will have a detrimental effect on your business. One local business owner called Tom, who owns a fireplace store, has just put a closing down sign in his store window because nobody is visiting his store and he says he can’t afford to advertise any more.

 

     This year alone he has spent over $6000 on advertising in his local newspaper with expensive one time ads and it was a total waste of time and money.  Although it is sadly too late for Tom, the good news for other companies who are still in business is that online marketing is not only much cheaper but it is far more effective than traditional methods of marketing. Plus, you can easily track the success of each marketing campaign that you launch.

 

Here are some big marketing ideas for businesses on a small marketing budget:

 

1. Optimise Your Website for the Search Engines:

     This is one of the first things you need to put on your ‘to-do’ list.  Why? Because Google is not only the most popular search engine on the Internet but it is also your business’ best friend. Google and the search engines want you to rank high in the search results. If their clients are searching for a product or service that provide, it is Google’s job is to tell them about your business. However, you have to make it easy for them by optimising your site. This does not have to be expensive at all and yet will one be of the best investments that you could ever make. The return will be phenomenal as customers far and wide discover your company online.

2. Google Plus Local

 

     While we are on the subject of Google, we can’t miss out Google+ Local. As mentioned in the previous marketing tip, Google really is on your side and it wants to help your business to be found. They make sure that if potential customers are looking for a product or service that you provide, Google wants to make sure that its results are totally relevant and your company appears in the listings. As a result, search results are becoming much more local and personalised meaning that companies who claim their Google Plus Local Page and optimise it properly get the best rewards.

 

3. Start a Blog

 

     No matter what type of business you are in, you can still have a blog. If you don’t know what a blog is, it basically stands for ’web log’ andthey’re effectively online diaries for your business. If you are going to create a blog for your company you need to do the following: Host the blog on your own domain. E.g. YourBusinessWeb-site.com/blog Anyone can set one up, that’s the easy part. Thinking of something interesting to say each time you blog is the tricky bit. You need to be able to write good content that will be interesting for your visitors and customers. People won’t thank you if it’s just going to be one long sales pitch. Create a community and make your visitors feel part of it by responding to each blog comment. If you do, the more people will be inclined to read and comment on your blog more often.

 

4. Social Networking

     Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus are all popular sites that you can’t ignore. By creating a profile on each of these sites, you will not only create new opportunities for potential clients to find you but they will also be excellent sources of traffic. Local businesses that use social media sites, almost always see a significant increase in monthly traffic. The part that excites them the most is the fact that it is completely free. All it costs is a little of their time but the results are well worth it. By investing a bit of time and effort providing good content that is relevant to your audience and interacting with your followers you will soon build a loyal following. This will raise your online company profile and make your site easier to find in the search engines.

5. Case Studies and Testimonials

 

     If you already have happy customers who love your product or service why not get a testimonial or case study from them? Case studies and testimonials are a perfect way to get brand new customers because they build credibility and give the potential customers the confidence to try your product or service knowing that other people like it. They will be less inclined to buy if they don’t see any testimonials or reviews. The secret is to get your customer to talk about your product or service, how they used it, and they results that they got. Most customers will be happy to do this if you ask them. You could also provide feedback forms on your website. Online customers are used to and conditioned to leaving reviews. They are a great way to get more people interested in what you have to offer.

 

6. Write A Free ‘Beginners Guide’ for Customers to Download

 

     No matter what kind of business you are in, you can get a lot more business by writing a free Beginners Guide. It is an excellent marketing technique. They are an excellent way to get a lot of traffic to your site and increase the interest in your product or service. 

 

     Examples:

 

– Beginners Guide to Choosing a Fishing Rod

– Beginners Guide to Setting Up an iPhone 5

– How to Choose a New Bathroom Suite

– Choosing the Right Spectacles for You

– Beginners Guide to Tiling

     These kinds of free reports rank highly in the search engines and do a superb job of up-selling your products and services, as well as making you an ‘authority’ in your field.  Customers will see that you know exactly what you are talking about and will decide to buy from you instead of your competitors.

7. Start An Affiliate Program

 

     This is possibly the best marketing tip for any business on a tight budget. By having a team of affiliates (individuals and companies who promote your products on their websites for a commission on each sale that they get) you get people marketing your product for free. There is absolutely no limit to the number of people that you can have promoting your services. In fact the more you have, the more likely you will make many more sales. There are a lot of third party applications and plug-ins out there which make setting up an affiliate program easier. They will handle all of your sales and commissions. Feel free to contact us for more information and we will get you up and running in no time.

 

8. Answer Questions Relating to Your Product or Service

     The internet is the first place people look to for answers if they have a question about a particular product or service. They post their questions on discussion forums and question and answer sites like Yahoo Answers. If you can provide the answers to their questions relating to your products or services, you can attract a ton of brand new customers. It is a perfect free way to get more visitors to your website and gain credibility.

 

9. Go To Networking Events

 

     Networking events are a great place to find new clients and all businesses should make it a practise to attend networking events if possible. These are generally arranged by The Chamber of Commerce or global organisations such as BNI (Business Networking International). A quick search online will reveal a number of networking events in your area. They work because you will always meet somebody you can form a business relationship with. This will either be as a customer or as a useful contact to give your referrals or joint venture with.

 

10. Ask For Referrals

 

     It is surprising how many companies don’t ask their customers for referrals. Why not? If you have satisfied and happy customers, you really should be asking for referrals as it a very effective way of getting even more happy customers. Some people feel shy about asking and are afraid that the customer will turn them down. However, you will be surprised at how few customers actually will say no. If a large proportion of customers do refuse to introduce you to others, it might be a sign that you are doing something wrong and could be doing a much better job of making them happy, giving you something to work on. For a pain-free way of asking for referrals, why not try this method; Look up your current customers on LinkedIn and see who they are connected with. If you think someone that they know can personally benefit from your product or service, ask them for an introduction. Most, if not all will say yes, especially if you return the favour.

 

11. Harness the Power of YouTube

 

     Companies are latching on to the importance of YouTube in their marketing campaigns. Not only do videos now appear in the search results, but you can also use videos to show how good your product or services actually are. If, for example, you create stunning cakes, why not show a video of you making and icing the cake. Or if you are a painter and decorator, create a video showing the transformation of the room with a before, during and after video. Do you provide a lawn care service? If so, again, video the results. There is no end to the things that you could video relating to your company. Even a tour around your company premises could be interesting to your customers.

 

12. Provide Exceptionally Good Customer Service

 

     The best way to keep a customer for life and to get them to tell others about your company is by providing exceptionally good customer service. By doing so, not only will customers be happy with their purchase but they will spend more of their hard earned money on your product or services in the future. There has never been a more important time for your company to provide excellent customer service, especially as customers are more willing to tell others about their shopping experiences on their social networking sites and by leaving reviews, good or bad. You want them to tell all of their friends about the great experience they had using your company.

 

13. Do Some Online PR

 

     As you know, getting some good PR is a great free way to get people talking about your company. The more they talk about you, the more people will come to your website and check out what you are offering. Most people think of PR coming from major media outlets such as radio and television. While this would be fantastic, it is not easy to get that sort of attention. However, there are easier ways to get PR online which can be just as effective, especially if you have a targeted customer group. Getting the attention of blog owners is one way of doing this, especially if it is a popular and attracts the sort of readers that you want to target. You can email the blog owner, asking if they would like to interview you. As they are constantly looking for new topics to write about, many will be happy to interview you, especially if it is something that they think their readers will benefit from.

 

14. A Crafty Twitter Technique

 

     If you want more customers, here is a great suggestion to encourage people to promote your business for free AND build up a huge mailing list at the same time. 

 

Here is the plan:

     Offer a free downloadable report, or set up an exclusive password protected VIP Loyalty Group on your website or Facebook page where you will have special offers and discounts not available to anybody else.

     People can get access to the report or VIP area by Tweeting about your product or service.

     Once they have sent the Tweet, they notify you and you give them access to their prize.

     This is an incredibly powerful way to not only spread the word about your company and website but also to build your online mailing list (if you are giving them the report) or group of followers on Twitter and Facebook.

     This means you can keep in touch with these people and build a relationship with them. It will be good for your branding and for your internet presence.

     As a variation, you can do this by asking for ‘Likes’ on Facebook or any other social site.

     If just 10 people do this per day and they each have a following of 100 friends and family, you can see how quickly word will spread about your business.

 

How We Can Help

 

     If you found these tips helpful then you are going to love all of the other ideas and suggestions we have that are guaranteed to promote your business online and get so many more online sales.

     We are a local online marketing company, incredibly friendly with a wealth of experience in online marketing. We have a number of services and packages to suit your business perfectly and give you a strong online presence, which will attract thousands of extra visitors and customers to your website.

     If you don’t have the time or confidence to get started online then please give us a call or email us. You will be so glad that you did. We are not pushy but you will love our enthusiasm and will be very excited to learn what we can do for your business.

 

     Tweeting has taken the world by storm. Now is the time for small businesses to engage in this Social media to reach brand new customers.

 

Have We Got A Real Tweet For You

 

     In 2006 three young American dudes had a “daylong brainstorming session” and came up with the idea for Twitter. The reason they called it Twitter was because it means “a short burst of inconsequential information” and “chirps from birds”. Six years on and Twitter is booming. 140 million of us send approximately 340 million tweets per day. Not all tweets are inconsequential.

 

     It’s true that you can watch and participate in conversations of with rock stars, sports stars and film stars. However, Twitter is not just a place for celebrities to air details of their exciting lives or talking about what you had for breakfast. It has become an indispensable communications tool for businesses, non-profit organisations, celebrities and people all around the globe.

 

      Twitter is having a real impact on how we receive information both on the news and in the media. It has become a key communications channel during major political events and natural disasters. And businesses now rely on it for marketing, PR and customer service. The fact is if you don’t Tweet then you are missing out on one of the fastest growing social network platforms for your business.

 

What is Twitter?

 

      Twitter is a messaging service that allows you to send and receive messages no longer than 140 characters, or about the size of a news headline. That means that they are really easy to write and read. Messages on Twitter are public, and you don’t have to give people permission to see what you have written making it easy to meet new people on Twitter.

 

Here are 7 reasons why your business should use Twitter:

 

It’s Easy To Locate and Engage With Customers

 

     Twitter is based on a system of give and take. You post a tweet and your followers respond. It’s simple, direct, and enables you to build a relationship with your current or future clients. With a 140-character limit per tweet, Twitter is not a substantial time investment.

 

People on Twitter expect your business to engage with them.

 

      No matter what your sector, the chances are, people are already tweeting about your products, your brand, your company or at the very least, your industry.

 

It Helps Build Your Brand:

 

     What you Tweet is a piece of your brand just like your logo or a jingle in a commercial. Your tweets help to define you and your business. For example, is your business family-oriented? Does popular music have an impact on your products? Every post you make will have an impact on your brand, so post wisely.

 

You Can Offer an Irresistible Deal:

 

     Everybody loves getting a great deal. When one pops up on their Twitter feed, it can build excitement and generate buzz.

 

     It works like this: One follower re-tweets your message to his followers. They then re-tweet on to another and they re-tweet to another…

 

Here are some other tactics that companies use:

 

     Promotions: Offer Twitter-specific discount codes. Most companies report that lower priced items are much more likely to get uptake but do some testing and see what works for you.

 

     Contests: People on Twitter LOVE a contest. A fun, creative game with good rewards can generate a great buzz. If you do run a contest, be sure to describe it on your website and include legal details and small print to cover you and keep it legal.

 

     Contests and genuinely good deals DO get re-tweeted, so they are a great way of drawing not just business, but brand new followers too.

 

     Another good tip is this: If you do offer a deal, post it a number of times. That way, you guarantee the maximum number of people see it and it won’t just slip under the radar of a lot of people

 

It’s Great For Networking:

 

     It is well known that people have landed new jobs and contracts with contacts who they met through Twitter. As a small business owner, Twitter can help you manage your contacts to uncover new opportunities for growth.

You Can Engage With Journalists and PR People:

 

     Twitter is home to thousands of journalists, media workers and PR people. If you look at practically every major online news site you will come across at least one story taken from Twitter.

 

     Media people trawl through Twitter, trying to find newsworthy posts and trends. So if you are looking for a little exposure for your business, Twitter can be a great place to connect with these people.

 

Here is how you can do it:

 

     Post great messages: If your Twitter account is a resource in your sector, journalists will be more willing to trust you. They might even find you through retweets and comments that other people make if your posts are good enough.

 

     Follow the media people who cover your sector: Quite often they will tweet when they are looking for sources. You can build a better relationship with them by following them.

 

     Keep in mind though, that they have a lot of people trying to do the same thing so they will be wary and will be able to tell if you are just trying to use them for self interest.

 

     Follow ‘Help A Reporter Out’ (@helpareporter): Yes, that account really exists. The owner of the account regularly posts inquiries from reporters looking for legitimate sources.

 

You Can Solve Customer Service Issues:

 

     Every business, no matter how big or popular they are has some customer service issues. It is impossible to please all of the people all of the time. A customer with a negative experience may head to Twitter to release their furyand tell the world.

 

     Savvy companies have figured out that they need to find ways to control the message and do some damage limitation. Having an active Twitter account means you can handle these potential issues directly, before they spiral out of control. The cool thing about Twitter is that you can reply in public, showing everybody that you are a responsive, caring company. A potentially negative situation can then be turned on its head, and made into a positive experience.

 

     Twitter is a great way for tackling situations like this. It’s likely, when issues arise, a number of people have the same issue, so answering publicly can help a lot of people all at once saving you lots of time and aggravation.

 

You Can Tell People Your Latest News:

 

     Twitter is a fantastic way to push out the latest news about your company. For example, if you’re preparing to open a new location or unveil a new product, a series of strategic tweets is a cost-effective way to provide that information.

 

     A word of warning though: Don’t make all of your posts just about your company. If you are a brand that a lot of people already love and are fans of, like Apple for example then you can probably get away with posting mostly about your company. But if you are just a small company and not well known, it is best not just post about your own company all of the time.

     Taking this approach will help build your credibility with existing and potential customers.

 

You Can Provide Product Information:

 

     If you are just about to launch a brand new product or service Twitter is a great tool for getting the word out to the masses. A good tweet can build up a buzz and get lots of interest as people start up conversations. At the same time, you can be informative and establish trust with your followers so that they will be eager to buy your product or use your services.

 

Think about Twitter as a way to exchange mutually interesting information. And there are a lot of people out there to exchange it with!

 

THE FAMOUS 5

 

They are the most popular and followed Tweeters in the world . . . but there’s no need to follow the herd!

 

1. JUSTIN BIEBER 33,762,968 Followers

2. LADY GAGA 33,641,920 Followers

3. KATY PERRY 31,791,765 Followers

4. RIHANNA 28,086,854 Followers

5. BRITNEY SPEARS 23,557,686 Followers

 

How We Can Help

     Having worked with many local businesses we are in an excellent position to be able to help you promote your company online especially if your website is not performing as well as you had hoped.

     We know how daunting and time consuming online marketing can be for many businesses. Most business owners we speak to just want to be able to get on with doing what they do best and running their business and leave their online marketing with a company that they can trust.

     We are a local online marketing company. We are incredibly friendly and have a wealth of experience in online marketing. We have a number of services and packages that will suit your business perfectly and give you a strong online presence which will attract thousands of extra visitors and customers to your website.

     If you don’t have the time or confidence to get started online then please give us a call or email us. You will be so glad that you did.

     Small businesses need to get the maximum out of their website. These tips show how to increase the sales potential of business websites without incurring any cost.

     Every business could do with some extra sales.

 

Here are 7 no cost conversion tips that quick and easy to implement but will significantly increase your profits week in, week out.

 

Limit the Time and Offer

     You will sell a lot more products if you place a time or number limit on what you are offering.

     “This offer is good forever and just buy whenever you feel like it” does not convert very well at all. There is no sense of urgency and the   customer will put off buying, even if they really like it.

 

     “This offer is only valid until 3pm and then will be withdrawn” or “Demand for this product is huge but we will only be selling 50 at this special price then the offer will gone forever” adds urgency and will encourage your customer to buy.

 

Show Off Your Testimonials

 

     Customers like to know that they are making a wise choice. Reading testimonials from other buyers will confirm to them that they are making a good decision by choosing to buy from you.

 

     Place your testimonials on your sales page, near your “add to cart” button and on the actual checkout page. This will reduce cart abandonment if they decide at the last minute not to buy.

 

Focus On One Benefit

 

     What is the ONE awesome thing about the product or service that you are offering?

 

     If you offer too much choice then people find it hard to make a decision and actually buy. So concentrate on just one amazing reason why they should buy your product or use your service.

 

Behind the curtain

 

     Some potential customers get nervous about what will happen after they purchase an item. For example they might worry that your online processor won’t take them to the download page or what to do next after they have entered their credit card details. Why not make video showing exactly what will happen once they enter their credit card details, guiding them from the order button right the way through to the download page. 

 

     This will be reassuring to them and will generate a lot more extra sales from some clients who might have had second thoughts about buying.

 

Demo

     Why not create a video giving a demonstration showing how awesome your product or service is. If you are selling an amazing vacuum cleaner for example, then demonstrate how good it is.

 

     Once a customer sees that the product or service does exactly what they want it to do then they will be more than happy to buy.

 

No Risk

 

     “What if I don’t like it?”
     

     “No problem. We will give you ALL of your money back!!”
     

     People must know that they can get their money back if the product or service is not what they thought it was.
     

     Offering a no quibble money back guarantee will take away any of the anxiety or worry that a client may have and they will buy from you with confidence.

 

Positive Passion

 

     You will always sell more when the audience can feel your excitement for a product or service. Your passion and enthusiasm will shine through and help convert sales.

 

How We Can Help

 

     If you found these tips helpful then you are going to love all of the other ideas and suggestions we have that are guaranteed to promote your business online and get so many more online sales.
   

     We are a local online marketing company, incredibly friendly with a wealth of experience in online marketing. We have a number of services and packages to suit your business perfectly and give you a strong online presence, which will attract thousands of extra visitors and customers to your website. 

 

     If you don’t have the time or confidence to get started online then please give us a call or email us. You will be so glad that you did. We are not pushy but you will love our enthusiasm and will be very excited to learn what we can do for your business.

     For many, this will be the first contact with your company, so keep it fun but professional; engaging but fresh.

 

     And remember to update your Facebook page regularly.

 

     Many businesses think it is enough just to create a fan page on Facebook, but miss out on these 5 simple but effective ways to maximise their branding and presence.

     These low cost tips will really help you make the most of your Facebook fanpages and your marketing campaigns.

 

1. Add a Facebook ‘Like Box’ to Your Website

 

      An effective way to drive traffic to your Facebook Page is to promote it on your own website. A ‘Like Box’ makes it extremely easy for your visitors to ‘LIKE’ your page without ever having to leave your website.

2. Add a Hyperlink In Your Facebook ‘About’ Box

 

      In the left hand column of your Facebook page you will see the ‘About’ box. In this box, add a hyperlink to your website to encourage more people to visit your site. You only have a limited amount of space so be sure to keep it simple by posting something like this:

 

     For more great deals visit us at: http://www.MyWebSite.com

3. Engage With Your Visitors By Asking Smart Questions

 

      Questions are a great way to engage with your visitors…but there is definitely a right way and wrong way to ask questions on Facebook.

 

     People move from page to page very quickly so they will be unlikely to make a comment if the post or question is too long. Make sure you that you ask questions that allow them to make short and easy response.

 

4. Use Every Pixel To Create A Strong, Well Branded Timeline Cover Image

 

     Consider the Timeline picture as a massive Billboard everyone visiting your page will see. Business pages aren’t allowed any kind of contact details, sales pitches or calls to action on the cover image BUT you can highlight your product, your logo, your staff or even your customers by using a clever mix of images and design. You can get a designer to do it, but there are many free sites that will help you do it yourself.

     One thing to keep in mind: For many, this will be the first contact with your company, so keep it fun but professional; engaging but fresh. And update it regularly.

 

5. Don’t Forget to Secure Your Custom Facebook URL

 

     Once you have created your Facebook page, go to http://facebook.com/username and secure a username for your Facebook page.

 

     Top Tip: Keep it simple so that people will remember it. If you get too clever or creative, you might confuse your audience.

 

How We Can Help

 

      As so many of your customers now access the internet, especially social media sites like Facebook, via their mobile phones having a Facebook presence is essential for any business.

 

     We are a local online marketing company who specialise in Facebook marketing campaigns. We are incredibly friendly and have a wealth of experience in online and social media marketing so we can help you to gain a huge following of loyal fans and convert them into customers.

 

     If you don’t have the time or confidence to get started online then please give us a call or email us. You will be so glad that you did. We are not pushy but you will love our enthusiasm and will be very excited to learn what we can do for your business.

 

     You can find all of our contact details below.

 

     We really look forward to hearing from you.

     Content creation requires careful planning in order to achieve the desired effect. Unfortunately, the concept is shrouded in great complexity, making it difficult for regular people to formulate their own content strategy. It is important, therefore, to discuss this topic at the very basic label to make it accessible to the common folk. Many technical articles have been already written by industry experts and these do help the more advanced readers but they tend to leave the beginners confused instead of enlightened.

 

     As such, this piece will address the basic premises to aid inexperienced site owners find their way around content strategy. We will provide the most basic definitions and expound on the fundamental concepts in a straightforward manner in the hopes of giving readers a solid foundation. The succeeding articles on this blog will then build on the information presented here for a logical progression. Let’s start by finding out the meaning of these big words which are being thrown around.

 

Content Strategy

 

     This industry term covers a broad range of methods being used to make a site or a specific page more attractive to readers and better suited for search engines. A thorough analysis of traffic data is required in order to devise the right plan to improve a site’s content. The number of page views, the time spent by visitors on the site, the operating system being used by these visitors, their geographic locations, as well as the top referrers all matter when forming a plan. For instance, the rise in mobile Internet surfing may necessitate the creation of a mobile version to optimize the site for small screen viewing. At its heart, though, the term is a combination of two loaded words, each of them deserving their own spotlight.

 

Content

 

     This is simply the information that we see online. Whenever we go to a website, we are treated with images, sounds, and video clips supported by an abundance of text. These combined form the “content” and there are endless ways in which they can be created and presented to the public. Each type of content will also have its own characteristics — that is, blog posts will look different from press releases and product reviews will have a flow which will not be similar to scientific studies. Owners must be aware of the expectations for each type and build the site accordingly.

 

Strategy

 

      The word is most often associated with wars and other military endeavors but it has become embedded in business language over the years. This is fitting in a way as market competition can be as fierce as the action on a battlefield. Business strategies are by no means fixed. They are very fluid, frequently changing in response to what is happening on the ground. They go through constant evaluation and modification in order to maintain their relevance. This is especially true in the world of technology. The Internet and the consumer electronics industry are evolving at lightning speed. Stakeholders have to move at a rapid pace to keep up or fade into obsolescence.

 

Mix Them Together and…

 

     Add strategy to content and you have a formidable means of staying ahead. The combination of these terms indicates a rise in the sophistication of content creation, presentation and distribution. It is no longer acceptable to simply write something about a topic, tack on a picture or two, and just wait for the visitors to come flooding in. People will not tolerate mediocre content when there are thousands of excellent sites they can go to. Success on the Web now hinges on providing a high level of value through information and entertainment, and things will only get tougher from here on out.

 

     Site owners must have a clearly defined goal before venturing into an online business. Ideally, this should be written down on a piece of paper for utmost clarity. It should be displayed prominently and consulted from time to time just to ensure that the business does not stray from the narrow path. The purpose of the content strategy is to achieve this goal, whatever it may be, exactly at the prescribed time. Attainment of this goal will determine the success or failure of the strategy, the lessons learned serving as guide for further improvements.

     The press release has traditionally been the tool of choice by those who want to disseminate information quickly and efficiently. For decades, it has served its purpose with commendable reliability, enabling it to become deeply entrenched in the news culture. However, there is a growing sentiment from some quarters that the Internet has rendered it obsolete. They say that current technologies and emerging platforms are better suited to the distribution of information so there is no longer need to craft releases. In our opinion, this pronouncement is rather premature, and there are plenty of reasons why the press release continues to serve a vital purpose in newsrooms across the globe.

 

     A cursory inspection of social media will reveal that a substantial number of posts contain links to news articles. On a daily basis, our friends and family share interesting headlines on their timelines. Trending topics reflect that most discussions revolve around the banner news of moment. Online press releases can be found quickly by various news agencies and top blogs for publication. This allows companies to generate buzz at once and for time-sensitive events this can even be orchestrated for full effect. Instead of dying, releases merely evolved from print to the Internet and in doing so maintained their relevance. Brands still crave for the advantages that they offer, including:

 

Access to Content Syndicators

 

     By issuing a press release, businesses can tap into an established network of content syndicators who can pick up their story and run with it. This includes formidable names in the news industry which still hold a great influence despite their financial difficulties. Appearing on these sites is a boon to any company aspiring to gain traction for its products and services. They also have a global reach so a release can potentially be seen by millions of people and repackaged in a variety of formats if it catches the interest of the right people.

 

A Boost in SEO

 

     Since the press release is designed to be distributed by news sites, it has the potential to supply a wealth of quality backlinks and a bump in PageRank, assuming that the creator is well-versed in the art of search engine optimization. It goes without saying though that the copy should be highly readable and not become a slave to keywords. Poorly written text will likely be skipped by editors in favor of better articles that state their premises in a clear manner. This is why releases must only be handled by competent copywriters who know how to balance editorial appeal with search practicalities.

 

Sharp Targeting Mechanisms

 

    Press releases can take advantage of a well-oiled infrastructure to reach an interested audience. When they get picked up by editors and published on big name sites, they become part of the news feeds that served to people who have specifically subscribed for the service. These individuals are already interested in the topic to which the releases belong to and so they are predisposed to purchasing whatever is on offer.

 

Cost-efficient Distribution

 

     Compared to other awareness campaigns, the press release is considered as one of the most inexpensive. It does not need any fancy concepts, taglines, or posters to accompany it while it makes the rounds. It does not even need much manpower apart from that of the writer who will make the final draft. It only has to be accepted in pertinent directories and once news agencies pick it up, they will be in-charge of dressing up the story and there isn’t even a fee for occupying precious space on their sites.

 

Staying Ahead of the Competition

 

     The advantages already mentioned should be enough to convince companies to include press releases in their overall marketing strategy. Just imagine if close competitors utilize this tactic and your company does not. Investors may not be happy to learn that such an important tool is being disregarded, especially if rivals are suddenly grabbing the news headlines. Treat releases as an essential marketing component and a way to level the playing field.

 

     It is clear that the press release has far too much value to be cast aside. In order to take full advantage of it, however, the content must be of the highest quality in order to get traction both with the powerful news editors and the final target audience.

     There is perhaps no other medium that changes more rapidly than the Internet. This means that those who are involved in businesses related to it must always be on their toes, including practitioners of search engine optimization. The constant evolution of Web technologies, search algorithms, and social trends demands a continuous effort to learn and unlearn. This is extremely difficult to do for any sustained period and those who are unprepared can buckle under pressure. The best way to cope with stress is to put a good management strategy in place – one that would ensure smooth transitions and excellent results.

 

The Art of Goal Setting

 

     Success can only be measured against the achievement of the goal. Without one, any effort no matter how hard will be aimless and unquantifiable. The first thing one must do before starting a project is to set some goals and make them as specific as possible, though not so rigid as to be limiting. For instance, SEO can be used as a tool towards greater awareness of a charitable cause, increased visitors for a corporate website, or more leads for a subscription program. Each of these will require unique tactics and focused attention, things which are difficult to achieve without a defined goal. After pinpointing the objective, optimization can begin in earnest by selecting the essential keywords, marketing tactics, social media strategies, and the like.

 

The Science of Project Management

 

     Optimizing a small site with a few pages is pretty easy but doing the same thing for an old and complex site with thousands of pages can be pretty daunting, especially if you have to make revisions every so often. For the latter, having a plan to deal with the scale and frequency of changes is essential. Large tasks can be broken into more manageable chunks and dealt with one at a time. Create a system that would make the process organized such that no pages get skipped or get redundant attention. Make a record of all the tasks and subtasks to be completed for each day and be sure to update this on a daily basis. The process should also be made as efficient as possible so that the job gets finished quickly. This is something that can be perfected along the way, with practical lessons being crucial to improved work flow.

 

Post Scheduling

 

     People are always looking for fresh content and they tend to subscribe to sites which can offer this on a consistent basis. Businesses should therefore ensure that they always have something new to offer their readers and anticipate trends well into the future. However, this is easier said than done. It can be pretty difficult for bloggers to generate quality content regularly and forcing them to churn out posts right on schedule may only lead to poorly written articles. A better way would be to write a good number of posts during times when inspiration abounds then schedule them for publishing on later dates. Always try to maintain two to three months worth of topics and perhaps a month’s worth of posts ready on cue. Of course, the schedules can be bumped back if a breaking news or hot topic suddenly emerges.

 

Progress Monitoring

 

     It can take a long while before a whole cycle of changes can be completed and an overall goal achieved. Yet while success cannot be measured with finality in the meantime, progress can definitely be tracked with confidence. Statistical data like those provided by Google Analytics are invaluable in determining whether the project is moving in the right direction or not. Improvements, no matter how small, serve as satisfying victories that can boost morale and rekindle excitement. Just be sure to note the numbers prior to the changes so that they can be compared to the figures after the tweaks. Aside from Google Analytics, there are plenty of third party sites which offer similarly useful services for free and sometimes for a fee. Get acquainted with the tools available on the market and consider whether their utility is worth their price.

 

     SEO is a long, complex and iterative process that requires a lot of patience. Success can be more readily achieved with the proper organizational and management skills.

     Online marketing is difficult as it already is but many make it even more so by plunging head first without a suitable plan. While a few may become lucky enough to achieve modest success just by making things up as they go along, this course of action is hardly sustainable and is certainly not ideal for those who are dreaming of great results. All serious campaigns must start with clearly defined objectives which will serve as a guide especially in times of conflict. These must then be backed up with an appropriate strategy that will help them come to fruition.

 

Increased Site Traffic

 

    Practically all marketing objectives include an increase in hits. Every business-related site perpetually craves better exposure as this means more visitors. Sadly, this has led most to put SEO on a pedestal to the detriment of other vital factors. Keyword optimization is no doubt important but this should not be the primary focus. Sites must aim for the creation of top quality that will attract people of their own accord rather on relying purely on search engine traffic. The goal should be to foster a connection and hold meaningful dialogue with readers rather than to collect uneventful page views.

 

Better Brand Recognition

 

     Established names have a distinct advantage as they are already known and therefore trusted by a large number of people. This makes sale conversions whole lot easier for them compared to fledgling brands which are yet to become household names. Any startup should make it a priority to enhance their recognition among their target audience. This can be accomplished by publishing highly shareable content and making it available on various platforms to cast the widest net possible.

 

Aim for Engagement

 

     Content optimized for search engine crawlers may garner excellent rankings, but the problem is that crawlers are mere pieces of code. In the end, it is the people who consume the content and they must be considered when crafting articles, video, etc. Think about how readers will react to a post. Will they even react at all? Is the content geared towards eliciting an emotion, a comment, a sale, a lead, or an overwhelming urge to share? Or is the content too saturated with keywords so as not to make sense at all? Aim for engagement, not eyeballs.

 

Past Recognition and On to Perception

 

    Once the word is out that the brand exists, the next step is to build up its image. It must become a name that is associated with the right things to enhance its appeal. For motorcycles, these could be youth, freedom, and a hint of danger. For insurance companies, these could be reliability, empathy and concern. The site content should reflect these values and do so consistently. People must perceive the brand almost as a person who has these ideal qualities that they are looking for so that they will feel comfortable enough to do business with the company.

 

Lead Generation

 

     Often, visitors come into the site, read what they want then click away to other sites, never to be seen again – lots and lots of wasted opportunities. Instead of repeatedly squandering the chance, wouldn’t it be great if visitor details could be caught so as to maintain contact? Most do this by offering a free e-book or other low-cost products in exchange for a newsletter subscription. This newsletter can be sent monthly just to nurture the connection. It may contain a summary of the top blog posts for the preceding month, a survey question to jumpstart interaction, and an offer to boost revenues.

 

Be an Established Subject Matter Expert

 

     Every industry has its own line-up of superstars. These are the thought leaders who push the boundaries and offer great insights about the most pressing issues of the day. They drive trends and sometimes create controversies that set the community abuzz. The articles they write often get prime social media attention and this popularity rubs off on the brand they represent.

 

     Content churned out in a haphazard manner can only depend on luck for success. To gain meaningful results, clear objectives must be set which may include the ones presented in this article. These goals will sharpen focus, increase efficiency, and get the brand much more popular.