A website is not an island. It needs help and support from your marketing efforts. Just because you’ve built it doesn’t mean people will automatically come. So you need to promote your website via print ads, marketing materials, business cards, email signatures, phone messages, word-of-mouth, etc. Below are a few examples of how a top-selling magazine draws readers to its website:

1. Make the Most of QR Codes.

Sometimes an ad doesn’t and shouldn’t say it all. It should leave the reader (potential customer) wanting more. A well-placed QR Code can be the door leading to more information. Next to the code, say something like: “For more warning signs, scan this code with your smartphone.”

2. Be Specific.

Sending people to your homepage is great, but sending contest participants to a specialized landing page all about the contest is better. Continue the excitement by sending them specifically where their interest lies. The URL should be short and sweet — just your domain.com/keyword if possible. Or send people to your Facebook, Google+, or Twitter page to get a conversation going.

3. Get Subscribers, Not Just Visitors.

At the end of an article, intentionally leave out some information. Save that privileged information for members, subscribers. Send it to them in a newsletter that also features other helpful tips and product or service suggestions. A subscriber looks forward to receiving something of value from you. And they are that much closer to becoming a customer. Say something like: “Find 9 more ways to get website visitors at domain.com/newsletter”

These are just three ways to direct people to your website from printed materials. What ways have you found to work for you? Share!

Check out this interview on mobile app usability:

http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2099266/jakob-nielsen-usability-mobile-sites-apps

Nielsen gives good tips on making a mobile app for your company.

I want to add my thoughts on short copy, however. You want to keep text concise, but not ambiguous. Titles and explanations should not be able to be misinterpreted. In your editing, keep things crystal clear.

Also, the suggestion about hiring a usability team to test your app is crucial.

I recommend small businesses who are developing apps to read this article along with the App Makeover article (especially under the subhead “One Bad Screen=Millions Lost”), and other news in Nielsen’s Alertbox.

So, what is a trust signal?

A trust signal is a little badge or sometimes a link button which shows you that a site is safe. There are certain signs, which are greater signifiers of safety than others and one of the most well known of these is the Verisign (SSL)

Verisign

Verisign shows that a site processes cards in a safe and secure manner and that your card details can’t be compromised by fraudulent activity. Verisign is generally available on most sites that perform transactions and those using the site should able to clearly see it when processing their goods.

Branding

As a user of a site there is probably no greater trust signal than a brand. Large sites which are directly related to companies are often the best to deal with. Purchasing from the likes of Nike or Coca Cola, or even from the likes of TopShop, directly, means you have a direct comeback. These sites cost a bit more, but do offer buyers the best protection and are important trust signals in the world of eCommerce.

Building up a brand that people can trust is still one of the most important things a webmaster can do. The phrase ‘actions speak louder than words’ definitely rings true in the online world as much as it does offline. If your brand can become known as being reliable and trustworthy this is definitely one of the best ways to build up confidence with your potential customers.

The Website Itself

The layout of a site is also an important trust factor. Sites which are poorly designed, look outdated or involve users having to scroll back and across a screen covered in poor graphics won’t evoke a sense of trust. If the site looks like it hasn’t been cared for, this will pass on a negative message to the users. If the website appears to be well looked after and updated regularly, this will add the ‘human touch’ which should be good news for your users.

Broken Links

This is another major sign of a company who may not offer you the most trustworthy shopping experience. Broken links, which lead to sites with an ‘Error 404′ would not be the most advisable to enter all your bank details into.

Returns Policies and Contact Details

Knowing that a site offers a certain amount of flexibility should something go wrong can also create a sense of trust in a website. Websites which offer money back guarantees seem a lot more trustworthy than sites which don’t offer such options. With up to one third of fashion sites receiving returns it is good to know you can do so easily without problems — this is a good trust sign and one that shows you can put faith in the site.

It’s also worth having a look through to see if you can find a contact address and phone number. If your order doesn’t work out as you expected, you will need to be sure that you can contact the business to discuss your issues. If you’re in doubt, just give them a call before you place your order to find who’s at the other end. Any reputable company should be more than happy to talk through any concerns you might have.

All of these things, or the lack of them, should give you a good idea of whether or not you can trust a website enough to make a purchase.

Webmaster Tips ‘n’ Tutorials: Free tools, code and resources on web design, HTML, Javascript and Internet marketing.

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Web designers with professionals. Affordable website design company that is serviced and custom.

We are a top website design firm in the Westville, New Jersey Website Design Services guide on DigitalSpinner.com.

Many customers want to know what they can do to get more business from their websites. I then send a detailed list of options and recommendations based on their budget.

But here’s the thing. There’s no silver bullet. Internet marketing, inbound marketing, SEO/SEM all involve a consistent effort over time. Small business owners and entrepreneurs need to set aside some of their monthly advertising/web budget for this approach.

The good news is many forms of marketing yourself online don’t have to be costly. If you discipline/train yourself to do some on your own, they can even be free.

Your internet marketing efforts should include:

• well-optimized website
• relevant, regularly added content
• useful information for download (reports, videos, etc)
• email newsletters
• social media and involvement in online communities/forums
• is there something else you’ve found is working?

As you can see from the above list, you can’t just do each of these things once and remain visible to those searching for you. You need to keep putting yourself in the view of potential customers who are looking for your specific product or service.

So don’t be content to do one blow-out campaign. Discipline yourself, or hire someone, to keep up a regular, steady routine of internet marketing, and watch your business grow.

Select your location, then see how fast your internet connection is. How did you score?

http://reviews.cnet.com/internet-speed-test/?tag=rb_content;contentNav

For those that recently discovered us, here’s a roundup of our top posts:

• 5 Ways to Visually Connect with Your Clients (In Print)
• 9 Steps to Build a Successful Small Business Web Site
  
• Top 3 Ways to Improve Your Web Site Conversions
  
• Does Your Small Business Web Site Need a Content Management System (CMS)?
  
• 5 Common Mistakes of Writing Website Content

How the “i” Keeps You Connected to Your Business at All Times

So you have started a business, found the location to hold your office, recruited the personnel, and started growing your client base. If you are like me, your business keeps you busy and running around. Where will you be today? Two cities away? In meetings? To and from the office three or four times? Staying connected to what is happening at the office can be one of the most challenging tasks of running a business. Sure we have smartphones. Sure we have email on the go. But what about other parts of our business we need to take care of on the go?

The “i” can help. The “i” of course is referring to Apple and its products. More specifically, the three I use to stay on top of more than just email: iPhone, iPod Touch and the iPad.

Payment Processing Using iPhone Intuit Go Payment

I visited a client once for a large production shoot. Normally there is a meeting, a proposal written up, and then a deposit put down. This one occasion the client wanted to put down money to get started right away. It got me thinking about how easy it would be to be able to charge their credit card while we sat at the meeting table without the hassle of now finding the time to get down to the bank.

I did my research and found the Intuit Go Payment device. After a very simple process of getting approved for one, I received the device in the mail less than two weeks later. It plugs directly into my iPhone. Charge by sliding a major credit card or debit card or by even typing in the card’s information. The client signs directly onto the screen and we both receive a verification and receipt via email. When the funds transfer in two to three days, I receive another email. Done.

Editing Documents Using iPod Touch Apps

I often have more to do than I can think about, so when I receive a phone call from the office telling me we have another client that is looking for a project proposal, I often have no time to drive all the way back to the office to modify and send out our proposal template.

Being Mac based, many of the programs on the computer can be purchased via the Apple Store and downloaded onto a device such as my iPod Touch. So, once I knew I could download Pages, my primary word processor program, I was now able to adjust our project proposals with the new company’s logo, information, project details, and pricing and send it off without the new client waiting for my day to end at the office. Next client please.

Video Editing with iPad Video

When you start a business it is often the way of the owner to wear many hats. You become owner, writer, editor, funder, project director and need a new hat as new roles come up. My video editors need to send me the first draft, or beta cut, of any video they complete before it gets sent to the client. Neither the iPhone or iPod Touch have a screen large enough for me to really see what work has been done. So, my iPad stands in as my video screener.

They email me the file, I download it, and wherever I am I can watch the high definition video as it is intended to be seen by the client. I can then email back changes or comments with some simple finger flips across the screen. Anything else you need?

So, in one day, I can charge a customers a down payment on a project, send out a project proposal to another, while being able to make edits to a current project. And all with the “i” by my side, or really, in  my hands. How much easier can it get?

With the cloud quickly gaining popularity, it is probably becoming increasingly clear that your business can benefit from migrating to the cloud from your legacy system. While there are a number of cloud service providers, Google Apps has provided reliable, secure, and easy-to-use cloud-based computing since 2006, making it a market leader. Google Apps even offers a platform specifically for businesses: Google Apps for Business.

While Google Apps comes with a number of standard apps, there are even more available to add onto your suite in the Google Apps Marketplace. But here are the top five apps that are absolutely essential to your business.

1. Gmail for Business. Most people are familiar with it through personal use, and while you may like the idea of Gmail, you don’t want your employees having Gmail email addresses. With Google Apps for Business, companies get a unique domain and custom email addresses (user@company.com) to use on the Gmail system. Employees will have access to 25GB of storage, which is 50 times the industry average, Google-powered search to quickly find archived conversations, IM and video chat, and threaded emails to group all emails with the same subject together.

2. Google Documents are great for working independently or collaborating with others. Through Google Docs, users can create files including documents, presentations, and spreadsheets, and then edit and store these files in the cloud. Forgetting to save your work is no longer a problem, since Google Docs automatically saves for you. Owners of a file can easily share it with others who can then have access to edit the file or leave comments on it. Multiple users can collaborate in real-time by simultaneously editing Google Docs from any location, making teamwork easy. Because Google Docs are “shared,” users no longer need to attach files to emails, which eliminates concerns about forgetting to attach files or files that are too large to send.

3. Google Sites is another key tool for collaboration. With Google Sites, users can easily create a website or intranet for a specific group of people. Perfect for team projects, users can put everything from files to calendars and responsibilities on Google Sites, providing their group with one, organized location to find all pertinent information.

4. Google Calendar allows users to schedule and keep track of events on multiple calendars. Employees can set Google Calendar to send email and SMS reminders and to send RSVPs to events. Because of Google Apps’ sharing capabilities, users can share specific calendars with others so that they can easily see the calendar owner’s availability. This tool makes scheduling meetings with coworkers or clients simple.

5. Google Groups is perfect for communicating with a set of people. Instead of sending emails to and sharing documents and calendars with a list of people, users can simply send or share with an entire group. Members can also respond to emails for the entire group, which often simplifies communication with others.

I just tested join.me free screen sharing.

You download a little application (takes 2 seconds) and you can share your computer screen with whoever has your access code. You can also give out your conference number so you can have a conversation. I was able to chat with my participant using the application, and share control of my screen. If you pay $19 bucks/mo, you get more features like meeting scheduling and a personal link, etc. But even with the free version, you can have 250 participants.

I thought this was a really cool software. It’s so easy to use, no instructions are necessary. If you’re unsure of what a button or icon is for, just hover your mouse over it, and a little clue will pop up. Try it out, let us know what you think!