This Week in The Biz Bite, Entrepreneur Coach Whitney Keyes lists her Top 10 Small Business Technology Resolutions. Three of them especially caught my eye. I believe that these are major things every business should do all year long every year! Here’s an excerpt:
10. Work the Web. Ask yourself if your website (you do have a website, right?) still fits the needs of your business. Is it time to upgrade to an e-commerce solution so you can sell your products or services online?
I agree. I suggest getting a professional competitive analysis to see how your website stacks up to your competition. You will then get personalized recommendations for the most cost effective ways to expand your online presence and increase your website ROI.
7. The Search is On. Do you know what SEO is? Search engine optimization improves your rank on sites like Google and Yahoo! A few keywords can catapult your ranking in only a few months.
I continue to see small business websites that have not yet tapped into this opportunity. Step out into the search engine spotlight by investing in SEO. Consult with an SEO specialist to determine how you define your organization/products and how to capitalize on your strengths while attracting new customers.
6. Be Smart and Social. Do some social media due diligence to find out if your industry cares about tweets, friends or followers before you invest valuable resources in social media.
Have your web designer do research on the viability and potential for social media. Do a test run to see the results. Be bold, think outside the box, and you might just be surprised!
In addition to Ms. Keyes recommendations, I also strongly suggest that small businesses put in place a regular web analytics schedule. This will enable you to see how well or poorly your website is performing monthly or quarterly. Then your web designer will suggest simple, practical improvements to increase the effectiveness of your site.
Mindspring Design adopts the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Designers | the professional association for design) Design Framework. This process is adopted in whole or in part for all our current and future web design projects.
Why incorporate a process? This framework helps our clients understand what is involved in the design process. Creating branding and websites is not just an ethereal, serendipitous journey. Design decisions are based on research, communication, problem-solving and innovation. Our clients are well-informed collaborators throughout the process, and their business goals are a top priority. View successful case studies here.
Contact Mindspring Design at 856-393-0385 to see how incorporating this framework into your next website project can generate value for your small business.
Mindspring Design also has developed its own exclusive, comprehensive 62-point system for creating and assessing your printed graphics materials.
Okay, a bit of shameless self-promotion never hurt anyone. Hey, it’s my blog! So the following is going to be put into my new ads. It’s adapted from The Web Design Business Kit (www.sitepoint.com). Everytime you try a new online marketing approach, document it. Document how much you spend, how long it runs, who responds and who buys. Here it goes:
Free webinar details the secret to web site success…
Often times web sites are developed by cool designers who have little or no interest or understanding in your business needs. What you need is a website that really works.
Mindspring Design is a cutting-edge web development firm. We know how to make a web site that generates leads, positions your business, and increases customer care.
Hello all! I’m very pleased to announce Mindspring Design’s first live, free webinar. Here are the details:
9 Steps to Building a Successful Small Business Website
November 25, 2009 @ 2:00 PM EST Enter Webinar Room Here | Sign Up Below
Dial In (International): 702-473-3463
Atendee Passcode: 646377
On the agenda….
The webinar is scheduled to last 30-40 minutes.
We will cover what small business owners need to consider before they even consult with a web designer.
We will discuss the main steps small-business owners often overlook.
We will talk about what we can learn from a few case studies.
And you will leave with an actionable plan to get your business website started or even updated.
You can sign up below. After the webinar, I will post a recording of the webinar. And I will also be doing a review of the free, online webinar software called Dimdim that I will be using. It is supposed to be a free alternative to WebEx, so we’ll see how that goes!
While visiting web sites of companies in my local area today, I ran into several splash intro pages. You know, those intro pages with big Flash animations welcoming you to the web site. Completely unnecessary pre-home pages.
NOTE:
This practice of adding a splash page is outdated. It also fails to add informational or entertainment value as 100% of visitors will skip the intro.
TIPS:
Web site animations should serve a purpose, help users reach a goal, learn something.
Animations which are purely decorative are annoying and useless.
Animations should give users the option to stop, pause, play, skip, fast-forward, rewind.
Animations and/or videos should also give users some feedback — as in length of animation, download progression, etc.
EXAMPLE
After a recent downpour, my roof leaked and ruined the drywall in the ceiling. What to do? Here’s an animation that’s functional and understandable. It is easy to follow, clearly showing the steps for repairs. It includes the text in addition to audio. And, it has the options to stop, pause, play, fast forward, etc. Great job! (By the way, I’ve personally worked with Easy2 DIY programs and staff, and they are absolutely great. Maybe I’ll do a review on their software…)
Don’t scare away potential customers because they don’t trust you. An SSL certificate says: “We’re legit.” “We value your privacy.” “Your online transaction is safe and secure.” When customers see that little golden padlock in their browser, they know they are protected.
What is an SSL Certificate?
It’s a certificate that verifies your online identity and encrypts sensitive information that is sent through your website. It should contain information like: your domain name, certificate holder’s name, issue date, issuer name, and possibly details about your business like organization name and location.
Check out this video for an explanation:
Why would you need an SSL Certificate?
You have an online store
Your website has a login to a confidential area
You need to transmit sensitive customer/business information
You need to ensure privacy
You want to gain trust
There are countless companies offering SSL certificates. Verisign claims up to an 87% increase in transactions when businesses use Verisign Extended Validation SSL. GoDaddy is another option. Shop around and see what is best for your small business needs and budget.
There are tons of places to find free fonts. I didn’t say good fonts, I said free. But anywho, I did come across a blogger who promotes a selection of free fonts every Friday. Now some of these are very cool. You just might have a specific application where one of these would work splendidly.
So check them out. And let us know how you used them!
First of all, why is this so important? What’s so wrong with click here and see more?
Effective website links draw the eye and spark interest. They encourage clicking because people want more. Click here is an oft overused link term which is nondescript and uninteresting. No one will click anywhere without a good reason. Get a $10 discount for commenting on this blog would entice more clicking ; ) If you want a “sticky” website that offers findable information, you need to write effective links.
Jakob Nielsen recently conducted a study (First 2 Words: A Signal for the Scanning Eye) based on their findings that web users typically scan a web page in an F-pattern. They tested 80 users understandings of the first 11 characters of 20 different website links. The most effective links followed these guidelines (excerpt):
(Read the study summary here. You can also learn more by signing up for their Writing for the Web course at the Web Usability Conference. If you do any writing for the web for your small business, this is a must-do.)
Notice the F-pattern? People generally read the first few lines in a list and read less as they go down.
I did a quick little test on my own website. Here’s a truncated list of a few of my links:
Not too bad. Areas to work on: (1) Learn More and See Example are too generic. (2) And the two links starting with Web Design are two different links, but you can’t tell because they’re truncated. Other than that most links use plain language, are specific, or use action words at the beginning. So I’ll go back a tweak a few of my links.
HOMEWORK: Scan your website’s links (especially ones that are in list format). Without reading the context, can you predict where they’ll take you? Let me know how you make out!
Choosing the perfect domain name can be a challenge. When searching for mine, I worried that it was already taken. I was nervous that somebody would steal it before I bought it. I was anxious about how much it would cost.
I found a great article entitled: The Effective Strategy For Choosing Right Domain Names. Christopher Johnson shows that with some thinking and creativity, you can actually build a great name. He discusses two differing theories about how to brand yourself online. Then he offers some general guidelines on choosing the best meaning, sound and spelling of your domain name.
Here’s a little excerpt:
“Forget the cliche of the crazy adverstising or marketing genius who’s struck by the perfect idea as if by lightning. Approach the naming process in a strategic, rational way, and look for elegant solutions to your particular naming challenge.”
Many small-business owners believe their websites already contain all the content they need. They’ve got contact information, company profile, and a list of products or services. Great right? … Great start. But everyone else has the same information on their site!
Increasing content can make your company more attractive, more unique, and easier to find through search engines. It will help keep visitors coming back to your website. More quality content can help you to position yourself as an authority, or expert in your industry. And boosting the variety of web content will give you more angles from which to direct people to buy-in to your products and services, making this decision easier for them.
Think of new ways to increase your website content and improve its success.
25 Ways to Boost Your Website Content
Create a blog. Use this as a platform to regularly post new information to your website. It can be news, opinions, whatever. Keep each post centered around one specific topic. Keep them informative and useful. And keep them coming!
Write a series of articles. You may want to do some keyword research and look at your web analytics to see which keywords are the most active and perform successfully for your website. Then write a few articles, letting all web visitors know where to get them.
Post your email newsletters. Don’t let all that great info go to waste! Offer it to people after those on your mailing list receive it, and soon others may be prompted to subscribe too.
Offer instructions on how to use your products. If you currently offer these to your customers in print, by all means become the official source for up-to-date instructions or manuals.
Write a free e-book. Choose a hot topic, a niche topic, or anything extremely valuable, like an industry report you’ve completed.
Describe your services. Yeah, I know you already have a list rght? Well don’t stop there. Be more descriptive. If you have simple bullet points for each service, describe what the customer can expect…how they should prepare…what they should get out of it. Even create service packages or product bundles.
Review a product or service. You could choose one that is or isn’t a direct competitor, and discuss the pros, cons, etc.
Install a forum to invite visitor participation. This is a great way to increase your website content because visitors do the work for you! It creates a sense of anticipation and excitement. I’ve used PHPBB forum software in the past — it has good support and is widely used.
Post company bios. Letting customers see a more personal side of the major company players is a great way to convey your office atmosphere and a start to building a business relationship.
Post company news. Let people know about your successes, staff changes, and what you’re working on.
Offer tutorials. Informative tutorials offer a step-by-step approach toward reaching a goal. These make you a valuable source of guidance and can entice newer visitors.
Invite guest writers or bloggers. Include a fresh perspective on topics by inviting other writers to contribute to your website. You can get backlinks from their sites and add weight to your site by including other professional voices.
Include customer testimonials. Everyone loves to read testimonials from other happy customers before and after committing to a purchase. Make customers feel confident and satisfied in their decisions with real testimonials
Post customer reviews. Online shoppers like to read realistic reviews of products before purchasing them. According to a 2008 report from The Nielsen Company, 81% of online holiday shoppers read customer reviews, with 71% feeling more comfortable they were buying the right product, and 63% feeling it was important to have multiple reviews of a product. Go ahead, beef up your content with reviews!
Run contests. This tactic could be monthly, seasonally, sporadically — it works because it generates a buzz around your brand name, creates awareness, and increases content.
Interview an industry professional or celebrity. Interviewing a well-known person in your industry will add valuable content. You could meet someone like this through a professional networking organization, at a trade show, heck it could be your best friend. Make sure to ask questions people want answered. Let the interview progress organically and you might encounter some unexpected gems.
Conduct a survey and report the results. Gather up some interns to survey your target market, trusted customers or professional associates.Then publish the results to your online community.
Include RSS feeds from related, non-competing sites. Keep your content pertinent with a stream of fresh content flowing on your website or blog.
Post press releases. Any company changes or news merit a press release. Archive press releases on your site.
Post magazine and newspaper articles featuring your company. Good press legitimizes you in some customers’ eyes. Flaunt this publicity online with pictures, excerpts, and full articles if allowed.
Run weekly or monthly specials. Offer coupons or specials on a regular basis. It keeps ‘em coming back.
Run a weekly or monthly feature. Develop a unique feature you can highlight on a regular basis. Reflect your company culture be it creative, fun, elite, environmentally conscious, serious, etc.
Post videos. YouTube has proven how much people enjoy videos. Produce short clips and post them on your website. Allow people to send them to friends.
Insert a photo gallery. Showcase your accomplishments with professional looking photos. Or, allow users to upload home photos showing how they proudly use your product.
Create a glossary. Write a glossary or “dictionary” of industry terms which would be helpful to new visitors or those unfamiliar with your subject.
Enter to win a FREE website review!
Do you have more ways to boost your website content? Tell me how you’ve done it, and you’ll be entered to win a FREE website review.
Contest ends and drawing held on: Thursday, April 30, 2010.
