Where To Promote Your Website

You’ve had a beautiful website built, so now what?

You want to let people know your business is up and running. You want to be found.

Here are some great places you can promote your website….for free!

Social Media Platforms

Social media is a fantastic way to spread the word about your website and your business. Facebook (www.facebook.com)  for business is someplace you should be. 

Also, you can create a business page on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com). Twitter (www.twitter.com) is a great platform to follow industry leaders and gain your own following too.

Does your business have products that would photograph well? Instagram (www.instagram.com)  and Pinterest (www.pinterest.com) might be a place for you.

Other social media platforms include:

·         Google+

·         Yelp

·         Buzzfeed Community

·         WikiHow

Online Business Directories

Online business directories can be local or very high-profile. And they can cover a wide range of audiences. They all work pretty much the same – you submit your website’s URL and some additional information about your business. These sites add you to their data banks so that when their users are searching categories, your link shows up in the results.

Also, by adding your website’s URL to these directories, you will increase your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and improve your website’s ranking in searches.

·    

     Google My Business

·         Bing Places

·         Yellow Pages

·         eLocal

·         MapQuest

·         EZ Local

·         Merchant Circle

·         Local.com

·         Entire Web

·         Manta

·         Insider Pages

Where will you promote your website?

5 Tips for Having a Killer Website

Your website is the online representation of your business. It’s often the first place potential clients ‘see’ you. It’s impossible to have a successful business in today’s world without a website….a good website!

Here are 5 tips for creating a killer website. Even if you already have a website, these tips might help you improve what you already have.

Have a Vision

Before you start designing a website or working with a web designer, take a look at the websites your competition has. Do you really like something they are doing?

Look at other business websites. You might find a layout or a design that really speaks to you. It’s easy for a web designer to take your inspiration and make it totally yours.

Have the Right Logo

Your logo is your brand’s identity. Your logo should be on everything you use to market your products or services – your website, your business cards, your sales literature and promotional items. 

Your logo ties everything together. Work with an expert graphic designer to come up with a unique logo that best represents your business.

Choose the Right Domain

You want to be found online so choosing the right domain will help. Usually, companies choose a domain that matches their business name.

What do you do if the domain name you want is already taken? This is no reason to be discouraged since there are now many new domain suffixes that are available to use instead of .com. Explore alternative domain names for your website.

Good Content

Your content is the backbone of your website. Since you only have about 8 seconds (yes, that’s right….only 8 seconds!) to grab a viewer’s attention, your content must be clear and concise. Your visitors must be able to quickly see you understand their pain points and how you can help them.

On your website, your content must be short and succinct. Lists and bullet points are a great way to get your information out there without it being overwhelming to the reader.

Use Great Photos

The photos you use on your website are really very important. Great pictures can tell the story of your brand, while poor images can damage your professional image online. Work with a professional photographer to capture great shots of your products or even your team working or having fun.

Are you ready to start working on your business’ website?

. The Do’s and Don’t’s of Website Design

It’s important for a small business to have a website. It’s the first place people go to look up information about your business. It legitimizes you. It tells the world who you are and what you do.

So having a great website is very important for your brand. A successful website design includes your visitor’s preferences, needs and expectations.

How your website is laid out, what colors you use, the fonts and images you use can mean the difference between success and failure. Your website must be eye-catching, have the right amount of information and show off your brand correctly.

Here are some website design ideas to help you create a beautiful and effective website.

Use white space

Open space on your website is fine. Not every white space should be filled with text or pictures. Open space gives you room to separate content, making it easier for your visitors to read what you’ve written.

Keep it simple

More features on your website does not mean a better design. Too many bells and whistles can make your site unnecessarily complicated and can turn off visitors. If you want to add features to your website, be sure they have a purpose and drive visitors to become customers.

It’s more than color

Design is more than colors, images and fonts. A good website design is a wonderful experience for your visitors. They can easily find the information they are looking for.

It’s all about the users

When you design your website, remember it is not for you but for your customers and potential customers. Don’t assume your customers understand and use the industry jargon you may use. Don’t use it in the website content.

Your website needs to communicate with your customers where they are in the sales journey.

Make it mobile

The first place many people search for a website is on their smartphone or tablet. Make sure your website is mobile compatible. 

Is Your Website OK?

It’s so easy to be told what wrong with your website, but are you hearing what is right with it? Sometimes, just having an OK website is good enough to get clients. And your website may actually be better than you think it is.

Here are three things an OK website should have:

Is Mobile-Friendly

As of April 21, 2015 (last year!), Google expanded the usage of mobile-friendly factors into its search algorithm. In other words, if your website is not mobile-friendly, your site will not do well in searches on Google.

Think about it. Most people pick up their phones immediately to check out a website. And it just makes sense that your site look good to those checking you out, otherwise you might lose a prospective customer.

Check to see if your site passes the Google mobile-friendly test at https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/

Tells What You Have to Offer

Your site needs to tell visitors within 30 seconds what you do and what your company offers. Your visitors may have an idea of what you do, but your site must clearly state how you can help the visitors. You must answer their needs.

Tells Visitors What to Do Next

A Call-to-Action tells your visitors what their next steps should be. The Call-to-Action should be above the fold on the home page.

Do you want them to sign up for your newsletter? Or do you want them to purchase a specific product? The Call-to-Action should link your visitors to the page where they can act on the next step.

Does your website do all these things? If so, you’ve got an OK website so don’t worry about needing to make any changes right away. But, remember to keep your website on your radar when you update your marketing materials so everything is branded with the same look and feel.

Why Are People Leaving Your Website?

You’re getting traffic to your website, but people are not staying. Why is it that so few visitors are converting into leads?

If you’re having trouble getting visitors to stay on your site and convert into leads, maybe your website needs some fixes.

Here are some reasons we have found that people leave a website:

Your Site Design is Out-of-Date

Yes, it true…people still judge a book by its cover. If your website looks like it was designed in the 1990’s, it’s time for a professional rehab.

Your Content is Not Easy to Read

The font you use, in conjunction with your background color, may not be easy for your visitors to read. If they can’t easily read your content, they are not going to stick around to learn more.

Your font should be clean and easy to read. Use high contrast color combinations to make it easy for your visitors to read your amazing content.

Your Videos are on Auto-play

Today’s digital savvy customers prefer to choose when they want to watch a video, so don’t have your videos set to auto-play. Blasting your videos at potential customers is a sure way to have them leave your website quickly.

Your Navigation is Vague

When you are setting up your website, think through how your users will actually use your site. No one wants to waste their time trying to find a specific piece of information. If your visitors have to dig through a jumble of poorly laid out navigation choices, they will leave your site.

Your Site is Boring

A bland and boring website will turn off potential customers. Show off your persona in your brand. Add your personality to your content. Use colors, backgrounds and images that catch the eye.

Your Product Benefits are not Distinct

If your product benefits are not featured clearly on your website, you will not compel potential customers to stay and convert into leads. Promoting your product benefits, rather than your product features, will increase your conversions.

You Don’t Have a Call to Action

You have to ask for the sale. A call to action (CTA) tells your website visitors what their next step should be. Your visitors probably won’t take any action unless your prompt them to. Include your call to action on your home page, any sales pages and your blog.

Does your website need professional help? Contact Blue Dog Marketing for help!

3 Ways to Tell If Your Website Design is A-OK

A website is a great investment for a small business if it works properly.  You can get all caught up in what your website does not have. There is always some new bell or whistle you can add, but do you really need it? Probably not.

Here are some ways to tell if your website is A-OK as it is today.

Your site is mobile-friendly

Last April, Google changed its search algorithm making any business without a mobile-friendly website less competitive in Google’s search engine results. If your site is mobile-friendly, you’re doing better than more than half of the businesses out there. You can check to see if your site passes Googles mobile-friendly test by clicking here.

If your site doesn’t pass the mobile-friendly test, make getting your site mobile-friendly the one improvement you make to it this year.

Your site immediately tells a user what it offers

A new visitor to your site should very quickly be able to tell what your company offers. You have 60 seconds to get your message across before you lose them.

Letting visitors know what you offer in less than 60 seconds isn’t easy. Your website has to have strong, clear copy and a design that does not distract from the message.

Your site loads quickly

Today’s website visitors want a website to load in less than 2 to 3 seconds. Studies show that most site take 5.2 seconds to load. Page size, un-optimized images and complexity can contribute to a slow load time. If you want to test the load time of your website, go to Google’s PageSpeed Insights.

Why do Visitors Leave Your Website?

What makes someone leave a website? Getting new customers can be hard. Your website’s main goal is to attract and retain visitors. If your website has any of the following issues, this could be the reason people are not staying on your site.

Poor Navigation

Nothing frustrates a website visitor more than a website that is hard to navigate. Your visitors end up feeling angry or confused. That’s not how you want them to feel.

Your website navigation should be logical, intuitive and easy to understand. All your navigation elements should be in one location. You can even add a site map to your website for clearer navigation.

Having Too Many Ads

Many websites run ads as a legitimate way to create income. If you’re going to place ads on your website, the ads should be tasteful and discreetly displayed.

Bad Content

Make your content, especially your contact information, easy to find. Approximately 50% of sales are lost because potential customers can’t find the information they are looking for.

In your navigation bar, group similar information together. Use bold headings and words that visitors may be looking for. These could also be links to pages with more detailed information.

Misusing Videos

Avoid using videos that automatically stream and intrude on the visitors’ browsing experience. Using videos on your website is a good idea, but give your visitors the options of viewing the video.

Forced Registrations

Are visitors forced to hand over their information before they can view content on your site? When this happens, it can cause visitors to go elsewhere for what they’re looking for.

Boring Website Design, Boring Content

A dull, boring website will not create a memorable experience for your visitors. Studies have shown that 40% of visitors don’t return to a website after having a negative experience.

Your website doesn’t have to be busy to be good. Minimalistic website can be very effective in conveying their messages. Make sure your visitors can easily find what they want on your website.

Use effective ways to enhance interactivity with your visitors. A good example of this is a blog where you educate your readers and new information can regularly found there.

3 Tips for Creating Your Website

Most small businesses today have a website. Some pay large sums of money to have their website designed by professional companies. Others use one of many companies where you can create your own website.

When creating your site, it is important to focus on three areas: your business philosophy, your niche and your goals and objectives.

Your Business Philosophy

What is a first time visitor to your website’s first impression of you? What does your site say to them? Is your philosophy stated in a clear and meaningful manner? Does your website clearly state your main message?

Studies show that people browsing the web spend on average 3-5 minutes before determining whether to remain on the site. Your home page must “speak” to your viewers and attract them to stay on your site.

Your Niche

Can visitors tell how you are different from your competition? Have you indicated and identified your niche? Do you tell your readers what the advantages are for them to use you?

On your home page, you must speak to your customers’ problems and let them know you have a solution.

Your Goals and Objectives

Do you have goals and objectives? What are you trying to say about what you do, how you do it and why you do it better than others?

Do you communicate your goals and objectives effectively and clearly so that potential customers can see that your business is the one they should choose?

By emphasizing who you are, what you do, and why you are outstanding, your website will work for you by increasing your leads and growing your business.