Smart Copywriting Tip #1: Write For Search Engines & Consumers

Adam Bullock @ 4:48 am

This blog entry was posted on March 31, 2009.

Whether you’re entirely focused on search engine optimization, or simply writing for prospective clients, it’s important to keep both in mind when you write content for your website.

When writing with search engine optimization in mind, it’s easy to get wrapped up in keywords; specific word phrases that people are searching for using search engines. Not only do you risk the problem of sounding too robotic, but if you get too carried away, search engines will actually penalize you instead of rewarding you:

“Looking for the best lemon meringue pie recipe? Then look no further for the best lemon meringue pie site! Welcome to Adam’s Pie House, where you can download the best lemon meringue pie recipes, tips for baking the best lemon meringue pie, and even enjoy the sight of thousands of wonderful lemon meringue pie.”

Consumers are instantly turned off with the poor grammar (including your sneaky attempt to include the keyword at the end), and the content just feels spammy.

On the flip-side, if you write without any kind of search engine optimization in mind, you could be losing out on many more potential visitors. Just a little research can tell you that there are quite a few searches for “easy lemon meringue pie” and by properly utilizing this information, you can address this query directly. Without previous knowledge of what people are actually looking for, what are your chances of having that specific keyword in your content?

If you’re looking for traffic, search engine optimization is the way to go. You can find those keywords that people are searching for and do your best to rank high for them. However, if you focus on content that pleases only the search engines and not the visitor, you’ll find traffic worthless without any conversions.

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Filed under: Blog Marketing

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Should Your Business be Selling Online?

Doug Williams @ 5:24 am

This blog entry was posted on March 29, 2009.

Consumers worldwide are switching from crowded stores to the convenience of online buying. Anything and everything can be found and purchased online. Online buyers book travel, buy computers, buy businesses, real estate, cars, boats, clothing, videos and even home repair materials.

$131 billion worth of goods and services were purchased online in the U.S. in 2007. This does not include travel.
94 % of U.S. Internet users make online purchases. Compare this to 99% for South Korea Internet users.
78.5% of U.S. online users (ages 14 and older) will make at least one online purchase within the next 12 months. This is expected to grow to 80% by 2011 (source: eMarketer)
Books, clothing, shoes, videos, games, travel, electronics, music and cosmetics are the most frequently purchased items online.
37% of U.S. online shoppers browse a website before making an offline purchase.

Only 8% of small business websites have any ecommerce elements according to a 2007 study. This is a shocking statistic with the tremendous amount of willing buyers there are in this online market. Less than 1 out of 12 websites has the ability to complete a sale online.

People now use the web for more than their everyday needs. This is because of the unlimited size and scope of the web. People can purchase products or services anywhere in the world.

Online ecommerce sales are a good way for businesses to expand their reach and the market they operate in. In today’s economy, this is a cost effective way to increase sales. If a business sells only custom products or services, then developing standard packages will allow them to start selling on the web.

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Filed under: Internet Marketing

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10 ways to Increase Web Traffic

Doug Williams @ 5:29 am

This blog entry was posted on March 27, 2009.

To grow your business and keep it healthy, you need a steady flow of new customers. Where will they come from? Here are 10 ideas that work.

Organic SEO: Search Engine Optimization uses keywords in the text, headings, page names and META tags. Links from other relevant websites are another important factor.
Pay per Click: Advertise on Google and other search engines to get almost instant results. These ads come up based on the keyword query and you pay each time someone click thru on your ad.
Affiliate Marketing: Advertise on other relevant websites and you pay the website owner each time a referral purchases or takes a particular action such as signing up.
Article Writing: Write and publish educational articles and place them on article syndication sites. Other web site owners can publish them on their web sites. Links in the bottom resource box will lead interested people to your website.
Blogging: Blog marketing attracts readers. Blog regularly about related topics your targeted customer is interested in. Include links back to your website.
Social Networks: Set up profiles at popular social networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace , etc.
Forums: Participate in online forums as an expert. You get to promote your business “quietly” in your signature line.
Promo Items: Purchase things like pens or stress balls with your Web site name and URL on them and give them away at trade shows and industry events.
Video: Setup viral video about your company, products and upload them on to a video network site.
Free Offer: Offer a free ebook on your site. Give away a free report or analysis. Promote this on the social networks or in emails.

Tip- If you offer something for free, collect email addresses. Create an autoresponder campaign to send a series of educational emails around the same topic. This allows you to help interested visitors and keep “top of mind awareness” with them. They will think of you first when they are ready to buy.

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Filed under: SEO Strategies

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Accepting Online Payments

Doug Williams @ 10:53 am

This blog entry was posted on March 25, 2009.

Credit cards are still the most popular way to make online purchases. Taking online payments may seem daunting, but it is essential for the success of your online business. Making payments should be easy, convenient and secure for your customer.

Offering four or more payment options increases sales conversions 12 percent higher than websites offering just one online payment option according to a study by CyberSource Corp.
Alternative payment methods will make up 30% of online sales by 2012 according to a prediction by Javelin Strategy & Research.
Alternative payment methods can be Paypal, Google Checkout, Bill Me Later, Bill2Phone, debit cards and eChecks.

Taking credit card payments from your website can range from simply adding a Paypal button to a fully integrated system that is housed on your website. There are many options in between.

Fully Integrated: Here all the payment components are contained within the website. This requires a payment gateway to authorize payments, a digital certificate to encrypt data and a merchant account to process the transaction. This is a more complex solution requiring programming and set-up. This is the best solution for online businesses with a higher sales volume.

Payment service: This includes Alternative payment services such as Paypal. Here the transaction actually occurs on the Paypal website eliminating the need for all the payment components. This is ideal for organizations that receive a lower volume of sales or donations.

Taking online payments is essential for an online business. Giving your visitors options is even more important.

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Filed under: Internet Marketing

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Ecommerce Store Design Tips

Doug Williams @ 5:02 am

This blog entry was posted on March 23, 2009.

A good ecommerce storefront presents a clean, organized store where products are easy to locate and visitors are allowed to shop the way they want.

Plan your layout: Avoid a cluttered layout. Visual cluttering is a result of trying to put too much information onto a single page. You should limit your design to no more than 10-15 products per page and no more than 600 words of text.
Organize: A web design should make it clear to visitors what they will find on your ecommerce web site. A design cluttered with too many options, won’t give the visitor a clear idea of what they should do on your site. Design a clear path for navigation to guide your visitor through your website.
Use of white space: Keep clutter to a minimum with images, backgrounds and colored fonts selected to give a simple appearance. White space gives a sense of spaciousness and overall neatness to a site.
Categories: Add navigation and category listings so customers can find products in different ways. Use categories like departments in your store, and sub-categories if you stock a wide variety. Allow customers to browse by price category, newest products or most popular products.
Add Search Capability: Allow visitors the option to search or browse products. If customers have something specific in mind or know exactly what they want, allow them to search by keyword, brand, model number or a combination of these. Keep the search simple, intuitive and easy to use.
Keep the Checkout Process Simple: 30-60% of customers abandon their order at checkout because of usability issues. Design your process to be 1-2 pages and only request necessary information. Use clean and organized design layouts and add a confirmation page.
Credibility and Trust: Use clear product photos so customers can see what they are getting. Let them know that the information they give to you won’t be sold to others. Clearly state something like this: We will never give out your e-mail address for any reason. Have as liberal of a returns policy as you can be comfortable with.

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Filed under: Internet Marketing,Website Design

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Developing Your Website Selling Process

Doug Williams @ 6:27 am

This blog entry was posted on March 21, 2009.

How you present information to the visitor to convert them from a prospect to a customer is your sales process. Your selling sequence should follow AIDA. This is Attention, Interest, Desire and then Action. This has been in use as a sales training tool for over a hundred years. For good reason, it works.

The typical selling sequence starts by making the prospect aware of your product. You then spend time generating interest in what you are selling. You then stimulate the desire to possess the product. Finally you encourage the prospect to buy.

A visitor begins by arriving to your website because they are searching for a solution to their need. If you start by demonstrating what your product can do, then the customer may not want that capability you are offering. If you first create interest and then desire for your product, then they feel they have to have what you are selling.

You have to develop the need. You do this by first asking questions in a way where your product or service is the natural answer to the question. Do this with the right questions and then you develop a genuine need for your product.

If you have several pricing levels, which do you present first? You would present your highest priced, premium priced products of course.

The airlines are pros at this. Think of how you enter the plane on the way to Economy. First you get on the plane and walk through First Class. You see the wide comfortable seats, all the amenities, even drinks being served before takeoff. Next you march past business class and then you arrive in Economy.

Pricing for First class gives sticker shock, and most of us say no to the high prices. But every time we enter the plane, we are guided thru the sequence of Attention, then Interest and then Desire. This helps trigger Action when we finally get fed up with Economy and “bang”, they have a sell.

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Filed under: Internet Marketing,Website Design

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When Was The Last Time You Updated Your Home Page?

Adam Bullock @ 4:17 am

This blog entry was posted on March 19, 2009.

Remember “don’t tase me, bro?”

Or when the “Writers Guild of America” went on strike and we went without our favorite television shows, for what felt like forever?

These events happened about a year and a half ago, even though it may feel like just yesterday. And in that time, our entire outlook on living has shifted dramatically because of our current economic situation.

This recession has affected the buying habits of many people. While some strategies used in 2007 may still prove fruitful today, those instances are few and far between. We’re seeing major repercussions because of our situation which include huge companies re-branding themselves, well-known electronic stores filing for bankruptcy, and even companies shifting to a four-day workweek in an effort to combat dwindling profits.

At SEMpdx’s Searchfest 2009, esteemed SEO copywriter Heather Lloyd-Martin asked the entire audience, “When was the last time you updated your home page?” And now, this is a question I’m asking you.

Are you still focused on strategies that worked in 2007, or have you shifted in tone and type-of-sale to accommodate consumers in our new economic climate?

If any company was immune to a huge drop in profits, I’d wager Starbucks would be relatively fine. Everybody needs coffee, it’s become a part of our daily routine and branded in our minds as a necessity; so you think the business model and market that Starbucks owns is fool-proof.

On March 3rd, Starbucks introduced a company first: value “pairings” of a drink and food item at a low cost.

If you haven’t already, go to your website’s home page, analyze, and strategize accordingly.

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Filed under: Business Consulting,Internet Marketing

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Search Queries Are Getting Wordier

Doug Williams @ 3:58 am

This blog entry was posted on March 17, 2009.

A new report from HitWise shows that web searchers are using more words in each search query when compared to just a year ago. Each year we see reports of longer search phrases as people look for information on Google and other search engines. This shift has steadily increased at about 3% each year.

By comparing OneStat data (April 2003) to the latest data from HitWise (Feb 2009); we can see a clear shift in search behavior. People are using fewer 1, 2 and 3 word searches. There is an increase in 4-8 word search phrases. To find what they are looking for, people are increasing to longer search phrases.

When we look at the average number of words being used in a search; this has increased from about 2.5 in 2003 to 3.1 in 2009. This trend is expected to continue.

This is important to know when selecting keyword phrases for your website. The wrong keywords will bring only lookers; the right ones bring willing buyers. Choosing the right keywords will bring targeted traffic.

Keyword Psychology
Is it better to focus on phrases of one or two words? Should you choose phrases with three to five words? It really depends on your goals. First we need to look at the psychology behind how people search.

When people use one or two words they are researching. They are trying to learn and understand a subject. In this phase they are not ready or likely to buy something. If your goal is to educate, then one or two word phrases should be your focus.

When people use three to five words or more they are in a buying mode. They will use more specific terms, frequently with manufacturers’ names or model numbers. If your goal is to sell, then your focus should be on three to five word phrases.

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Filed under: Internet Marketing,SEO Strategies

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What Makes a Website Trustworthy?

Doug Williams @ 5:52 am

This blog entry was posted on March 15, 2009.

A successful business must inspire trust. If website visitors don’t trust what they see, they won’t buy. It’s that simple. Savvy web users look for clues when they arrive to a new website to determine if they should trust it enough to leave an email address or pay for something with a credit card. What makes a website trustworthy?

Developing visitor trust is not about doing one thing right. It is about doing many things right. Trust is developed slowly, but can be lost quickly. It is much easier to lose visitor trust by doing one thing wrong. If visitors don’t trust you, they won’t become your customer.

First impression: What a visitor sees when they arrive will either draw them in or send them away. The design of the site, the navigation and even how information is organized will form an impression in the mind of your visitor.
The Message: Does the text answer the question your visitor is seeking? Is the content fresh and up to date? Good grammar and spelling do matter. Do you talk straight without making unbelievable claims?
Credibility: Publish real testimonials and encourage customers to evaluate you on Yelp or other rating websites. Tell your company story on your About Us page. Include photos of the key people involved in the business. Post your physical address and phone number on the Contact page.
Reassure: Include privacy, security and return policies. Use a high level of security when processing credit cards. Post “We take your privacy and security very seriously” on every page of the order process. Post logos of organizations you are associated with such as BBB Online, HackerSafe, Truste, etc.
Deliver Results: Keep your commitments, deliver on time what you promised. Honor your refund and exchange policy. If something goes wrong, be honest and handle it fairly. Swiftly right wrongs. How you handle problems can turn a customer into an advocate.

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Filed under: Internet Marketing,Website Design

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The Most Important Thing I Learned From SearchFest 2009

Adam Bullock @ 6:12 am

This blog entry was posted on March 13, 2009.

SearchFest 2009 was an event held by SEMpdx, bringing together some of the greatest minds of Search Engine Optimization. I was fortunate enough to attend the event and spent the entire day soaking up so much knowledge my mind is still racing with ideas days afterward. Even with all of the different tips, tricks, and tweaks I’m going to try as a result of hearing about them, there was one session that fundamentally changed my outlook on the industry, and taught me a life lesson in the process.

The particular Social Media Marketing session consisted of three very influential individuals in their respective industry:

Online community expert Dawn Foster of Fast Wonder
Entrepreneur extraordinaire Neil Patel of QuickSprout
Matt Inman, who is behind some of the Internet’s most viral quizzes and widgets, of Next Dating, LLC.

Going into the session, I was expecting more information on the scorching-hot microblogging website Twitter or ideas on how to use Facebook, or LinkedIn to reel in potential customers. What I got out of it was so much more:

Thinking outside of the box, even for an area with established rules and norms, can yield unmatched success.

Matt Inman is the genius behind legendary viral marketing successes like Zombie Harmony and How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You. He realized that normal marketing methods wouldn’t work against companies with endless amounts of money to use for marketing and who were dominating search traffic. Using a linking method from well-crafted viral widgets and quizzes, he was able to get a new dating site to rank higher than any of the established giants in the industry in a relatively short amount of time.

During the Q&A portion, Neil Patel drew some heavy criticism from a fellow attendee in the audience about the different methods he outlined during his talk. And while they were definitely controversial, it was fascinating and thought-provoking to listen to the different ideas he has used. Even his presentation was a little outside of the box…

It pays off to think a little differently about a subject. To approach it from a different angle. Even if your industry is in something that doesn’t afford too much creativity, if you put your mind to it, you can do something spectacular with a brilliant idea.

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Filed under: Business Consulting,Social Media Marketing