Monthly Archives: March 2009

10 Reasons Your Website Doesn’t Work

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Posted by admin on March 13, 2009 – 7:27 am
Filed under SEO, attract clients, increase online sales, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis, online buying behavior, professional web design, web copy, web traffic, website navigation

Award-winning designer and owner of Bourn Creative, Jennifer Bourn, shares her top 10 website design tips:

10. You Hired Your Friend’s Kid.
You’ve heard all about how he is great with computers and is a tech genius. He took a design class in high school or maybe a couple courses at the local community college and he has done a couple websites. Your friend mentions this a few times and you see a chance to get your website done and save some money. At first you’re excited, and then you start to realize that developing a professional polished website that works isn’t as easy as you thought. Soon you’ve spent hundred of dollars and you’re unhappy. You don’t even want to tell people your have a website because you’re embarrassed. So not only did you waste your money, but you wasted your valuable, billable time and lost out of some potential new business.

9. You Used Free Do-It-Yourself Software.
You knew you needed hosting of some sort and you decided to buy it before consulting with your web designer/developer. In the process of buying hosting you saw a cool tool to design your site yourself. Awesome, right? I mean how hard can slapping together a website be? So you used the free tools, maybe took a class on HTML, or you bought a template to work on. Good for you. But then you start to wonder why the search engines aren’t finding you – in fact why no one is finding you. And you begin to wonder why your site isn’t converting visitors into customers. The bottom line? Go ahead and dabble with HTML and put together a website for fun, or learn enough to make some quick edits on the fly. But when it comes to your business, if you want a site that will attract attention, get remembered, bring in new business, and get the results you want, you should hire a professional. I mean you wouldn’t cut your hair yourself would you? Heck no! For that head-turning, double-take, fabulous cut, you go to a trusted professional.

8. You hired a Marketing/PR/Advertising Consultant Who Does Websites.
Ok. The title of this one alone sounds ludicrous. Would you hire a gardener to take care of your pool? No! Yes, they are in similar fields, but no they are not the same. Most marketing professionals who offer design services do so because to make more money. They outsource the work to a designer, mark up the project and then sell it to you. And then you’re left getting advice from a pseudo expert and the not actual expert. Plus if you hire a good designer who understands the marketing aspect, you’re duplicating costs! Now, in some cases this works great. I subcontract for select marketing professionals because I am brought in on the project from the first day and work directly with the client. The problem arises when the consultant is the intermediary. First, you must be careful your consultant is not outsourcing design work to third-world countries because they can make more money on the project with a cheap subcontractor (Remember the saying you get what you pay for). Second, you want to make sure your message, desires, goals, etc. are not getting lost in the translation from person to person. Don’t let your communications end up like the game telephone we all played as kids.

7. Your Website Design is Awful.
Kym Yancey commented from the stage at the eWomenNetwork conference in 2008, If you don’t take your business seriously, if you don’t value your business enough to have it designed by a professional visual communications expert, then how can you expect anyone else to take you seriously and value what you offer. If your website looks like it was done by a high school kid, was slapped together in a weekend or is just pain unprofessional people will not want to give you their money.

6. You Are Using A Splash Page.
Splash pages with maybe some Flash animation may have been considered cool when they first came out, but they are not anymore. If you’re using one of these on your website, you are loosing out on potential new business every day. Splash pages actually do more harm than good. They add clicks the visitor has to make to get to your information, they usually have no content the search engines can index, and they interrupt the flow of information.

5. Your Website Content is Missing.
If you have a basic website with maybe three pages and barely any content, you’re telling your visitors that you only have a site because some told you that you had to have one. You’re sending the message that you don’t think your site is worth paying attention to and you don’t really value what it can do for you, so you posted something pretty and just left it to sit there. What you need is valuable timely content the user can relate to. Deliver content they want and include information they need on a regular basis

4. Your Website is Boring.
Your site is your opportunity for you to educate visitors on why they need you, what you offer and how you can help them. Answer the questions: 1) What can you do for me and; 2) Why should I care? Make sure the content is interesting and fun and add some personal touches too. People do business with other people they trust. Use your site as a launching ground for building new relationships, invited communication and interaction and have fun doing it.

3. You Forgot SEO and Traffic Building.
You can have the most amazing, fantastic, gorgeous website design ever seen, but if no one can find the site, it was a waste of money. Don’t forget to include in your budget various Search Engine Optimization (SEO), site marketing, and traffic building techniques.

2. Your Website is Too Generic.
You can have the most amazing, fantastic, gorgeous website design ever seen, but if you don’t stand out from your competition, you will not be remembered. A pretty site is completely different from a memorable, “sticky” site that stands out among the rest. A branded site communicates a completely unique selling proposition. It communicates why you are different, what sets you apart, and why your visitors need you. The worst thing a small business is to do is compete on price and that is what your visitors will default to if you don’t give them something else to focus on.

1. Your Website Didn’t Begin at The End.
The absolute first thing you should do when planning your website is to identify the primary and secondary goals of the website. Define exactly what you want to get from completing the project, what change or difference you want to see and what action you want the visitors to take. Be sure to clearly guide your visitors to take that action by communicating with “you” communications instead of “me” communications. If you jump right into the design and development of the site without addressing these issues, it more than likely will not give you’re the return on your investment you were hoping for.

About Jennifer Bourn
Award-winning designer, Jennifer Bourn of Bourn Creative works with entrepreneurs to build their business, generate leads and make more money by effectively communicating their unique message and personality with proven marketing strategies, beautiful attention-getting design and organic search engine optimization techniques. Specializing in Internet marketing and brand development, Jennifer can not only deliver the results you want on time and in budget, but she can help you build a brand everyone else will envy. http://www.bourncreative.com/

The Successful Businesses of Past U.S. Economic Downturns

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Posted by admin on March 11, 2009 – 11:44 am
Filed under Marketing Tip, market in economic crisis, marketing in bad economy, marketing trends

A word to the wise business owner: Don’t cut back on your spending. Use this economic downturn to boost sales and grow your company.

There is a positive side to a recession. While other businesses are cutting spending, you should take advantage of this opportunity and invest in your business. In the February 2009 issue of Entrepreneur magazine, there’s a timeline illustrating the famous economic downturns in U.S. history. According to this timeline, during all of these economic downturns, several companies and products saw massive success.

For example, during the 2001 9 / 11 attacks, iPod, Orbitz.com, and XM Satellite Radio all launched and saw magnificent success. Another example of companies succeeding during turbulent economic times was during the Great Depression. Hewlett – Packard, Revlon long-lasting nail polish, and Miracle Whip were introduced to the market and were extremely successful.

According to the same timeline:

“The Most Severe Recession Since The Great Depression (So Far):
1981: MTV hits the airwaves.
1982: Diet Coke makes its debut.
1983: California firm (later IDEO) designs Apple computer mouse.
1983: Microsoft introduces Word for MS-DOS 1.00.

Black Monday:
1987: Ameritech spends 10 percent more on fiber optic and digital technologies than in 1986.
1987: Quark introduces QuarkXPress.
1987: The Food and Drug Administration approves the use of Prozac for treating depression.”

To view the entire article click here.

Find Your Competition’s Weaknesses during this Recession

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Posted by admin on March 11, 2009 – 11:01 am
Filed under Marketing Tip, market in economic crisis, marketing in bad economy, marketing trends

This is a fantastic video on how down times are the best times to come out ahead. In this video, which aired on CNBC, Mike Maddock discusses the positive aspects of a turbulent economy.

Recession Proof Your Image

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Posted by admin on March 9, 2009 – 7:10 am
Filed under Marketing Tip, attract clients, client attraction, increase online sales, market in economic crisis, marketing in bad economy, online marketing

Your business image has the power to facilitate growth for your income and your life. With 93% of our communication being nonverbal, having a business image–both personal and online–is essential if you want to achieve business success. 

There is no better time than now to invest in creating a business image–one that will draw potential business and strategic partnerships to you. One that gets visitors to buy from your website and gets current customers to refer you.

In this economic downturn, people are still spending, but thinking twice as long about whom they do business with. You must stand out—in person and online. You must give them a reason to buy from you by making the right impression.

On Tuesday, March 31, 2009, style expert Lee Heyward and I are going to share how to grow your business by perfecting a personal and online business image. In this FREE onetime only teleseminar . . .

“4 Easy Ways to Perfect Your Business Image . . . Right Now.”

On this call, you will learn:

• How to create a business image that tells people you are successful and credible BEFORE you even open your mouth.

• Why your clothing AND your website might be keeping you from business growth . . . and simple, effortless steps to avoid this.

• Why your website and blog image is key to your online business success.

• What you can do RIGHT NOW to implement your desired business image.

• How to create the personal and online image you desire without spending a fortune.

No matter your industry–whether you are in corporate, an entrepreneur, or an independent contractor–you won’t want to miss this onetime only teleseminar. Because we believe now is the time to invest in your business and your life and because we know the power behind having a powerful personal and online image, we’re offering this free, 90-minute teleseminar at two time slots: 2 pm Eastern (11 am Pacific) OR 8 pm Eastern (5 pm Pacific).

Register today for this onetime only call. 

*No recordings will be made available. You must be on the call during one of the two available time slots to hear this powerful information that will change your life and your business.

Increase Sales and Build Long-Term Customer Relationships through Effective Email Marketing

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Posted by admin on March 6, 2009 – 8:41 am
Filed under attract clients, client attraction, increase online sales, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis, online marketing, small business marketing

Email marketing is an excellent way to increase sales, drive traffic to your site, or get prospects to inquire about more information—but how do you craft an effective email? It’s an art really. The content in your email needs to be composed in such a way that it speaks to the need of the reader, facilitates a long-term customer relationship, and drives the reader to take action. An email must do all of these things without being extremely obvious.

Emails that incorporate the words “Buy Now” in big, bold, red words throughout the content are extremely obvious and you only want to sell a product, not facilitate a long-lasting, trustworthy relationship with the customer. This forceful approach will scare the potential client away.

It’s important to illustrate to customers your company is dedicated to satisfying their needs through a result-driven product / service. Again, the copy should not forcefully sell the product—it must be crafted in such a way that it motivates the reader to take some kind of action.

Tips on creating a result-driven email:

• The headline (subject of the email) should not only illustrate what the email is about but should also be unique, intriguing, and pique the interest of the reader. Receivers won’t open the email if the subject of the email doesn’t arouse some thought or feeling within them.

• The tone of your email should be professional and should express your personality a bit. A bland and formal email will get you nowhere. Add zest and character to the email, and let your personality shine through.

• The length of your email should be no more than 750 words.

• The sentences, which make up the email, must lend themselves to the message you’re trying to get across to potential customers. This message should be speaking to the benefit of the viewers and inspire—not force—them to take action.

• The email must provide something valuable to readers. Offering a discount or free gift to people who visit your store, sign up for a free demo, refer your company to others, or purchase a product / service from you is a great way to increase sales and build your email list.

Increase Online Visibility with Article Marketing

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Posted by admin on March 4, 2009 – 11:10 pm
Filed under Copywriting, Marketing Tip, SEO, article marketing, attract clients, client attraction, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis, marketing in bad economy, online articles, online marketing, website copywriter

Article marketing is a cost-effective way to increase your online visibility, drive traffic to your site, and bring in more business. One article provides long-term results, exposing your company to thousands of potential customers—over and over again. Every article you place drives more traffic to your website and improves your site’s link popularity and search engine rankings.

Online articles are an excellent resource for potential clients and illustrate you’re an expert in your field. When writing online articles, it’s important for them to be well written, informative, and unique. This rule applies no matter where you submit your article.

Make sure the article is focused and expresses your expertise. The article should NOT sell your product or service—it should be informative and relate to your industry. For example, if you specialize in web copywriting and online website promotion, instead of writing all your articles about web copywriting tips, try to think outside the box and touch different industries in a unique way. Use what you know about online website promotion, and apply it to a specific industry.

There are five key platforms to submit online articles to, in order to increase SEO:

• Reputable article directories.

• Popular bloggers.

• Social media sites.

• Social bookmarking sites.

• Online publications.

Increase SEO with Keyword-Rich Blogs

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Posted by admin on March 2, 2009 – 7:00 pm
Filed under Copywriting, Marketing Tip, SEO, blogging, blogging for business, increase online sales, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis

It’s important to keep in mind your keywords when posting on your blog. The keywords you use should be the same keywords you use on your website. Keywords work on your blog just as they do on your website. You want to utilize keywords your target market will likely use on search engines and incorporate those into your blogs. The goal of using keywords on your blog is that when someone types in a specific keyword, your blog pulls up on the first page of search engines.

Keyword placement is critical in attracting viewers to your blog. A set of the same three or four keywords can be placed strategically in the title, links, categories, and body of a blog. As with your website, you want to attract a specific target market with profitable keywords. Your goal is to get a high conversion rate from your visitors. This won’t happen if you generalize your target market. Know your target market, and get specific with your keywords.

Each blog post has its own set of labels and categories to help the engines and visitors know what their post is about. Too many bloggers aren’t taking full advantage of labels and categories. Labels and categories are the best place to use the keywords you use in the post—it’s about using the appropriate keywords or phrases in your labels. These keywords and phrases have to match up with what the post is about. The goal isn’t to put out as many keywords as you can think of. The goal is to have a concentrated set of keywords.

Increase SEO and Attract More Site Visitors with the Right Meta Title Tags

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Posted by admin on March 1, 2009 – 2:00 pm
Filed under SEO, attract clients, client attraction, increase online sales, increase site traffic, market in economic crisis, web traffic, website

The title tag is the most important type of meta tag and is an extremely important component of your website. What exactly is meta title tag?

This tag includes the words that appear at the top of your browser and describes what the page is about. It’s also the first thing search engines recognize on your website and is the default title that bookmarking sites (such as Digg and Stumbleupon) will use when a visitor decides to bookmark your site.

You want a separate title tag for each main page on your website. This allows search engines to identify what your page is specifically about. It’s important to create effective meta title tags for all pages on your site because each has the potential to be listed in the search engine results page–not just your home page.

Changing title tags to reflect what the web page is about not only helps with your page ranking but also helps get more visitors to click your link on the search engine results page.