Pretty Or Effective - Website Design That Works

I here it all the time, "I have a beautiful website but I just don't understand why I am not getting any business off of it."  Sometimes we tell people they need an update to the look of their site and they reply, "but I like my site and the way it looks."  I then ask what kind of return on investment they are getting and if they are getting new customers or clients as a result.  Most of the time the reply is, "no, I have not get any new and real customers but it sure is pretty."  See anything wrong with this picture.

Pretty or Effective

One of the hardest things we have to do internet marketing is combine the look and feel of a website with making it really effective and making it where it gets optimum conversions.  In the minds of most people, a website with really great esthetics is one that will convert but that it is pretty far from the truth.  Our experience has shown that the look, although it has some importance, is not hands down what makes a site convert.

You see, we hear a lot about traffic and the need for traffic to our sites and that is important, but when they get there, if they don't take action, what good is the traffic.  So conversion measures have to be taken in order to get the results from our websites we want. 

What Top Converting Websites Do

Here are a few things that the top converting websites do:

• The make their "Unique Value Proposition" clear.  What is your message in a few short words that you want your potential clients to get when they land on your site.
• The test call to actions.  If you don't have a call to action, that is the first mistake.  If you don't test them, that is the second.  A website is never done.  You must measure and adjust.
• They test their headlines.  The headline on a page is very important.  If you are using wordpress this is normally the title of the page or post.  Sometimes you may want to put the headline in the body of the page if it is too long for the title area.
• Keep contact and leadgen forms short.  Conversion rates go down if a potential client has too much information to fill in on the form.
• They have colorful "Share" icons.  Make it easier for the visitor to share your content by having bold and colorful social media icons.
• The segment users.  By this I mean that if they have products or services geared more toward women, they make the content and the look appeal to women.  The same holds true for men.  This is also applied to people with different interest.
• Conversions can be increased with big call to action buttons within the content.  
• The use of video increases conversions substantially.  We implore this strategy in our design:  great written content to attract the search rankings...video to improve conversions.

One of the highest converting websites we have is not very attractive at all.  It gathers leads for dentist who treat sleep apnea.  The site is designed to invoke pain and dissatisfaction about wearing the CPAP.  This sites conversion rates are amazing because it does what it was designed to do.

Web design must be done with the target audience in mind.  What emotion do you want to invoke from them.  What pain are the experiencing and how can your product or service fix it.  What problem does it solve.  All these things lead to greater conversions.

So if your website is not converting, you may not have the right elements for conversion.  We can give you a free evaluation of your site to help you get better conversions.  For more information, visit Reddoch Media Groups Web Design Page.  

What's Your Local Marketing Plan

Local Internet Marketing 

Most small businesses make a grave mistake by not having a local marketing plan.  Most go into business with no real plan of how they will grow and succeed.  They normally end up struggling and wondering why they are not getting new customers in the door on a more consistent pace.  The deal is they have not developed a sales funnel for doing so.

Marketing does not mean you find as many ways as you can to get your business publicity.  What it does mean is you first develop a message, identify who you want to here that message, then deliver that message in varied forms to that audience.  This requires some planning and brainstorming.  Most like to skip this and just go with what everyone else is doing.  The problem is when you do what everyone else is doing, you are going to get what everyone else is getting.  Your marketing must be designed to present you as being different.

A Short But Humorous Story

There were three businesses in a mall with similar products.  They were all three side by side and they constantly where trying to out do the other.  One day, one of them decides to have a huge sale and he had posters with offers printed up and put all across the front of the store.  One of the others got upset and so he did the same thing and got bigger posters talking about their big sale.  The guy in the middle of these two was perplexed about what to do.  One on one side with big signs and the other one on the other side with big sales posters and both had special lights and music going.  How do you compete.  So the store owner in the middle thought to himself, "how do I compete with this?"  So he had an idea.  He called the printer and had some posters printed up also and he put them right by his front door...they said "Entrance."   I love that.

Rather than do what the others did, he got creative.  He capitalized on what they were doing in a big way.  If you and I are going to succeed, we need to think out of the box.  Don't do what every body else is doing.  Find other ways to bring your message to your audience but observe what the others are doing and be different.

We will be glad to help you with a plan at Reddoch Media Group.  Give us a call today.

The Two Reasons You Will Market Your Business

 What Kind Of Thinker Are You

Often times I go into a business and sit down and talk with a manager or business owner and I hear these words, "I cannot afford to do any advertising or marketing.  Times are hard and the economy has really effected my business."  I am sure someone reading this has said that or knows someone who has. 

I want you to stop and think about that for a minute.  Let's suppose you own a furniture store in your city and you think that way.  How many other furniture stores are in your market area?  Do you think any of them are thinking that way also?  Are there any that seem to be moving forward and doing well?  I can guarantee you this, that the ones not going forward and not making money are the ones that think they cannot afford to market and the ones who are making money think they can and they do it.

You see, you will ultimately market your business for two reasons:  One is to grow it and the other is to sell it.  I know that seems tongue and cheek but it is the truth.  It all has to do with your thinking.

Let's suppose you are one of five furniture stores in your area.  You are all experiencing the same economic conditions in that area.  Yet one of these is thriving more than the others.  Why?  I know your probably thinking of several external reasons why like they may have a better location or more capital on hand...or...could it be they chose to use their resources to grow and expand rather than focusing on what they may be lacking.

The problem with most business owners is they constantly focus on what they don't have and what they perceive as a disadvantage rather than focusing on the strengths they have and capitalizing on them.  I know this for a fact.

When I started in business here in Lafayette, Louisiana, I had no prospects, no money, no office and knew nobody.  I came here to work with another guy and his company went down hill and I was left basically stranded.  My wife said "what are we going to do?"  I told her I was going to get up and go out and start doing what I do best and that was sell my skill set.  So I did and today I have a thriving business that has no debt and I have a nice office in a good location. 

I didn't spend time focusing on what I didn't have.  Rather, I focused on what I did have and I acted upon some really creative ideas I had and things started coming together. 

Stop and think about it.  If you think you can't afford to move forward, how many of the other guys in your market thinking the same thing.  Probably more than half to three quarters of them.  That means you have an opportunity to pull ahead when others pull back out of fear.  Don't let economic setbacks pull you into a life of fear because fear is like a cancer...it will spread through your entire life very quickly and before you know it, everything around you is falling apart.

Make up your mind today that you are going to push ahead.  Don't procrastinate or make excuses.  Take action.  Get creative and leave your competition in the dust.