1. The price is under $1,000

If your website is costing you less than $1,000 bucks, then chances are your web designer is terrible and your website will be terrible too. We all wish we could spend $1,000 dollars and make millions, but if it were that easy everyone would do it.

Stop being cheap, because, you get what you pay for. You could easily buy a car for $1,000 bucks but again, you get what you pay for. If you still think your website should be under $1,000 bucks, eventually you will come crawling back to the web designer that was too expensive. Only now you’ll have to pay for a good web designer + the costs of your really cheap web designer.

Common Question:  How much does it cost to build a website?

My common answer:  Well, how much does it cost to build a house?  It depends on what you want.  Just remember that it isn’t really that much cheaper to build a 3 bedroom house as it is a 6 bedroom house.  It still needs the foundation, the plumbing, electrical, etc.  Same with websites.  You still need the whole structure built, no matter how many pages you want.

2. You found them on Craigslist

I advertised for business on Craigslist about 6 or 7 years ago when I was still a terrible web designer. From my experience, I learned that Craigslist is where cheap people can find other cheap people. Of course, every rule has its exceptions and I do occasionally post on Craigslist’s job board to see what’s out there but very rarely do I get the quality I’m looking for.

So, if you found your web designer on Craigslist you’re probably also breaking rule #1, by being cheap.

3. No weekly call during the website build process

Momentum is the energy and excitement that every new website project starts off with. It’s critical to maintain momentum throughout the course of a web design project. The second your web designer loses regular contact is the second you lose the project’s momentum. Your web designer should be in contact with you at least once a week.

4. No copywriting solution

Creating content for your new website is the biggest challenge every client faces. It’s also the #1 cause for delays. A good web designer will be prepared with a solution and warn you about this at the kickoff meeting.

5. Your web designer’s #1 goal is creativity

Creativity should not be the #1 goal for your website. In a survey by Hub Spot, 76% of users said that the most important factor in the design of a website is that “The website makes it easy for me to find what I want.” Only 10% of users said, “beautiful appearance” was the most important thing to them. Organization of content was their number #1 concern for websites, not creativity. The more organized your content is the longer users will stay. The longer users stay, the more likely they will buy. So, make sure your web designer’s priorities are correct.

6. Your web designer is related to you

“Never hire anyone you can’t fire.” You should know better than to hire a relative to work for you in the first place, let alone build your website.

However, if you do decide to hire a family member to build your website, they will probably give you an “unbelievable” discount. If they’re a pro, that’s great news; however, the bad news is that the project eventually won’t be worth their time, and you will eventually end up on the back burner.

7. Your web designer is YOU!

Peep author at conversion xl says, “If you designed your website yourself and you’re not a designer, it sucks”.  It takes years of experience to perfect what we do. You can’t learn this trade in a few hours.

8. You built it using a web tool

Anyone can learn how to use a cheap web design tool in an hour or so but you can’t learn what a good web designer has learned with years of experience. In other words, learning how to use a website builder won’t teach you how to design a website that will get targeted traffic, conversions, and sales.

In addition, just because you learned how to use Photoshop doesn’t mean you’re a good web designer. I’ve received so many resumes from people who know the Adobe Suite like the back of their hand, but their work sucks. Again, it takes years of experience to not be a terrible web designer.

9. They don’t ask enough questions

Your web designer should ask you lots of questions, especially before they start working on your project. They should ask everything about your 3C’s (Company, Competitors, and Clients). Questions should start during the initial sales meetings and kickoff meetings, and then continue throughout the strategy phase of your project. No question is a RED FLAG and the sign of a terrible web designer.

    8 sample questions:

1. What are your primary and secondary goals for your website?
2. Who and where is your target audience (local, national, global)?
3. Describe your typical client.
4. Who are your online and offline competitors?
5. Are you doing any marketing offline?
6. Do you have brand guidelines?
7. Do you have a content writer?
8. What will you provide? (photos, videos, images, brochures)

10. No architecture strategy

Before you start building a house, you hire an architect to make blueprints. Custom web design is very similar to building a house. Before designing any pages, your web designer should map out (blueprint) each page of your website and get your approval before designing and developing.

11. They have too many clients

I used to be guilty of this a lot. I had way too many clients and I could not focus properly on any of them. Therefore, they all suffered. I would jump back and forth on different projects, while ignoring others. It was horrible and stressful. Projects were constantly late and clients were not happy.

12. No scope of work

A wise man in project management for 20+ years once told me that 80% of the problems that occur during a project occur because of a poor scope of work. A good scope of work details all work to be performed and delivered. It is critical that both parties agree to the scope of work before the project is executed.

13. No conversion strategy

Has your web designer helped you define what your primary and secondary conversions are? A conversion can be a phone call, email sign-up, contact form, e-commerce purchase, or a button is clicked. Your web designer should help you define what your conversions are.

Primary conversions are actual sales made on the site or inquiries for sales discussions through a contact form. Secondary conversions are typical forms that capture emails. Your web designer should ask how you want to be contacted and how clients typically prefer contacting you. After all, this is why you built your website.

14. Your designer is from your IT department

I blame clients and web designers for this one. Nothing is more frustrating than someone in IT calling our agency to inquire about a new website. Shouldn’t someone in marketing be calling us? I will never understand why companies associate IT departments with web design.  “Website design is marketing”, not IT.

15. No SEO strategy

Let’s say you wanted to open a new store that required lots of foot traffic. Would you let your real estate agent sell you a very nice storefront without knowing or telling you anything about the neighborhood? Me either. In other words, if your web designer doesn’t do SEO, they are terrible.

16. No CMS

I can’t think of any good reasons why your web developer wouldn’t build your website on a CMS (content management system). A good CMS like WordPress is built on a framework that has prebuilt functionality saving you time and money.

17. Your designer is in a different country

Yes, they speak English, and yes they are cheaper but if you don’t understand how to properly vet designers and developers in other countries you will most likely find a terrible web designer who doesn’t do any of the items above, giving you a very frustrating experience.

The post How to know if your Web Designer Sucks appeared first on Websites by Robyn.

Headline

Your website needs to answer “What does this website offer?” within the first 3 seconds a visitor sees your site.  Keep your headline simple and to the point.

Sub-Headline

Your sub-headline should be a brief and concise description of what you are offering.  Don’t use clichés or over-used common phrases.  Be sure to describe what you can do for your customers without just bragging on yourself.

Benefits

You must explain to people “why” they need your service.  Explain the advantages and benefits of having your product or service.  People may not be ready to buy at this time, but you can offer resources in this section where they can learn more of why they need this product or service.

Call-to-Action

Having multiple “Calls-to-Action” is a great way to engage your audience.  Offer a “free demo” or “free sample”.  Be sure to email the freebie to them so that you are capturing their email address for further discussions.  Have a “read more” and a “buy now” button on your home page.  Calls-to-Action create interaction.

List Features

Bulleted lists are a great way to sum up the features you or your product offer.

Customer Satisfaction

Reviews/Testimonials are essential in today’s marketing.  Make them short and to the point.  A photo or name gives even more validity to the review.

Success Indicators

List or show logos for the awards, recognitions, and relevant education you have received.  This gives your audience a reason to trust you.

Menus

Your website menu should be easy to find at the top of the page.  5-7 tabs with sub-tabs organized below them will allow your customers to find anything they need easily.

Images and Videos

People are visual.  They want to clearly see what you offer.  Don’t use stock photos!

Secondary Call-to-Action

At the bottom of your website page, add a banner with a Call-to-Action to “Buy Now”, “sign up for our FREE Newsletter”, “Get Your FREE eBook”, etc.

Information Area

The footer of your website used to contain just your copyright information and possibly the name of your website designer.  Now-a-days, there is a pre-footer that contains important information such as navigation.  The navigation lists all of your tabs and subtabs in outline form so that at a glance your customers can find where they want to go.  The pre-footer also typically has a map, showing exactly where your shop or office is located.   Also include all of your contact information:  owner’s name (with letters after is applicable), business name, phone #’s, address(s), and a link to your contact page.

The post 11 Important Elements Your Homepage Must Have appeared first on Websites by Robyn.

With almost nine out of 10 companies now using some form of content marketing to attract leads, just try to visualize the sheer volume of content that needs to be produced on a daily basis.

Following is a list of 35 content marketing tips you can use to ensure you’re never without a great idea again.

1. Invest in quality over quantity: Focus on creating fewer, but higher-quality pieces. If you’re currently writing three to five short posts on your blog, consider switching to one to two longer, more “meaty” posts.
2. Define your ideal persona: If you haven’t already done so, figure out exactly who you’re writing your content for.
3. Find new sources for high-quality images for your blog (hint: using cheesy stock photos can make your blog look cheap).
4. Compile a comprehensive list of industry statistics and research. These types of posts are great for getting inbound links.
5. Write a “Top 50…” post on a relevant topic in your niche.
6. Write a blog post responding to a controversial article or video in your niche.
7. Write a post predicting trends in your niche or industry.
8. Put in a pop up opt-in list to see how it affects conversion rates.
9. Ask your readers to submit a story of their experience with your product or service.
10. Use Ubersuggest.com to find tons of possible keywords or phrases for your next blog post.
11. Install ProBlogger’s new Sticky Top Bar Plugin to display an opt-in box or other call to action at the top of every page of your site.
12. Use Portent’s Content Idea Generator  www.portent.com/tools/title-maker to find new ideas and headlines for your next blog post.
13. Try using Quora.com to find questions people are asking in your niche or industry.
14. Subscribe to relevant subreddits  www.reddit.com/reddits/ to see what topics are trending in your industry.
15. Join three private Facebook groups in your niche to see what topics your audience is really interested in.
16. Look through your analytics to see your top three blog posts, then write a follow up post for each one.
17. Contact three key figures in your industry to talk about opportunities for cross promoting content via your email lists, guest posts and social media sharing.
18. Do a poll or survey of your audience and publish a post with your findings.
19. Ask your readers, subscribers and social media followers to submit videos, ideas, or images: Choose the best ones and create blog content around them.
20. Create a list of content ideas and keep the list nearby so it’s easy to add to as you get ideas.  This will ensure you never run out of things to write about.
21. Create categories on your blog that can make finding your content easier for your visitors.
22. Create at least one info product (such as an eBook) you can publish on your website to grow your email list.
23. Create a blog post that includes an excerpt of your eBook; then encourage your readers to download the rest.
24. Compile Top 10 resource lists for your niche: Top 10 blogs; top 10 companies; top 10 tools, etc.  then pull from those resources for blog content ideas.
25. Create a ‘hack’ post: A list of workarounds for a common problem or issue in your niche.
26. Write a blog post about a conversation that’s taking place on social media: For instance, if your Facebook fans are having a particularly lively debate, write a post summarizing the main arguments and offering a solution or answer.
27. Put your URL or website name on all the original photos you use on your blog; this way, if they get pinned or shared, you’ll be sure to retain credit.
28. Create a beginner’s guide with helpful, actionable information and tips.
29. Write a blog post about a popular movie, relating it to your specific audience or industry.
30. Write a post inspired by a comment left on your blog (the more controversial, the better).
31. Write about a hypothetical situation, and ask your visitors what they do in the same situation.
32. Review a recent book that would be relevant to your audience.
33. Compile a list of inspirational or motivational quotes your readers would enjoy.
34. Create a blog post that lists all the most useful articles or resources on a particular topic (not just your own).
35. Write a post listing and linking to all your articles on a particular topic or theme. This is great for SEO and for increasing readers’ time-on-site.

Gleaned from Jayson DeMers

The post 35 Content Marketing Ideas For Your Website Or Blog appeared first on Websites by Robyn.

So you’ve got a mobile-friendly responsive website, you’ve got great content, your SEO keywords are in place, and you still are not getting the amount of traffic to your website that you want?  Your next step is Social Sharing.

Having a strong social marketing strategy is a must for today’s social media driven culture.  Websites that integrate social media on their website just plain receive more traffic.  It’s free advertising!  It would be ridiculous to not use it.

I’ve had clients tell me “I hate Facebook”, “Twitter is for kids” and “I just don’t want to learn anything new”.  All legitimate feelings, but the fact remains that social media is the driving force of the majority of website traffic and it will only become more and more important in the years to come.

So the question is, do you jump on the bandwagon now or wait until you are really “behind the times” and try to catch up then?  Luckily for these folks or the business owners who just don’t have the time to run their own social media, there are now people who can do that for you.

For those of you who are ready for the Social Media Age, here are 10 important secrets that will improve your efforts tremendously!

1.  When and how often to share

Tweets have a short “shelf life”, meaning that they move down the page and get lost below newer tweets fairly quickly.  So Tweeting more often is advisable.

Facebook Posts have a longer “shelf life”, remaining towards the top longer (depending on how many friends are feeding into it) and tend to get exposure because people love to scroll down through posts even if they are hours or even days old.  Getting the scoop on the latest news is a worldwide obsession these days.

Blog Posts have even a longer shelf life, with customers reading back through years worth of archives in order to find the information they want.

Facebook is used during downtime at work, lunch hours, afternoon lulls, but more often in the evenings, and the most on weekends.

Twitter spreads news quickly – personal, social, political, etc.  These posts spike when people typically commute, take breaks from work, and go home for the evening.

Get to know the habits and personalities of your typical customer by using social analytics to determine the best days and times to post.  You can find a free social analyzer at http://simplymeasured.com/free-social-media-tools

2. Use the limited space of social postings effectively

Engagement, content, and a call to action – all in as little space as possible. That’s the game with social sharing. Twitter made brevity the hallmark of its platform, but Facebook users also reward character conservation: posts under 80 characters get 66% more engagement.

You want customers to do something with what you share – you want them to act and continue the viral spread of your content. Opportunities for action and engagement include questions, contests, requests, hashtags, and even a simple link. Give your customers a way to interact productively without ever leaving your post.  Ask people to “comment,” “share,” or “retweet” your post.  A visitor to a social site or your website only spends milliseconds deciding if they want to respond to your content.  

3. Maximize the size and visibility of your posts

A picture is worth a thousand words……ALWAYS include a photo in your posts, whether you are posting on Facebook, Twitter or your blog.  Posts with images receive 40% more interaction than those without.  Make sure your photos are always linked to your website, not to the photo URL.

4. Make your social profiles represent you well

Every form of social networking gives you an opportunity to create a social profile.  Make sure the information is consistent, professional and well polished.  This includes your profiles on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and LinkedIn.  Services like Yelp, Pinterest, Tumblr, Foursquare, Goodreads, and even topic-specific forums may best get you in contact with your particular customer. Find where your customers are; make sure you’re there too.

5. Make your site share-friendly

You’ve worked hard to build a functional, attractive website and publish meaningful content on your blog. Now, make sure people can find it – and easily notify their network of your good work. Make it as easy as possible for your customers to share your content.

Add share buttons (links to share instantly on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.) to your website and blog, and make them readily accessible. Some tools and plugins even make these buttons ‘float’ or follow the customer’s scroll.  Use social sharing buttons that display counters of how many times content has been shared.  This provides a credibility-boosting ‘crowd’ of readership.  Let your customers see how popular your content is, and give them the opportunity to make it more viral.

6. Benefits of regular Blogging

The Internet is giving you an opportunity to post lasting content – content that you control, on a site you control. Exploit that opportunity.

Your Facebook posts and Twitter tweets will disappear, buried under billions of newer messages. But your blog benefits you in search, gives you a platform to become a reputable source, garners links to your work, and drives traffic directly where you want it: your website.

Choose compelling images to accompany your posts. As with posts directly on social media platforms, this increases engagement and makes your content virally shareable on various networks.

So, do it. Blog regularly. Current research indicates that blogging 15 or more times per month can increase traffic by 5X. Even if you’re a small organization, make this a part of someone’s job description. If you’re part of an even smaller enterprise, then find a way to make blogging work for you – the same research shows your business stands to benefit the most in terms of traffic increase.

Blog content is longer-lasting, but this is still the internet – it takes concentrated effort to get your desired content onto your customers’ screens.  If you’re not already posting frequently, these numbers may seem daunting. Don’t worry, there are ample resources for blog post ideas.

7. Share and Share alike

You’re reading this because you want to promote what you’re doing and boost your web traffic. That gives you something in common with just about everyone else using the Internet. Helping others meet their goals in social sharing ultimately furthers your message as well. Highlight resources, companies, and persons that create value for the customers you want to meet and to serve.

You can promote people whose promotion and reach you want, such as influential figures in your industry. Interview one of these people or invite them to guest blog on your website. Donald Trump may not show much interest in writing for your suburban real estate shop, but a realtor a few towns over, similarly successful as yourself, would likely be delighted to participate in such cross-promotion. And you build your own credibility by associating with relevant authorities online.

8. Use groups to meet and interact with customers

Identify groups relevant to your customers on Google+ Circles, Facebook, LinkedIn, industry forums, or in other virtual settings like Twitter Lists. Make these groups work for you analytically as well, using them for A/B testing of changes you’re considering in content, style, and presentation and tracking how these alterations play out with your customer base.

Become a contributor to the discussions in these settings. Build trust in here, and you can interact with your customers like never before. Turn this group into a tribe that believes in what you’re doing, and you’ll enjoy the endless benefits of having like-minded people promoting your work and also sharing content that interests you. And don’t just show and tell – ask questions too. Ask your customers for their input and feedback. Get them in the habit of interacting with you, and show them you value their opinion.

9. Quality content

With all these strategies, there’s no substitute for making worthwhile products. A well-timed, expertly-linked, meaningless tweet is still just a meaningless tweet. If you want customers to find, engage with, and share your content, then give them something worth sharing.

You can find all types of free resources, guides, and tools at FIRST SITE GUIDE.

The post Need More Website Traffic? 9 Secrets of Social Sharing appeared first on Websites by Robyn.

Small businesses can have more fun with their sites than large corporations. Having a personalized touch is something small businesses can do that many big businesses can’t.  A small-business site needs to include something that reflects the creativity and personality of its owner. People want character. Whatever your industry, tell your story online. When there is nothing on your site about whom you are or who’s on your team, people wonder about whether you are a good company from which to buy.

Here are the 9 most important things experts say customers want to know:

1. How your business is unique
   “Who are you?  What is unique about your business?  Why should I buy from you?” You don’t need to write a novel, but tell people who you are and a bit about your philosophy about your business.
2. A clear sense of what your company offers
   It’s incredible how many sites you visit and you’re not sure what the company offers.  Your home page should provide at least general information about your products and/or services, with links to specifics on a Products page.
3. Easily accessible contact information, including a phone number and physical location.  Some websites prefer to do all of their business online and see no need to publish an address or phone number. This is a must, and it’s one small way of building credibility and trust. Showing a physical location, even one that no one will ever visit, comforts a customer that your business is real and legitimate.
4. Third-party validation
   This means customer testimonials, client lists, case studies, awards and recognition you’ve received, positive news clippings and the like. Potential customers indeed want to know who you do business with, and what current customers have to say about their experiences.  Social networking now has strong validation also.
5. Secure Socket Layer (SSL)
   SSL is an encryption system that helps protect the privacy of data exchanged between a customer and a website. If you have an e-commerce site that takes credit card information, customers want to know that their sensitive data is encrypted. Get SSL if you don’t have it.
6. Ease of use and navigation
   If people can’t find it, they can’t buy it. 76% of consumers say the most important factor in a website’s design is “making it easy for me to find what I want.” A FAQs (frequently asked questions) page is helpful.
7. An ability to give feedback
   Encourage feedback about your products and services, your ordering process and your site in general, by providing a feedback mechanism–either feedback forms or e-mail links.
8. Clear calls to action
   Customers want signs or buttons in order to act, be it “Buy now” or “Sign up for our newsletter” or “Click here for more information.”  If you have a captive audience, this is the time to grab them!
9. Special offers and personalization
   By personalizing a sale with a special offer, incentive or coupon, small businesses can gain an edge on their bigger counterparts. This can be as simple as a hand-written thank-you note, free gift wrap services or a special offer for repeat business.

The post 9 Things Customers Want on a Website appeared first on Websites by Robyn.

Because mobile Internet usage is increasing steadily, it’s extremely important that your website is friendly for any size device on which it is viewed.

Remember in years past, you would bring up a website on your cell phone and it would be a tiny version of the actual website you would see on a desktop?  Then you’d have to “pinch and spread” you fingers to get it bigger and then use your pointer finger to move around and try to find what you want?  Those were the years of resizing, panning and scrolling to find what you want.  What a pain!

Then came the concept that you would have a website built for desktop users and another site specifically developed for mobile users — Two websites, twice the cost, twice the maintenance.  Thus the development of Responsive Design — a design that can handle both types of users.  With a responsive website design, you don’t have to have worry about having different websites for various devices or making sure that your site runs properly on a mobile device.

Responsive Web Design was born.  (Yeah, and the angels sang!)  With responsive web design, your website in built in compartments and columns that can easy stack when the browser window gets smaller, like for an iPad, notebook, cell phone, etc.  All of the content stays large so that you can easily read it without the “pinch, spread and search” method that frustrated us for years.

Type stays large, while items such as photos and videos resize to screen width for easy viewing.  This new type of responsive website is built on the concept of percentages rather than pixels and points.

If your designer really knows what he/she is doing you will have a “cheat bar” at the top of your website that allows customers to quickly call, email, or map your location.  This is mainly used when your website is seen on a cell phone.  If someone looks your website up on their cell phone, they are most likely not shopping as much as wanting to get a hold of you by phone or email, or driving to you and needing a map.

For customers who do like to shop on their notebooks or cell phones, a responsive design makes the eCommerce and Paypal areas easy to navigate, whereas unresponsive sites’ shopping page are sometimes unusable.  One thing has become clear: mobile is taking over Internet surfing. And, it’s not even just surfing. It’s everything from browsing social media outlets, checking emails and doing some online shopping.

To stay competitive in today’s market, it is important that you make the switch to responsive design for your website.

The post What in the World is Responsive Web Design? appeared first on Websites by Robyn.

Did you know that 74% of the people who visit websites on their mobile phone will give up if it takes more than 5 seconds to load?(1)  Back in 2013, mobile phones out-numbered PCs as the most common web access devices worldwide.(2)  It’s amazing how so many websites are still not optimized for mobile.  If you’re not “mobile friendly”, you are losing business!

Here are 3 top reasons “mobile friendly” websites are a must for small businesses:

1. There are 6.8 billion people on the planet at present. 4 billion own mobile phones.(3)   (But only 3.5 million use a toothbrush….which we will probably not be covering in a future article.)  25% of Americans use only mobile devices to access the Internet.(4)  There are 5x as many cell phones in the world as PCs.(5)  In the US alone, 82 percent of adults own a cell phone. Are you getting the point?  The world is changing and if you don’t change the way your business is represented on the internet, you will be left behind.
2.  Mobile users have different objectives than desktop users. They want information quickly, in easily digestible bites. 80 percent of shoppers admit that mobile purchases are impulse-driven and they are far more likely to purchase from a mobile friendly site.

Statistics show that mobile users spend more money per purchase than customers do on desktop websites.  These are your customers…these are the young and upcoming “spenders” in the world.  Know your clientele and give them what they need.

3.  Content that looks great on a desktop might be unreadable on a mobile device. Shoppers will not stay on your site if they have to pinch and zoom or squint at illegible type. Desktop websites in mobile browsers are ineffective at converting visitors into buyers. Calls to action (CTAs) are often obscured, links are difficult to click, and contact pages are buried in awkward menus.

Mobile shoppers have little patience for an unwieldy website and one-third of them will leave a transaction if the site isn’t optimized for mobile. By providing mobile visitors with an appropriate and intuitive user experience you will obviously engage visitors longer and drive more of them to purchase or inquire about your business.

Sources: Compuware.com, Gartner.com, 60SecondMarketer.com, GoMoNews.com, ImpigoMobile

The post 3 Top Reasons You Need a “Mobile Friendly” Website appeared first on Websites by Robyn.

Series 4  Article 31

We will see a rise in visual content, and a decrease in the reign of info & fact heavy websites.

6. 60% of consumers are more likely to click on a business whose images appear in search results. Basically this means you need to find a way to show your products with an image. Try alt tagging your  images with your product or company name.

7. 67% of consumers consider clear, detailed images to carry more weight than product information or customer ratings. A study in which a Harvard student worked with a bank, sending 50K letters offering short term loans in which they varied the interest rate as well as the photos used in the ad. It turned out that having a wholesome, happy female picture on the ad had as much positive impact on the response rate as dropping the interest rate by four percentage points.

8. Visuals show your products without telling people about them. This allows viewers to make their own decisions without feeling pressure from your business. Inspirational without being pushy. Visually appealing without being over-the-top. Understated. It promotes their brand without pushing it down the throat of their audience.

9. Visuals express ideas quickly – in a snapshot. Easily-palatable content is the future of content marketing. The internet user wants as much valuable information as possible in as short as time as possible. Infographics, slideshows, vidoes – these are the pieces of content that will be establishing your business as a trusted resource.
10. Visuals are becoming easier and easier to create as photo editing tools become more accessible.  Google “Free photo editing tools” and see what I mean.

The post 10 Reasons to use Visuals on your Website Part 2 appeared first on Websites by Robyn.

Series 4  Article 30

Using visuals including photos, graphics and videos will increase your traffic and keep your potential clients on your website longer than a well written website. Don’t get me wrong, wording is extremely important for search engine optimization, but it’s the visuals that will keep people on your website.

1. 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual. Visuals are processed 60,000X faster in the brain than text. This means any information you want to communicate is better communicated in the form of an image. It also means that, for an internet user skimming your website you’ll be able to communicate more value, quicker.

2. Videos on landing pages increase average page conversion rates by 86%.

3. Visual content is social-media-ready and social-media-friendly. It’s easily sharable and easily palatable. Social engagement is becoming more important for your business’ search engine optimization.  Images on social media get more engagement than links or text. Images on your website have a higher chance of being shared than anything else.

4. Businesses who market with infographics grow in traffic an average of 12% more than those who don’t. Infographics are a visually appealing way to communicate information quickly and easily to your audience. Infographics are not only awesome for brand awareness and social-media sharing, they’re also referenced more frequently than any other pieces of content – increasing their reach exponentially.
5. Posts with visuals receive 94% more page visits and engagement than those without. People are naturally more attracted to images than they are links or text. Facebook posts with an image receive, on average, more than twice as many comments as those without. Photo albums on Facebook receive 180% more engagement than a normal post.

The post 10 Reasons to use Visuals on your Website Part 1 appeared first on Websites by Robyn.

1. Ask Questions – “It’s not enough to be broadcasting promotional messages — brands should make an effort at engaging with their audiences. Asking questions is a great way to kick off that two-way dialogue.” – Erica Swallow, Mashable

2. Don’t Over-Automate – “Don’t automatically feed your blog posts or your Twitter updates into your Page. Often, automated content doesn’t make it into users’ News Feeds.” – Ekaterina Walter, social media strategist, Intel

3. Don’t Make it All About You – “As a rough rule of thumb, post four status updates on items about outside news items or discoveries for every post promoting a product. And when you do mention a product or service, try to do so in a helpful way.” – JD Lasica, Socialmedia.biz

4. Leverage Testimonials & Feedback – “Use Facebook to engage directly with your customers and make them part of your marketing efforts… Ask customers to share their successes on your wall and get feedback on new product features.” – Leyl Master Black, managing director, Sparkpr

5. Be Human and Personable – “The most successful B2B pages often combine demonstrations of expertise with humor and personality, sounding more like a real conversation than stilted marketing and sales speak.” – Karlie Justus, Social Media B2B

6. Offer Variety – “Mix it up a little between videos, photos, questions, information, etc. Don’t have your own videos? YouTube is a treasure trove of ‘em, and sharing sites like Reddit and Digg are great sources to discover stuff people like.” – Linda Bustos, GetElastic

7. Be Active – “Don’t take it for granted that you have a page available. No matter how great you’ve made it, if you aren’t active, it defeats the whole purpose of having one.” – Orli Yakuel, TechCrunch

8. Post Engaging, Thought-Provoking Content – “Unless they’re interesting enough to draw comments, simple status updates aren’t going to move you into Top News feeds. Publish content that naturally encourages click-throughs or creates discussion.” Jim Lodico, Social Media Examiner

9. Make Requests – “Want your fans to express their views on a topic? Ask them. Want your fans to share their favorite content with you? Ask them. Want your fans to share your content? Ask them. You get the point.” – Ekaterina Walter, social media strategist, Intel

10. Address Negativity With Tact – “Should there be a negative comment, which scares many B2B companies, address it with understanding and sincerity. In most cases, transparency and listening go a long way in stemming off negative feedback.” – Dave Folkens, TopRank Online Marketing Blog

11. Keep it Fresh – “Update your group or fan page on a regular basis with helpful information and answers to questions.” – Debbie Hemley, Social Media Examiner

12. Be Consistent – “Nothing makes for a bad Facebook Group or Page than stagnant content. Like a corporate blog or dynamic website, you need to engage people regularly. Even if it’s just posting a new message board topic each week, do something on a regular basis (the more frequent the better) to elicit a response from folks.” – Jason Falls, Social Media Explorer

13. But Don’t Go Overboard – “One or two strong Facebook updates per day is better than a half dozen scattershot updates that fly by and don’t have the staying power to attract people’s feedback.” – JD Lasica, Socialmedia.biz

14. Encourage Action – “Don’t be afraid to ask users to share objects or click on the Like button—especially if you’re new to Facebook. It can take a little while for a Facebook page to gain momentum. Anything you can do to help it along will only speed the process.” Jim Lodico, Social Media Examiner

15. Promote Your Page Offline – “If your business is run from physical premises, put a placard on the front desk letting your customers know you’re on Facebook.” – Mari Smith, Social Media Examiner

16. Offer Contests and Giveaways – “Contests and giveaways should not require much effort on the part of your fans but should offer something real and valuable to them.” – Candis Hidalgo, content and social media marketing director, FaceItPages.com

17. Provide Incentives & Motivation – “If you want to get people to Like your Facebook page, and become more familiar with your products and services, a strong incentive can help achieve this.” – Graham Charlton, Econsultancy

18. Think Strategically About Timing – “Because you have just a short window of opportunity to gain traction with a Share (time decay factor), think carefully when planning frequency and content, and timing. Consider time zones – if you always post at the same time of day, Fans across the pond may never see your updates. Spread the love!” – Linda Bustos, GetElastic

19. Understand How Facebook Works – “Write for the newsfeed, not for your wall…Though some people will be led straight to your wall through a link or ad for example, your existing fans are going to see your update in their newsfeed…Remember that saying something like ‘check out our tab on the side’ is completely out of context for people seeing this update in their newsfeed.” – Lauren Fisher, The Next Web
20. Analyze Engagement – “Monitor which posts attract the most Likes and comments (eyeball), and use Insights – Facebook’s own analytics tool – for data. (Integrating your Facebook Page provides much better data).” – Linda Bustos, GetElastic

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