How important is your websites appearance to improving your online conversion rates? VERY!

It is often said in life that 1st impressions are everything. Whether we judge a person based on their appearance or by what they drive (come on you know you do it) OR we judge a business based on their store or office location; when it comes to your website’s appearance – it goes without saying that a 1st impression really is everything.

Consider that 86% of consumers will visit your website before doing business with you and you begin to see just how important having a “positive” 1st impression really is to growing your business and ultimately increasing your bottom lines.

Now also consider that most websites only convert about 1% of their website traffic to actual leads let alone converting them into paying customers and it goes without saying no matter how much traffic you have a prime focus needs to be paid to ensure you leave as many visitors as possible with a great 1st impression because when they leave a site without taking action, 99% of the time they will never come back. Opportunity lost forever.

So what does leave a website visitor with a great 1st impression? And just as important what are some easy ways to convert more visitors into customers?

Here are 3 action items to consider as you look to increase your leads by using your website.

1) You must answer 2 basic questions (and they must be answered in less than 7 seconds)

• What can I buy, do, or get here?
• Why should I buy, do, or get from you instead of your competition?

Since your competition is a mere “click” away, it is paramount to grab a website visitor’s attention right away. Search engine results dictate that if a visitor does not see what they are looking for OR find a compelling reason to stay on your website they are simply on to the next listing.

2) The website should not look outdated
A website that does not fully fill the screen or is left justified for example can give a visitor the impression that your site is outdated. This will inevitably leave many visitors wondering, “If you don’t have an updated website, your business has in some way fallen behind the times”. This is a sure fire way to ensure your website will never be your best sales tool.

Some other features of outdated websites include:
• Small font sizes
• Lack of social media integration
• Too much text
• Lack of supportive imagery, graphics, or video (the copy to image ratio should be in the neighborhood of 50/50)
• Inconsistent navigation between your different web pages

3) Lack of conversion triggers
Conversion triggers can take on many shapes and forms. As a part of your website general layout attention should be made to place these triggers in prominent places on your website.

Some examples include:
• Phone number: Big, bold, and above the fold (preferably in the upper right hand corner of your homepage)
• Request a Quote Form or Button
• Downloadable content (e.g. guides, tip sheets, or white papers)
• Newsletter sign-up forms
• Social Media Icons

Need to improve your website’s appearance and start improving your online conversion rates? Contact Us and let us help you!

What do you think is an important feature a website should have to help conversion rates? Share your thoughts below.

Website Appearance Improves Online Conversion Rates is a post from SEORCHERS: SEO Phoenix

Inbound Marketing Agency Helping You Get Found Online - SEO Company based in Scottsdale, AZ

Twitter is quickly becoming a major source for news and information. With over 350 million users, Twitter is a fast-growing social community. Many companies try to use Twitter for marketing, but few succeed. The strange lingo of Twitter (hashtags, retweets, etc.) can be baffling, and understanding how to successfully integrate Twitter into a larger advertising strategy is difficult. But, Twitter doesn’t have to be hard. Here are some Twitter marketing strategies you can implement today:

● Determine the goal of using Twitter. Twitter is not just about getting followers. Twitter is about building an online presence. Being connected with the right people that will retweet your company’s tweets or visit the company website is important. Additionally, using Twitter as an analytic tool is an important use for the site. Twitter is an easy way to determine who is saying what about your business. It can also be a way to respond to complaints in order to minimize their impact. Use direct messaging to nip the problem in the bud.

● Don’t be afraid to promote other Twitter users. Social media often works on a principle of reciprocity – if you follow another user or retweet their tweets, they’ll likely do the same.

● Share useful content. Linking to content or even giving customers a “sneak peek” at upcoming products or changes to your company will make following your company’s Twitter page worthwhile for other Twitter users.

● Use hashtags to allow the community to follow your tweets. Hashtags are a way of categorizing tweets to make it easy to find tweets about a certain subject, and developing a common hashtag for your company is a good way for your company to be found.

● Promote your Twitter account. Add your Twitter handle to your business cards, promotional brochures, flyers, and email signatures. Encourage people to follow your company through Twitter

● Use Twitter as a news site. Post new services or products, highlight new employees, and list employment needs at your business. Twitter is intended to act as a news feed, and it’s best used in that manner.

Twitter is a great tool, when used in an organized, thoughtful manner. Social media sites, like Twitter, work around creating a community, and your company should be a part of that community. Twitter doesn’t have to be hard – using these tips can make Twitter a valuable part of your marketing strategy.

What are you implementing in your Twitter marketing? Share by commenting. Contact Us if you need assistance with your strategy!

Twitter Marketing Strategies You Can Implement Today is a post from SEORCHERS: SEO Phoenix

Inbound Marketing Agency Helping You Get Found Online - SEO Company based in Scottsdale, AZ

SEO is more than a career—it’s a lifestyle. Optimizing for the web is a tricky balance between well known best practices and rolling with the constantly evolving nature of search engines on the web. If you’re caught up in the SEO game and loving it, it might be showing up in the way you manage your personal life. Read on for four signs you might be an SEO.

…You Mistake Your Grocery List for Keywords

Keywords, keywords, keywords! This absolutely fundamental component of SEO drives every aspect of the Search Engine Optimization process. Studying endless variations, keyword combinations, keyword misspellings, and then designing bodies of text to catch search engines’ attention is one of the more thrilling aspects of SEO. If you’ve got keywords on the brain, then you might be an SEO.

…Over 1,000 People Like Your Cat’s Facebook Fan Page

Facebook is like a golden enigma to many businesses. It’s the number one most visited site in the world. Any organization can create and maintain a Facebook page. Just about anyone can purchase ad space on Facebook utilizing its clever ad management system. One question drives businesses when it comes to Facebook: “What do we do with it?” The process of designing a Facebook page to get customers to point to a website is one of the most elusive, difficult SEO challenges.

…Your Children Accept Paypal

The end goal of Search Engine Optimization, for many businesses, is monetization. Boost search rankings. Get hits. Get your hooks into page viewers. Turn those views into dollars. Now that the web is the world’s storefront, everyone’s accepting Paypal and other online payment methods to ease the monetization process.

…You’re On More Social Networks Than A Kardashian

Search Engine Optimization must sometimes be done with exclamation points, putting as many signposts on the Internet pointing at the desired web destination as possible. For many top businesses, that includes leveraging the power of multiple social networks. There’s more to it than Facebook and Twitter, which are both invaluable business communication tools. Google +, Foursquare, Tumblr, LinkedIn and more are all proving beneficial to the SEO process.

Keywords, Facebook, monetization, extreme social networking… these are all signs that you might be an SEO. When these best practices bleed over into your personal life, then you know Search Engine Optimization has become a part of your identity. Transforming a business or personal goal into internet goals makes every SEO sacrifice worthwhile. Here at SEORCHERS we fit into all these categories! SEO is who we are and what we do!

You Might Be An SEO If… is a post from SEORCHERS: SEO Phoenix

Inbound Marketing Agency Helping You Get Found Online - SEO Company based in Scottsdale, AZ

Following the dos and don’ts of social media can be the difference of gaining, maintaining and growing a social media following or not. So it’s important to understand the best practices and things to avoid when it comes to getting social.

Get real. Share real events, issues and triumphs with your social audience. This will give them something to relate to, providing opportunities to connect and dialogue with them. Even if something negative happens like a shipment is late or the power goes out in the middle of a big meeting. Give your followers something to relate to by telling them about it. After all, who hasn’t gotten mad about receiving something late or losing power in the middle of something important? Let them see you. You are your social media avatar and bio, so make sure your profile image and description shows your followers exactly who you are and what you do. Again, be sure to stay consistent with your persona across platforms.

Make your mark. What you do and say today matters tomorrow. Tweets, status updates and LinkedIn posts stick around forever, unless you delete them, and they’re pretty easy to find. So make sure each message complements who and what you and your business represent as well as how it may reflect upon you in the future.

“If you confuse, you lose.” – Mashable. Be consistent about what you discuss on social media. Keep your branding, expertise and content consistent. Make a list about what you will get social about and use this as a guideline on what to push out. Sticking to one general subject will establish your expertise and make you a trusted source on your subject.

It’s tempting to go after the “big fishes” – you know the ones with thousands of followers and friends. But remember, when it comes to gaining a following, it’s about quality not quantity. Also take into account that just because you’re following someone, doesn’t mean he or she will follow you back. This is even more so true with the “big fishes” as they get hundreds of followers a day. Though it may be a little more tedious, search for better quality “small fishes” that you’ll more likely be able to connect with and gain as an audience.

Find “fishes” on Twitter by searching for people tweeting about things associated with your brand. Then tweet these “fishes” to start a conversation. For instance, let’s say you sell student leads. Search for people tweeting keywords and phrases like “more leads,” “more students” or “prospecting for new clients.” Then respond to people tweeting these terms with appropriate, relevant and personalized messages.

Make sure your online efforts are consistent with your offline actions. Your friends and followers need to experience your brand online the same way they’d experience it in person. So, if you tell your social customers you’re going to do something, be sure you follow through.

Always, always, always keep in mind your social media goals and consistently assess whether your actions are helping you meet them. To do so, as we’ve said many times in previous chapters, track your results. Key items to monitor including RSS feed subscribers; number of fans, friends and followers; comments and mentions; links to your site; inquires and sales and links to your posts. Use the tools we mention in the Social Media Monitoring chapter to do so.

Need help getting started? Contact Us and we can help you!

Social Media Do’s and Don’ts is a post from SEORCHERS: SEO Phoenix

Inbound Marketing Agency Helping You Get Found Online - SEO Company based in Scottsdale, AZ

Like with anything in business, a well-developed and executed strategy is the key to consistency, results and success. Social media is no different. Social media requires strategic development, planning, organization, execution and management. In addition, in order for a social media strategy to be effective, everyone in a business must be on board, work together and have patience.

Social media strategy begins with teamwork. Teamwork is needed to create a cohesive plan and vision in which everyone understands and knows what to expect. Teamwork also increases ideas, production and results. Say for instance you release a YouTube video demonstrating your latest product. Increasing distribution beyond your company social media channels increases reach and exposure as well as assists with link building and SEO. An effort such as this requires consistent teamwork and collaboration.

Instant gratification in social media is few and far between. In fact, many social media campaigns take at least three months to see measurable results, so have patience. Along with patience, practice listening. Talk to your clients and see what they have to say about your social media presence and business. Use and evaluate their feedback to assess your strategy and execute changes accordingly. Your clients will often be the best and most honest judges about your performance.

Kicking off a social media strategy begins with goal setting. Start with a small 1-year plan and create goals that are easy to execute and maintain. Consider the following options:

• Institute company social media breaks in which employees take five to ten minutes each day to participate in company-related social media efforts. Start with profile creation and follow up with daily releases of content such as articles, blogs, press releases, Sideshare presentations, Scribd documents, etc. Each day, the company social media guru should send an email sharing the content of the day and encouraging employees to push out the content on their personal social profiles.

• Be proactive.

• Make time each day to converse with followers via your social media channels.

• Respond to feedback.

• Host Q&A sessions and address complaints and concerns.

Conversation Monitoring

Social media is a two-way channel that promotes conversation between you and your clients. In previous chapters, we’ve covered the importance of addressing client feedback; answering questions and concerns and creating a community with your friends and followers. All of which fall under the umbrella of conversation monitoring.

Conversation monitoring allows you to observe the latest discussions about your company across major social media channels. Conversation monitoring allows you to gain a clear understanding of your online reputation; interact directly with clients and uncover potential partnerships and sales opportunities. Additionally, conversation monitoring allows you examine the latest industry trends, learn new skills and stay relevant.

In order to monitor conversations effectively, you need to use a few tools of the trade. First, use a dashboard. Several companies including Marketing Cloud offer platforms designed specifically for conversation monitoring. Google Alerts is also an effective tool to monitor social conversations about your business. Also, we recommend using a RSS-based monitoring dashboard to monitor every network at once such as Netvibe, which allows users to view several conversations at once. Utilize tools like Google Analytics to find out which posts within your feeds are generating the most attention.

Once you have the tools to measure and track conversations, you need to know how to respond to what your clients are saying. As we discussed in early chapters, it’s important to create a social persona and adjust this persona accordingly from channel to channel. Use this persona as the face of your social presence. Be sure to keep the persona positive and proactive even with negative commentary. If a follower expresses a problem or concern about your service or product, address it, fix it and notify the concerned client when it’s resolved. Take client suggestions and opinions into consideration, you may not execute, but at least assure your clients you understand and appreciate their perspectives.

Be sure to also use conversation monitoring to respond to inquiries. If a potential client wants to know more about your business, provide them with a personalized, clear answer. Continue the dialogue with this person until you’ve informed him/her of everything he/she wants to know.

Message Adaptation

We’ve touched on social media message adaptation briefly in previous chapters. Message adaptation simply means adjusting your message to fit the social network you’re communicating on. So while you can use multi-network updaters, it’s of the utmost importance to tailor messages for each individual site. The reason behind this is that each network has its own culture with its own unique set of rules and accepted practices. So, what may be acceptable on one network may be spam or unprofessional on another. On Twitter for instance, it’s acceptable to use slang or abbreviate words to fit the 140 character limit. On Facebook however, it’s a general rule of thumb to speak in complete sentences and without abbreviations. Customizing your message will ensure they’re conveyed effectively to each audience. Additionally, it will keep your messaging consistent and perpetuating across each network.

Another point to consider is that if someone likes you on Facebook and follows you on Twitter, they don’t want to hear the same message twice. Differentiating the message between networks allows users to view your point from two different perspectives.

By working a strategy, monitoring conversations and results, and adapting your message to your audience – you will be well on your way to have a successful social media strategy. If you need help with implementation and/or management, give SEORCHERS a call!

Developing a Social Media Strategy is a post from SEORCHERS: SEO Phoenix

Inbound Marketing Agency Helping You Get Found Online - SEO Company based in Scottsdale, AZ

Many companies these days are making the mistake of choosing one form of online marketing over another. This could include any number of combinations such as PPC instead of SEO or Social Media, Social Media instead of SEO, SEO instead of Social Media and PPC. What I want to break down today is why all facets of online marketing should be combined in order to achieve the best ROI.

Why Search?
The question is more like why not search? Here is a past blog that discusses the top 10 reasons to use SEO. There are all kinds of statistical validations that confirm why you need to implement SEO into your process. However, if you are just starting with your SEO campaign you might be looking for some quick results. This is achieved through Pay Per Click (PPC). Another benefit to PPC is if you have seasonal products or services, as well as for testing purposes for various keywords.

Why Social Media?
Social Media is flat out dominating people’s time online. This is where your customers are. As the old saying goes, “Fish where the fish are” really comes into play here. Studies have shown that nearly 6 out of 10 people like to engage with companies through social media before they make a purchase from them. This makes it important to not only have a profile, but actually demonstrate usage and engagement with those profiles.

Combining SEO with Social Media
Search engine results are no longer just a matter of website listings. Search results now entail social media profiles, news stories, blogs and articles, images and videos, local results, etc. Google has actually confirmed that data from social media profiles actually have an impact on your natural rankings. So not only are you engaging your visitors and reaching more potential customers with your social media outlets, but you are also helping improve your search engine rankings so that you are in front of potential customers who are looking for your offerings in a search engine.

SEORCHERS helps centralize your online marketing efforts and develop a long term strategy that will position your company to generate the most possible sales from your website. Contact Us for more information.

Gain More Exposure for your Company by Combining Search and Social Efforts is a post from SEORCHERS: SEO Phoenix

Inbound Marketing Agency Helping You Get Found Online - SEO Company based in Scottsdale, AZ

As companies seek to increase their online presence through organic search and SEO marketing, one of the biggest mistakes they make is viewing these efforts as separate from offline marketing efforts. Studies show that most web users search based on marketing messages they first encountered offline. Many also search while watching television. Unfortunately, companies that fail to incorporate offline marketing tags and content into their websites make it difficult for online searchers to find them.

Help People Make the Connection

Let’s say you run a humorous television ad intended to grab attention and cause people to remember your brand. If viewers were to immediately search online for that ad, would your website rank high enough based on ad-related keywords for them to find you? If they do reach your website, could they clearly see how to view a video of the ad, or would they be forced to resort to YouTube? Incorporating your offline marketing ideas into your online SEO efforts helps people make the connection between your offline company image and your online brand. Since most of your customers transition quickly from one to the other, your marketing messages must make that transition as well if you hope to keep their attention.

Use SEO Data to Drive Offline Marketing Decisions

SEO can do much more than simply bring people to your site. It can also provide you with valuable information about your target audience. By understanding the kinds of keywords people search for, you can determine what motivates them to buy. This information in turn can be used to develop marketing strategies both on- and offline. If your offline marketing efforts fail to take the search habits of your viewers into account, you’ll be eliminated from their list of potential service or product providers in favor of other companies that rank higher in the SERPs. No matter how persuasive your offline marketing messages are, the data still show that most people do most of their buying research online. That means in order for you to become a contender in their minds, you must appear online. And if all they can remember about you is the tagline from your commercial, that tagline better be enough to bring your website up in a Google search.

In a marketing world where the internet remains at the fingertips of potential clients almost twenty-four hours a day, businesses must build an integrated marketing strategy that allows online and offline marketing efforts to build on each other’s strengths. By incorporating SEO into your offline marketing, you can ensure that no matter where a person encounters your brand, they can find you again at the touch of a button.

Work with an Inbound Marketing Agency that ties everything together!