Client Attraction Custom & WordPress Websites & Internet Marketing for Coaches, Therapists, Speakers & Authors » Marketing

10 Things People Won’t Tell You About Your Website

Agnes Ikotun — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:15:19 +0000

My absolute most favorite thing to do after meeting someone both online and offline is visit their website. Many times I like what I see…both in design and messaging. But there are times when I visit a website and I think, I wish I could say something to the business owner about their website but I can’t because it won’t be positive feedback. This got me thinking about the things people would more than likely not tell you about your website.

Here are my top 10 things people won’t tell you about your website:

Your website looks home-made.
Your website does not speak to your market
Your website has many spelling and grammatical errors
Many links on your website aren’t working
The images on your website are not of great quality
Your website is difficult to navigate
Your website does not have any “call to action”
Your free gift is not set up correctly
Your website is too cluttered
You should take down empty pages

The reason why people won’t say anything is because you haven’t asked them to. It’s so much easier to give positive feedback than negative feedback especially when your opinion has not been solicited.

You might almost have a panic attack when you ask for feedback about your website/business from someone that you value their opinion and know that they would give you honest feedback. But ask all the same.

A while ago, someone mentioned that I had a stock photo on my site that had a watermark on it. I was so glad that she said this because I had asked for feedback. The watermarked photo on my site had been on my home page for almost a year and I’d missed it! We had put some text over the photo instead of the purchased version, so you could easily miss seeing the watermark if you didn’t look at it long enough and I saw the photo almost everyday! This is one of the reasons why you should ask more than a few people to review your website because everyone sees some different.

You have my permission to review my website but please be kind in your feedback delivery. I would rather have feedback that would be helpful than bury my head in the sand. We should use feedback as opportunity to correct errors, enhance our brands and grow our businesses.

Also don’t hesitate to ask me for feedback about your business website…I would be kind in delivering my constructive criticism and better yet, positive feedback if that is the case – won’t you love that! I won’t just be giving feedback but would also work with you in fixing the problem areas…only if you Ask.

Contact me for your complimentary website review and don’t hesitate to schedule a Branding and Marketing Discovery Session for your business.

Also don’t hesitate to download my free gift to you, a blueprint/guide Is Your Website Holding You Back? 7 Easy Ways to Attract and Retain Customers on Your Website. This guide is jam packed with valuable information that you can use immediately to enhance your website and business.

How to Maximize your Internet Resources to Gain New Clients

Agnes Ikotun — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:31:15 +0000

Today’s business owners will benefit greatly from having their own website to market to potential clients. They can effectively showcase their products and services as well as talents and skills on their website. This article outlines several internet marketing strategies that business owners can implement immediately to increase their efficiency in marketing to potential clients.

Use Social Media and Social Bookmarking Websites. Social Media websites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are beneficial network and marketing websites. Social Media websites can prove to be valuable in marketing your website and the services that you offer to potential clients.

Social bookmarking sites such as Digg, StumbleUpon, and Reddit, are simple; yet profitable when wanting to drive traffic to your website. These websites will aid you in establishing your brand and encourage traffic to your website. There has been an increased trend with internet based business owners; therefore, implementing a strong marketing platform will improve your website’s traffic and your
client base.

Use Blogging. Blogging is another website in the form of social media. A blog combines commentary, images, and/or links to your website. A blog allows you the opportunity to keep an online “diary” of your thoughts, progress, events and articles that pertain to your website and business. Additionally, your blog encourages user participation and allows your readers to comment on the information posted in your blog. Furthermore, several social bookmarking sites will allow you to link your blog to your social bookmarking account; which will increase your targeted audience.

Use article marketing. Writing articles for publication is an effective tool for driving traffic to your website. Websites such as Ezine Articles and Aweber allow you to share your knowledge, expertise, wisdom and in return you can receive traffic back to your website. Many article publishing websites allow you to post a profile of yourself, your business and your website at the end of each article; which will promote your business and build increased traffic to your website and/or blog.

Describe your services offered accurately. Your website is your blueprint for the service that you are offering to potential clients. When listing your services you want to be accurate and precise without becoming too wordy. Using keywords to give a description of the services you offer will amplify your potential client contacts.

Offer discounts for those who book your services through your website. Promote your services and make use of your website traffic by offering online discounts and/or specials. Also, rewarding your current client base for referring friends, family and colleagues is an attractive incentive and will increase client retention.

Provide testimonials from current or past clients. Posting testimonials on your website is an effective tool in gaining prospective clients. Potential clients will relate their business needs with your current client base. Therefore, reading testimonials from current or previous clients provides potential clients with a history of your work ethic. It will entice prospective clients to contact you.

About Us/History Page. Listing your experience, expertise and/or education will provide your potential
clients with an outline of your background. Your experience, expertise and/or education will lay a foundation for you and your new client to build upon.

Staying one step ahead of your competition is essential when marketing your website and business. Consider implementing the tools listed above and you are already on the course for success.

Blogging for Success: Writing for your Readers

Agnes Ikotun — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 18:06:21 +0000

When online entrepreneurs talk about blogging, they usually think about all the ways it can help them. They wax nostalgic about traffic, sales, and their soon-to-be-achieved “expert status.” But what they often forget is that to gain traffic, revenue, and attention, you need to provide something your audience wants. If you’re focused on your business and what blogging can do for YOU, you’re going to alienate your readers and come off as a self-absorbed jerk, to put it mildly.

Here are the top five mistakes that bloggers make and how to avoid them:

Thinking “What do I want to write?” vs. “What does my audience want to read?” It’s okay to include a few personal details or stories every so often. But keep in mind that your target market doesn’t care too much about your new car or your kitten’s celiac disease – unless it has a direct bearing on their life or the niche you’re writing about. If your website is about natural health cures for pets, then include the gory details of Fluffy’s gastrointestinal distress. Otherwise, focus on your readers’ biggest worries and problems and how you can solve them. Save the chit-chat for your therapist or your spouse.
Taking “informal” too far. One of the biggest mistakes many bloggers make is to get carried away in their efforts to be informal, with the result that they appear downright unprofessional. By their very nature, blogs tend to be casual, based on conversation and interaction. Just don’t get sloppy. Be sure to check spelling and grammar, and capitalize words where. Think about it… Would you trust a brain surgeon who can’t be bothered to capitalize and punctuate properly?
Becoming undependable. You don’t have to blog daily if you don’t want to, though you do have to blog consistently. If you blog fifteen times one week and then disappear for a month or two, you’ll appear flaky and disorganized. Instead, use the scheduling function on your blogging platform to set up a regular posting routine. If you want to sit down just once a month to write, that’s fine. But be sure to set up your posts so they appear on a regular schedule.
Ignoring the interactive element of blogging. Blogs should be dialogues. You throw out the conversational ball, and your readers catch it and toss it back in the form of comments, e-mails, and even responses on their own blogs. If you write but don’t listen or respond, you’ll seem distant and unapproachable. It’s important that you care what your customers and readers have to say, or at least appear that way.
Making your blog read like a press release. Customers love blogs because they believe they’re getting a behind-the-scenes glimpse at your business. If everything you post reads like a corporate press release, no one is going to stick around. After all, they might as well read your annual report.

This doesn’t mean you need to air your dirty laundry in public, but you do need to give the occasional “behind the curtain” scoop. Share what you’re working on, the challenges you’re facing and how you’re overcoming them, and details about your process. Occasionally, you might even want to ask for advice on how to solve a minor business problem. Asking people to provide input helps them feel like part of the team and increases brand loyalty.

As you can see, these aren’t difficult concepts to grasp. You don’t have to write Pulitzer-winning prose or answer complex “meaning of life” questions. Instead, just be yourself – your best self! – and keep your readers’ interests in mind.

How Often Should A Website Be Redesigned?

Agnes Ikotun — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:30:16 +0000

I get asked very often how frequently should a company get their website redesigned and I usually say between a year and a half to two years. Having said that, it’s important to revisit a website every time there is a change in the company’s industry, business and marketing plan.

Internet technology changes very quickly and you cannot afford for your website to be out-dated as this reflects on your company. Websites should be reevaluated every three months for content tweaks, images replacements, and links corrections. You can’t leave a website alone for a long periods of time as your website creates an impression of your business- positive or negative.

You should re-examine your website more often than not. If it’s been a year since your website had any changes, it is way past due for a revision.

Finally a website redesign should not not be about tweaking what you already have. It’s involves the same process as an initial design, aligning the website design with your business and marketing strategies plus the latest technologies. Websites should be constantly optimized for the search engines and social networking. All websites at any point in time, should be easy to navigate, be functional and contain web copy that would attract your ideal clients and customers.

Is your Message Short, Simple and Clear?

Agnes Ikotun — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:17:42 +0000

A few nights ago, I saw the Pfizer “Life Without Cigarettes” commercial for people who want to quit smoking and I can’t stop thinking about the technique used in creating the ad. The message was so simple, really direct and I immediately decided that I was going to quit smoking! The funny thing is that I DON’T SMOKE! I was so amazed at how powerful the message was, especially when I wasn’t even a target audience.

In web design, there is the tendency to sometimes get carried away by all the many fancy techniques and shiny things syndrome. So, I’ve been pondering on my style and how to tweak it so my clients can get their message across concisely and really quickly thus capturing their audience, get great conversions and repeat business.

My first test came today, I had to create a business card size ad for my business that’s going to be placed in the Women Biz Owner’s October 2009 Convention booklet. So I thought…simple, clear and direct. What do you think? Is the design simple and is the message clear?