Conversion Rate Crashing? Fight Back!

He-Man would never give up. And neither should you. 

(Source) 

If your website hasn’t been receiving a normal amount of traffic lately and/or your conversion rate is crashing, don’t just sit there and take it! There are some things you can do, starting today, that can help your website get back on track.

• Test the speed of your page loads. If they’re slow, this could one of the reasons you’re losing prospective customers. Remember, people are impatient, if your site is slow, they’ll move on to one that isn’t. Invest in a superfast site that gives the people what they want when they want it.

• Check the links throughout your site. If you have broken links, it may discourage people from continuing to view your products or services. Broken links give an unprofessional impression. Test your links often to ensure they’re working and linking to the proper pages. 

• Review/update your site’s keywords. Search engine optimization is a great tool that can not only help drive traffic to your site, but also direct your target audience to your products and services. But don’t forget that keywords can lose their relevancy, so reviewing them is always a good idea. If they’re no longer relevant to your products or services, check AdWords to find the keywords that are being used more frequently now and revise ASAP. 

• Enlist the help of an outside source, like Voice of North America, to ensure you’re getting the most relevant web traffic possible. Voice of North America enables you to blog about your products or services in a 50 domain network and it lets you control keywords and meta data for your listings. You’ll get high quality linkbacks to your website from the audience you’re targeting, which can up your conversation rate.

• Ask a few people you know to rate your site’s usability factor. If your website is hard to navigate, confusing, or cluttered, your intended audience won’t be able to find what they came to your site for in the first place. If your usability factor is low, you may want to consider investing in professional web design. 

See: How to Improve Your Website’s Conversion Rate and How to Increase Website Traffic

6 Steps to Effective Web Content

Is your web content so boring it even makes kittens fall asleep?

(Source) 

Writing for your website is different than writing a press release, blog, or email newsletter. If you want your content to draw people in and keep them interested, it has to include a few key ingredients. Persuasive, interesting, and well-written web content can help convert web traffic into paying customers and ensure that your company comes across as both professional and credible.

1. Your first step is to do a little research on your target audience. If you know who you’re writing for, you can tailor your content to match. Depending on what you discover in your research, you may learn that your audience is driven by emotion and creative content that moves them to contact you will be your best bet. If they’re a technical audience, statistics, graphs, and figures might be more appropriate.


2. Search engine optimization is going to be an essential ingredient to the success of your website and business as a whole. You can use Google’s keyword tool – AdWords to conduct research on which keywords and/or phrases are searched the most. Using broad keywords won’t be as effective as specific keywords, so keep that in mind.


3. Writing catchy SEO titles for each page will help catch your target audience’s attention. Remember that infusing your site, content, and titles with SEO keywords is a wise business decision, but if you go overboard, it’s going to have the opposite effect on your visitors. Make sure your titles and content read as such; if they come across as just a way for you to have SEO throughout your site, no one’s going to read your content or learn about your products and services anyway.


4. Keep your content concise. Write small paragraphs that contain information relevant to each page. Make sure each page of content on your website is unique as well. Search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo will see your website as redundant if you have the same copy on each page and it can affect your rankings.


5. Add bullet points or numbered list where you can. This will allow your visitors to skim your content for the information they’re looking for. Make sure you have a link to your contact form on every single page so they can easily reach you by email or phone.


6. Don’t forget about call to action. Your content needs to be persuasive—but not overly so. If your content is too sales-y, you may lose visitors. But if it’s filled with informative, engaging, and persuasive content that leads them to an action, then you’ve done it right.

See: Call to Action: Why Your Marketing Content Needs It

Once your content is up and running, you might also want to think about blogging about your products and services to help increase your visibility amongst search engines. Voice of North America lets you post blogs about any topic you want in a 50 domain network, getting you quality linkbacks from relevant content.

A Little Grammar Lesson Never Hurt Nobody (Ironic?)

(Source)

No matter if you’re writing professional web content or a Facebook status update to your friends, knowing the grammar basics is essential. Since I love learning about grammar (nerd alert), I ‘follow’ quite a few editors, proofreaders, style guides, and grammar experts on Twitter. This is a great way to learn everything from basic grammar tips to more complex grammar issues on an ongoing basis. But if you’re ready for a quick review of the most common grammar errors right now, check out my tips below!

You’re/Your

You’re is the contraction of ‘you are.' For example, “Shannon, you’re the best blogger in the world” and “Hey, Shannon, you’re doing an amazing job on that witty and highly informative blog – keep up the good work!”

Your is the possessive form of you. For example, “Is that your dog that just crapped on my lawn again?” and “You better start cleaning up after your dog or I will be forced to rub your face in his poo.”

If you’re still unsure whether you need to use you’re or your, a good way to test it is to insert 'you are' (you're) into the sentence.

For example, would 'you are' work in this sentence? “Is that you are dog that just crapped on my lawn again?” Since it clearly doesn’t make any sense, you know you need to go with 'your.' You can use this trick anytime you are unsure which you need to use.

They’re/Their/ There

They might sound the same, but these three words all have very different meanings.

They’re is the contraction of ‘they are.’ For example, “I’m only going to their wedding if they’re having an open bar” and “Don’t worry, cheapskate, they’re having an open bar with lots of vodka – your favorite.”

Their is used to describe belonging. For example, “Their wedding was a smashing good time. No, really, I got super smashed” and “I’m glad you had fun, but you probably shouldn’t have helped yourself to some of their wedding gifts.”

There is used to a refer to a place, whether physical or abstract, but it can also be used to introduce a sentence. For example, “There is nothing wrong with a little bump and grind” and “Look at that couple bumping and grinding over there.”

It’s/Its

It’s is the contraction of ‘it is’ and ‘it has.’ For example, “It’s going to kill me if there are no hot guys at the bar tonight” and “I can't believe it's taking this long for all the cute guys to show up."

Its is a pronoun that shows possession. For example “This glass isn’t going to refill itself on its own” and “This blog will never lose its appeal.”

Remember the trick from above… insert 'it is' (it's) in the sentence if you're unsure which to use.

For example, “This glass isn’t going to refill itself on it is own.” Immediately you can tell that the correct choice to go with is ‘its.’

I hope this helped! Another great source for easy-to-remember grammar tips is Grammar Girl’s website. Check it out and see what you think!

And if you're interested in increasing your visibility amongst search engines, Voice of North America can help. Voice of North America lets you post blogs about any topic you want, getting you quality link backs from relevant content.

Holiday Shopping - Is Your Business Ready for It?

Screw busy malls - she's doing all her shopping on her phone from now on

(Source)

Google’s Mobile Ads Blog posted some interesting news recently. 15% of searches on Black Friday will come from mobile phones. What does this mean to you? Well, if you’re a business owner, investing in mobile technology for your website could help drive sales this holiday season and ensure mobile users can easily access your website (and purchase your products) year-round.

There’s still time before the holiday shopping season hits! Follow these tips to maximize your profit this season.

• Go mobile. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile phone use, you’re missing out on a big market that is only getting bigger. Websites that aren’t mobile can appear jumbled, hard to read, and simply  not worth the hassle of trying to navigate. Don’t let yours fall into this category. Consider this: Google says 44% of last minute gift searches will come from mobile phones. 

• Make your keywords festive. Okay, maybe not exactly festive, but updating some of your SEO keywords to include holiday shopping trends and popular shopping locations can help your site optimize for the profitable holiday season. Be sure to keep your biggest and best keywords the same, however. 

• Combine shopping deals with social media. Offer special Facebook and Twitter-only specials that will entice holiday shoppers to purchase your product or service. Post updates detailing your specials and include a link to your website. 

• Stand out on the search engines. There’s a lot of competition out there, so you should take all the help you can get to promote your business. Voice of North America can get you high quality linkbacks to your website.

What are you doing to help maximize your profit this holiday season?

Websites Need Love Too

Every time you ignore your website, a puppy cries 

(Source)
 
Did you know that updating your web content regularly can help improve your rankings in search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo? Plus, having fresh content on your website gives your web visitors a reason to come back, improving your rankings further. Don't ignore your website any longer - it needs love and care to help your company grow, gain exposure, and become profitable.

Here’s how you do it: 

• Invest in a content management system (CMS). If you don’t already have one, a CMS will enable you to make regular updates to the content on your website. You’ll also be able to add pages, add/update keywords, add/delete images, tag images, and much more. This allows you to make regular changes to your site without having to pay a costly webmaster to do it for you.

• Conduct your own website review. Go through each of the pages on your site and determine which ones need updating or new images. Pay special attention to outdated content, including old contact info, products you no longer sell, outdated prices, and specials you’re no longer running. Make a list of the most pressing changes that need to be made to ensure you get to those first.

• Add new content on a regular basis. After you’ve made the initial revisions, it’s important you continue to do this on an ongoing basis. Add new pages, including a company blog where you can talk about new products, exciting news, or simply discuss industry news and happenings. Try to make updates at least once a month, but if you can find the time to do it more often than that, even weekly, the search engines will look upon that favorably.

• Don’t forget to link. When you add new pages, put a link on the homepage to each one. Don’t forget to also include links to your Facebook and Twitter pages on your home page as well as your blog if you have one.

• Get outside help if needed. If you need help getting high quality linkbacks to your website, utilizing Voice of North America’s services is a great idea. Voice of North America lets you blog about your products or services in all 50 states, helping you reach local customers as well as drive relevant traffic to your website. 

• Keep learning. The best way to continually improve your rankings in the search engines and continue to reach your target audience is to stay on top of advancements in SEO, SEM, marketing, and web development. The more you know, the more your company will benefit. 

Here’s a few great places for you to get started: 

SEO MOZ 

Search Engine Watch 

Top Rank Online Marketing Blog

Hashtag 101

Ahh, the sweet sound of hashtags

(Source) 

Pretty soon after you sign up for a Twitter account you’ll start noticing a whole lotta hashtagging going on. There is no hashtag police (that I know of) who will arrest you for using hashtags the “wrong” way, but it’s always helpful to know how to use them to benefit not only your company but also to enhance your experience as a Twitter user.

First of all, if you post a tweet like this:

"Longest day ever! #sofreakingtiredcantwaitforbedzomgimgonnadie" ….

Some might say you used your hashtag incorrectly. While this is debatable as there are no actual rules or governing hashtag authority, there’s also no real point to using a hashtag in this way either. Other than trying to be funny, no one is ever going to use that hashtag again or search for it, which is the point of using a hashtag in the first place. 

However, there are a few ways you can use hashtags that will engage your followers and encourage interaction.

Hashtagging for a cause. If there’s a particular cause, charity, or organization you are interested in, putting their name as a hashtag in your tweet is a good way to show your support and talk to other people who are also interested in this cause. If you’re a business owner, don’t forget that engaging your followers doesn’t mean only talking to them about your products or services. Talk to them about similar interests and build trust and loyalty – two essential ingredients for success.

Entice followers with a contest. Want to keep track of conversations about your brand? Run a contest and give it a hashtag that you created specifically for it. This way, all of the people interested in your contest will use the same hashtag, which enables not only the community to interact with each other but also lets you keep track of what people are saying and who is engaging with your brand. I may have forgotten to note that when you use a hashtag, it becomes a clickable link, which goes to a page that shows only results for people using the same hashtag.

Chat about your interests. Love a certain TV show? Find their official Twitter page and use the hashtags they designate for each episode. For example, as a True Blood fan myself, a Trubie, if you will, I can use not only the hashtag #trueblood but the specific hashtag they dictate for each episode. Last week’s episode was hashtagged #souloffire and the week before was #burning. By using those hashtags when you talk about the show, you can click on the hashtags and go read what everyone else on Twitter is saying about that episode. This gives you a unique way to interact with people who share your interests.

Here’s the Wikipedia article on hashtags for more info and another helpful article titled:  How to Use Twitter Hashtags.

While Twitter is a great way to promote your products and services and get to know your followers, you’ll still want to make sure your website is getting found on the search engines. If you could use a little help, let Voice of North America help you increase your linkbacks by driving relevant traffic to your site.

Who Says SEO Isn't Funny?!

I don't know if you're ready for this jelly but here are a few SEO jokes anyway to brighten up your day. Enjoy!

(Source)

 (Source)

(Source)

• What do black hat SEO’s eat on Thanksgiving? A: Keyword stuffing.
• Old SEOs never die, they just lose their rankings.
• What does a links super­hero wear? A Linkscape.

I have to admit, "keyword stuffing" literally made me LOL. #embarrassing #meganerd

Have any good SEO jokes to add? Leave a comment, we'd love to read them!

If you want to increase your visibility amongst search engines, Voice of North America can help. Voice of North America lets you post blogs about any topic you want, getting you quality link backs from relevant content.

Big Mistake, Google. Big. Huge!

"My business is not closed! Do you hear me, Google Maps?!"

Yes, the title of this blog post is a Pretty Woman reference – I hope at least one person out there got it!

I just read an article about Google listing businesses that are actually open as CLOSED on Google Maps due to spam. Since users can make updates to business listings, they can incorrectly list a business as permanently closed, costing that business countless lost customers and profit. I don’t think I know anyone, (except maybe my Grandma) who doesn’t use Google Maps. Can you imagine the consequences if hundreds or thousands of people were searching for your business on a weekly basis only to have a supposedly trusted listing telling them it’s (incorrectly) closed?

This brings up a good discussion for business owners. Do you regularly ‘Google’ your business’ name? Do you check Google Maps to ensure your company’s info is accurate? Do you check review sites like Yelp to find out what people are saying about you?

Being proactive about your business can help you maintain a positive reputation for your company, help you retain customers, and help you find errors (like a closed listing on Google Maps) before they can spell disastrous results for your business.

Here's that article in full: Google Maps Spam Erroneously 'Closes' Open Businesses

What do you do to ensure your business is correctly listed on the web and how do you maintain your business’ reputation with so many review and social media sites out there?

And if you're interested in increasing your visibility amongst search engines, Voice of North America can help. Voice of North America lets you post blogs about any topic you want, getting you quality link backs from relevant content.

Daily Deals – Should Your Business Do It?

They just got 70% off those drinks thanks to a daily deal site

Groupon, Living Social, WeeklyPlus, Deal Chicken … I could go on … 

Right now, there are (at least) 5 different daily deals sitting in my inbox. If you’re a business owner, chances are you’ve started to wonder if advertising a deeply-discounted product or service on one or more of these sites is a smart business move for you. While there are definitely advantages and disadvantages, it will depend greatly on the type of product or service you have to offer. Restaurants and special events seem to do quite well on daily deal sites, but risk takers, like the dealership that offered the very first daily deal for a vehicle, lost big with only four takers total. 

Let’s discuss some pro/cons to advertising your business on sites like Groupon and Living Social

Advantages

• With the huge database of followers the big daily deal sites like Groupon and Living Social have, your business will gain a lot of exposure
• If people like what you have to offer, they may return, helping you make up the profit you lost by offering the discount and hopefully increasing your revenue over time
• Most daily deal sites do not take profit from you upfront, which means you do not have to pay out of pocket

In short, repeat customers, business exposure, and no upfront costs are the advantages to promoting your business on a daily deal site.

Disadvantages 

• You may see a temporary increase of customers due to the daily deal, but if those customers do not return, you may not make your profit back
• If you have a regular customer base already, offering a daily deal may alienate them. For example, if you own a yoga studio and have a class full of regulars who attend every day, they may not enjoy overcrowded classrooms of sweaty daily deal buyers and take their business elsewhere.

In short, daily deals can be a risk for companies, especially small businesses. If you’re banking on getting a slew of new, regular customers, keep in mind that daily deals run, well, daily. This means that there’s always going to be another company like yours offering another great deal for them to buy. So why would they pay regular price at your business when they could just wait for another daily deal to pop up and go there? 

Here’s an interesting article to read: Groupon Offers Discount on University Tuition by Jennifer Van Grove

Let’s discuss – what are your thoughts on daily deal sites? Would you try it? 

Having trouble getting found on search engines? Why not check out Voice of North America, an online tool that lets you blog in all 50 states and helps increase your brand’s exposure and your web traffic.