On September 23 from 6-8 pm, Angie will be teaching Website 101 at PACE LA Business Development Center.   This class will cover the basics of websites for small businesses.  You’ll learn why you need a website, how to pick a domain, how to plan your site, creating the design of the site, managing the site and more.   

On September 30 from 6-8 pm, Angie will be teaching Website 102 at PACE.   If your business already has a website and you’re ready to move to the next level of Internet presence, this is the class for you.  In this class you’ll learn the basics of SEO, how to find key terms, how to implement some SEO strategies yourself, the importance of inbound links, landing page basics and tracking your marketing efforts.    

On October 14 from 6-8, Angie will teach the third class in the series, Website 103, at PACE.  This class will cover the basics of social media strategies, including deciding which social media sites are best for you, how to start a successful social media campaign, and knowing when to turn your campaign over to a professional. 

All classes will be held at 1055 Wilshire Blvd, Ste 900B, Los Angeles, CA 90017.  They will be held from 6-8 pm each night.  Please click on the links above to enroll.  Most importantly, the price is right — all classes are free!   We’d be so lucky to meet you.  Please, come join us!

• MarketingExperiments tested product conversion with and without product ratings by customers. Conversion nearly doubled, going from .44% to 1.04% after the same product displayed its five-star rating. 
• RSS study: Burpee measured a 43% higher click-through on RSS feedswith reviews than without. (Burpee, December 2007)
• Shoppers who browsed the site’s new “Top Rated Products” page, which features products rated most highly by customers, had a 59% higher conversion rate than the site average and spent 16% more per order than other browsers of products. (Bass Pro Shops, June 2008)
• Giving shoppers the ability to sort products within a category by customer rating led to a sales increase of 41% per unique visitor. (PETCO, June 2007) 

Unbelievable, right?  So you may be asking yourself how you can start getting some positive reviews on the Internet about your business.  The answer isn’t so simple.  We’re living in the time of user-generated content.  The users are in control.  The company no longer has complete control over the message.  You can, however, take some proactive steps to encourage reviews. 

1. Ask your best clients to write about their experiences with your company.  When someone loves the service/product you’ve provided, they’ll usually be happy to write a quick testimonial or review. 

2. Encourage folks to review.  If you sell products or services online, it’s OK to encourage the users to rate the product.  But don’t take my word for it, listen to iJustine (a YouTube “celebrity”).  At the end of her videos, she encourages the user to “give it five stars.” 

3. Get involved with social communities. Check out what people are saying about you on the Internet.  Take some time each day to review Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and any other social communities in which your customers participate.  Respond to people who are making comments.  If they say something wonderful, thank them.  If they say something horrible, listen to them and let them know that you care.  By paying attention to their praise, concerns and complaints some folks may be impressed enough to actively market for you.

4. Spread the word about your great reviews.  If you are lucky enough to get wonderful online reviews, it’s OK to brag just a little.  Make sure that your website has a testimonial page, and link from your site to the reviews online.  Reviews can be like yawns — when you see someone else do it, you want to do it, too!  The more reviews, the better!

If you have any questions about online reviews, don’t hesitate to contact us.  We’ll be happy to show you how to take your online reviews and turn them into profits!  (And, if you’re so inclined, leave a comment with a review  )