Figure out what’s working.  Honestly, this is the only way a marketing campaign stands a chance of success.  You absolutely must track the success of your marketing efforts.  How do you do that?  Get a calendar and set up Google analytics on your site.  Whenever you start a new push, or run a contest, or write a blog post, mark the calendar.  (Trust me, if you don’t write it down, you’ll never remember – a very hard lesson learned.)  After you start a new campaign, give yourself a few days and check the analytics.  Did you get more traffic after you started the campaign?  Did your conversion rate increase?  Did anything happen at all?  You’ll know what’s working by checking out the analytics before and after.

Limit your social media time. Yes. It’s fun.  It’s entertaining. And, it can be a super time sucker.  Before you know it, three hours are gone and you haven’t even begun to work!  Before you start social media, determine which social media outlets will work best to achieve your goals.  Then, make a strategic plan to conquer!  Do not waste time on social media – use it with efficiency and purpose.  Keep your business goal in mind and get tweeting (or your social media gerund of choice)!

Get organized.  Of course this one is a no-brainer.  If you have a plan and stick to it, you’ll see results much more quickly.  And, when you’re running your business and handling the marketing, quickly is the most important adverb!

Hire help.  If you can afford it, hire a marketing firm. (I never promised to avoid shameless plugs.)  If you can’t afford it, hire an intern!  I’m partial to the Kansas State internship program (K! S! U! Wildcats!), but you can choose a local school or your alma mater.  Location doesn’t really matter as much anymore, since all communication can happen via email, text, IM or Skype.  Give a kid some experience and get some of their valuable feedback, too!

So, there it is.  A little list that will save you a ton of time! Now, get marketing!

So, let’s get right to it.  There are a few things you can do right now that will help your conversion rates begin to creep up a bit.  Take a look and let me know your tips for a higher conversion rate.

1.  Get social! Make sure that there is a “like” button by your product and other share buttons nearby.  When someone buys a product, add a small opt-out that encourages people to share that they just bought the product.  (Make sure it’s opt-out, not opt-in.)  People love to see what their friends are buying, and they may buy, as well!

2. Add compelling content.  More visitors = more conversions.  If you add a great article/blog post, more people will be drawn to the site and your conversions will begin to increase.

3. Delete some steps.  If it takes more than one click to get from the home page to the conversion page, start deleting.  Make it as easy as possible for someone to convert.  With each click, you will lose potential customers.

4. Take a look around your site.  Is it simple to navigate?  Can people find what they want very easily?  If not, it’s time to do some rearranging.  One of the top reasons people leave websites is because they get lost and cannot find what they want.

5. Exploit your best-selling products.  If you have one or two stand-outs, add them to the home page, start Tweeting and Facebooking about them, just get the word out!  (Yes I did just use them as verbs.  A grammar revolution is here — either join or be trampled.)  Your popular items can help draw people in, and since they are top sellers, they will convert at a higher rate than your site average.

OK, folks. There it is: My top 5 ways to help your conversion rate.  Are you working on your conversion rate?  Do you have other great tips?  (There are hundreds!)  Let me know how you lowered your conversion rate.  Or, if you’re struggling with your conversion rate, contact me.  We’ll talk.  No big whup.

Website goals are as different as the websites for which they’re written.  So, what are yours?

1. Build traffic

2. Sell more products

3. Sell more services

4. Raise awareness of your business

5. Solidify your brand

6. Connect with other bloggers

7. Increase the newsletter list

8. Add to your list of social marketing offerings

There are hundreds more!  The important part is deciding exactly what your goals are.  Once you do, you can be assured that your website will be on its way to success.

So, think about it a bit.  What do you hope to achieve with your website?  Sit in a room by yourself for 30 minutes or so and start brain storming.  Write down all of your thoughts.  Before you know it, you’ll have a list of goals.  Yes, they may seem unachievable, but I promise you, they are possible.  Don’t worry about how you’ll get there (we’ll get to that part soon).  Just have the list and commit yourself to the list.

As for me?  Oh. I’m so glad you asked.  My website was originally built in 2009 with the goal of raising awareness about my services.  It worked!  I started getting clients and was so busy that I ignored my poor blog.  But now I’m back with the same goal in mind — to raise awareness about my blog.

So, are you aware?

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  )