Reaching More People with Your Email Marketing

With Todays Web Design Content Is King

Collection Photo Share Email Thumb?Link Token=Zifbxsgbly3Tfvu&Amp;Collection Gid Dbase64=Lp Zdvdymlkaaaaaaaal0GThe purpose of any business email is to convince readers to take some sort of action, whether it is to sign up for a special offer, buy a product or respond with specific information.

 

The most important part of your emails is the Call to Action (CTA), or what it is you want people to do after reading your email. Your CTA could be clicking through to your website, buying a particular product, or visiting your store in person.

 

The CTA should be clearly stated as unambiguously as possible within the body of your email.

 

 Keep It Brief

 

People today find emails to be an inconvenient yet necessary part of communicating with other people. The novelty of reading a digital letter rather than a real one wore off a long time ago. So people don’t have a lot of patience for emails that are long on content but short on substance.

 

In addition to clearly stating your CTA, make sure your emails get to the point quickly. And use brief sentences or bullet points whenever possible.

 

Reaching More People with Your Email Marketing – Every Word Matters

 

People usually go through their emails when they are busy doing something else. Because they have a short attention span, you have only a few moments to get the point of your email across. That means every word has to count.

 

Good persuasive writing understands what motivates the reader. As you write your email, keep in mind what it is your reader hopes to get out of it. It’s your job to convince them that their best interests are at the heart of the email and that your email serves some clearly defined purpose, such as solving a problem that they are having.

 

Writing an effective email can be a great way to engage your customers efficiently, affordably and successfully. Just make sure you aren’t wasting even a single moment of their time.

5 Fastest Ways to Make People Hate Your Blog

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Blogs are increasingly being used by businesses to build stronger brand loyalty in their customers.

 

The objective of your blog should be to attract and hold onto the largest possible readers. Yet many bloggers routinely turn away readers by making dumb mistakes that could easily be avoided.

 

Here are the top five ways many bloggers unwittingly destroy their credibility and turn off readers so they never return:

 

  1. Talking Too Much about Yourself

 

Remember: The purpose of your business blog should be to provide readers with content that consistently informs and educates them on new and interesting topics.

 

 

Blogs should not be commercials for your products or business. When you only write about what your products and what your business is doing, readers won’t stick around very long. A better plan is to establish yourself as an industry authority and give readers high-value content they can use to increase loyalty bonds and keep them coming back for more.

 

  1. Shamelessly Promoting Your Products

 

It’s okay occasionally mention your products or include links to your services, don’t hit readers over the head with your sales pitch. Educate first and sell with subtlety.

 

  1. Not Selling Enough

 

Okay, this may sound like exactly the opposite of the item, but it’s actually not. While it’s important to provide your readers with high-value content and avoid barraging them with your sales pitch, you also should remember that your blog is there to increase interest in your company or subject.

 

Tie your valuable content back to your brand and include a soft sell to get the message across to your blog’s readers.

 

  1. Not Letting People Leave Comments

 

Some businesses are so concerned about their online reputation that they try to manage the way they are portrayed on their own blog by shutting off the comments section.

 

Not allowing comments sends the message that you don’t care what they have to say, that you don’t value their opinions.

 

While there may be some minimal risk that somebody could post something critical about your business, if you properly maintain your comments section on a regular basis you can address any negativity quickly and effectively, and turn a negative into a positive.

 

  1. Making It Too Long

 

People aren’t clicking on your blog because they want to read thousands of words of copy. Keep your blogs short and information-dense. Providing too much information can make reader weary and wary of future blogs posts.

 

Like they say in show business: Always leave them wanting more!

You May Have a Website, But Is It Mobile Ready?

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A mobile website is a version of an existing web page that has been optimized to be viewed on mobile devices, which have screens that usually are a lot smaller than the screens on desktops or laptops.

 

Many websites that were built before the widespread use of smartphones and tablets were written in a language that can’t be easily understood by the browsers used by mobile devices. These browsers usually use faster, more versatile JavaScript to provide content more quickly to their users.

 

Mobile-optimized websites also account for memory limitations of mobile devices, as well as touch-screen navigation and the bandwidth of wireless networks.

 

They also can take advantage of the specialized features of mobile devices, such as the ability to take and share high-quality photos and videos, interact in real-time with social media connections, and share texts, links and preferences very quickly.

 

Benefits of a Mobile-Optimized Website 

 

According to eMarketer, adult consumers now spend more time viewing media on mobile devices than they use newspapers and magazines combined.

 

An estimated 73% percent of Americans say their mobile device is now their Number 1 most-used technology device, and 1 out of 4 households have gotten rid of their home phones altogether. Mobile Internet usage is soon expected to overtake desktop Internet access, according to Microsoft Tag.

 

Cost of Not Having a Mobile Website

 

That means your customers are making their preference known:

 

  • Among smartphone users, 74% of all US consumers use location-based services on their smartphones to make buying decisions.

 

  • ComScore reported that 4 out of every 5 consumers use their smartphones to shop.

 

  • Of all online searches performed on mobile devices, 80% are spontaneous, according to Hubspot.

 

  • According to Google, 61% of all mobile web business searches result in a phone call and 59% result in a visit.

 

That means 8 out of 10 of your customers are using their mobile devices to look for businesses like yours and, once they find them, more than half are going to take action once they find one.

 

So if your website isn’t already mobile-optimized, we just have one question: What are you waiting for?!

Tactical Strategies to Get Your Emails Opened and Read

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Emails tend to be brief and to the point, so every bit of information counts.

 

And because people in business typically receive dozens, if not hundreds, or emails every day, using the most effective methods to make your emails stand out can mean the difference between their being opened and deleted without being read.

 

And because people in business typically receive dozens, if not hundreds, or emails every day, using the most effective methods to make your emails stand out can mean the difference between their being opened and deleted without being read.

 

Because people in business typically receive dozens, if not hundreds, or emails every day, using the most effective methods to make your emails stand apart from all the others can mean the difference between their being opened and deleted without being read.

 

The Subject Line

 

The first thing readers see is the subject line, which is where you should offer a brief description of what the email mail message is about. Busy business people will often scan through their lengthy list of incoming emails to find only those that are worth opening. If you leave your subject line

 

Busy business people will often scan through their lengthy list of incoming emails to find those few that are worth opening. If you leave your subject line blank or use a description that doesn’t capture their imagination, odds are your message will never be read.

 

Subject lines should be as specific as possible while still being brief, no more than a dozen words at most. You should avoid using bombastic, superlative words such as “incredible”, “amazing”, “sensational” and other adjectives typically associated with spam messages. Educate your intended reader rather than trying to impress them and you are more likely to have your message opened.

 

Avoid using bombastic, superlative words such as “incredible”, “amazing”, “sensational” and other similar adjectives. Most email services scan incoming emails and will send those with these descriptors right to the “Spam” folder.

 

Educate your intended reader rather than trying to impress them and you are more likely to have your message opened.

 

Tactical  – Using Attachments and Links

 

Perhaps the greatest value of email over other communication methods – such as texting or IMing – is the ability to attach documents such as Word files, audio files, videos, slideshows and others. These are usually attached to the document using the “Attach Files” function and will be listed both under the header and beneath your text copy when the email is opened by your reader. Clicking on either will open the attachment on a separate screen.

 

These are attached to the email using the “Attach Files” function and will be listed both under the header and beneath your text copy when the email is opened by your reader. Clicking on either will open the attachment on a separate screen.

 

Links to web pages, addresses and other locations can be embedded within the body of your email. Similarly, clicking on these links will bring the reader to your intended destination.

 

Using these tactical email techniques will make your emails more likely to be opened and read.

Local SEO Makes It Easier for Customers to Find Your Business

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Collection Photo Share Email Thumb?Link Token=L7F6Mhb0By1Tkjl&Amp;Collection Gid Dbase64=Lp ZdvdymlkaaaaaaaalxqLocal SEO is a technique small business owners can use to make it easier for potential customers to connect with their business both online and in the real world.

 

Thanks to near-universal Internet access and the popularity and affordability of mobile devices, smartphones and tablets are one of the most popular ways for people to search for the products and services they want.

 

As a result, local SEO — or increasing the profile of your business on geographically local searches from mobile devices — is critical for attracting prospective customers who are in your immediate area.

 

Google My Business Local SEO

 

Google remains the most popular search engine on the Internet. So creating a Google+ local page for your business listed is one of the first things you need to do to get local customers aware of your business.

 

Even if you don’t create a Google+ page, Google may build one for you based on the information it finds about your business online. So it’s important that you make sure any information listed there — including such things as hours of operation, menus, prices, and so on — is accurate.

 

Another important directory is the Yellow Pages. No, not the thick yellow phonebook of yesteryear, but the website YP, which is the modern digital version that many web browsers use to search for local businesses.

 

Social Media

 

Another way people select the businesses they want is through social media. Getting recommendations from social media contacts is one of the most common referrals for most consumers.

 

As a small business owner, you can improve your online reputation and drive more customers through your doors by launching a multi-faceted social media campaign. It can include such elements as a Facebook Fan page devoted to your business, regular status updates and Twitter postings, an Instagram account where you can share photos related to your business and other efforts.

 

Local SEO can drive more customers to both your website and to your brick and mortar business, so it’s something most small business owners today can’t afford to ignore.

Are You Ready for ‘Mobilegeddon’?

The Benefits of a Responsive Web Design

Collection Photo Share Email Thumb?Link Token=Wvlainmng9Qf2Ws&Amp;Collection Gid Dbase64=Lp ZdvdymlkaaaaaaaaljqOn Tuesday, April 21, Google once again changed the algorithm its search engine uses to rank web pages. This time, the change adds more value to websites that have been optimized for smartphones.

 

While the event is being called “Mobilegeddon”, Googles latest update probably won’t have as big an impact as its Penguin and Panda updates earlier this decade. That’s because this most recent improvement doesn’t affect the ranking of sites viewed on laptops, PCs or even tablets. It only affects smartphone searches.

 

 Advance Notice Given – Are You Ready for ‘Mobilegeddon’?

Google also gave webmasters plenty of notice of their proposed changes this time. Rather than springing the updated algorithm on unsuspecting web page owners — the way it did to disastrous results with Panda and Penguin — the giant Internet company gave nearly two months’ notice, plenty of time for web designers to optimize their web pages.

 

Mobile-friendly sites have large text, easy-to-click links and are resized to fit on smaller screens. Web sites with these features will now be ranked higher than similar pages that haven’t been optimized for smartphones.

 

More People Using Smartphones

 

The move comes in response to a shift in the way most people access the Internet. Today, an estimated 60% of all searches now come from mobile phones. Google’s objective is to provide its users with the best experience so that it is easier for them to click on the links they want to follow when using their smartphones.

 

Despite the advance notice, any Google update is sure to cause panic among webmasters. And this latest one is no exception.

 

Most major retailers and companies that depend on Google for much or most of their business probably were aware of the update and were able to make the necessary changes well in advance. But small business owners who don’t pay as much attention to such things could find themselves suddenly far down the search engine results pages for their keywords.

SEO Risks Worth Taking for Web Design

Rocket Your Website to the Top of the Charts

Collection Photo Share Email Thumb?Link Token=Bm8Clqd3Ehqswxi&Amp;Collection Gid Dbase64=Lp ZdvdymlkaaaaaaaakpgWhen you take a risk, it essentially means going for something that could potentially go wrong. Of course, everything has some degree of risk, but genuinely taking chances ups the odds of disaster. Yet with big risks come big rewards.

 

When it comes to web design, you can play it safe and produce adequate, pedestrian web pages for your clients. Or you can try new things, push the envelope, and use your creativity in the hopes of cashing in big.

 

 

SEO Risks Worth Taking for Web Design – Worthwhile Risks

 

Sometimes you need to work outside of your comfort zone and simply take some big chances in the hopes of reaping some big rewards. One example would be hiring a writer who has no SEO experience.

 

Writing for SEO purposes is different than most other types of writing. It requires a different skill set than, say, a newspaper reporter, a novelist, or even a blogger.

 

Still, SEO is a skill that can be learned fairly easily. And the more experience a writer has with SEO, the more adept they become at using it within their text. Giving a new writer a chance — and some training — can often have great results for your web design.

 

SEO Risks Worth Taking for Web Design – Changing Web Design

 

Many clients are comfortable with their current web design and resist even the smallest changes. But pages that have looked the same for years can be boring to visitors. They can even miss out on some of the newest trends in web design that can make pages more interactive and convert better.

 

One approach is to let clients know that they can always change back to their old web design if they aren’t happy with the results the new web design brings their business. Pitch the new design as a 14-day or month-long trial and you usually can get more buy in from your clients.

 

Risks are a part of life. Taking big ones isn’t something you probably want to do all the time. But the occasional risk can often bring you and your business enormous results.

7 Top WordPress Plugins for Web Designers

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WordPress is the world’s most popular blogging platform and is used by web designers everywhere. One of the biggest reasons for this is that it supports templating and plugins, so it is simple to use to customize website

 

Great Functionality and Value

 

Because WordPress is an open source site, most of the plugins available are free for anybody to use. So that means the price is right as well!

 

Here, then, are some of the most helpful and popular WordPress plugins for web designers:

 

1. Google Analyticator — What the Google Analyticator does is add the JavaScript code to your blog or website that enables Google Analytics on your WP Dashboard. This is a helpful tool that tells you not just how many visitors are landing on your pages, but what keywords they are using to find them.

 

2. Shareaholic — Want to share options to your site? (Of course you do!) The Shareaholic plugin puts a social bookmarking menu on your posts, pages and index (or all three), plus adds related content if you want.

 

3. nrelate —  Speaking of related content, nrelate (all lower case) is a plugin that automatically generates content links for your pages. You can use the plugins shortcode to manually insert links to related posts that your visitors might find fun or interesting.

 

4. Viper’s Video Quicktags — Embedding videos into your pages can often be a real hassle. What this plugin does is simplify the proces by adding platform-specific buttons that let you past the URL of the video you want to embed. That’s it. Easy-peasy!

 

5. WordPress Calls to Action — If the purpose of your web page is to get visitors to do something (by a product, opt-in to your mailing list, etc.), this plugin provides a quick and easy way to create call to action (CTA) pop-ups. It also tracks conversion rates and enables split testing.

 

6. Events Calendar — This plugin lets you quickly create events and let you do things like have a calendar view, search events and even integrate maps. It’s ideal if you are hosting events, running a club, or doing event planning.

How to Keep Fit When Working in Front of a Computer All Day

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Web designers and other people who work with computers have a disadvantage when it comes to fitness. Because they are sitting in front of a screen for eight or more hours per day, they are more likely to gain weight, be less active and have related health issues.

 

There’s even a term for it: “Web Spread”.

 

This is a real problem because as more and more jobs become automated, a growing percentage of the work force will be spending an increasing amount of time sitting at a computer.

 

Ways to Beat ‘Web Spread’

 

One recent study that was widely reported in the media bombastically claims that “sitting is the new smoking”. In other words, the sedentary lifestyle a growing number of people are embracing is leading to as many health consequences as cigarette smoking.

 

So how can the average worker avoid web spread and the resulting health issues? Here’s a few tips:

 

  • Stand More Often — If you spend most of your workday sitting down, make a point of taking regular breaks. Walk around the office for a few minutes every hour or two. Go outside during your lunch break and walk around the block or parking lot.

 

  • Snack Better — There’s a tendency to eat mindlessly when working in front of a computer. Many people don’t even realize they are eating — or what they are eating — when they are engrossed in their work. Switch to healthier snacks, such as microwave popcorn, carrot sticks or celery stalks. Not only are these lower in fat, but they contain important vitamins and nutrients that will improve your immunity and overall health.

 

  • Consider Getting a ‘Standing Desk’ — One of the newest trends in office furniture this year is the standing desk. This is an elevated surface that you can work on while standing up. Typically, these types of desks are adjustable, so they can be used when you are sitting down as well.

 

Working in front of a computer all day can be hazardous to your health. Add these healthy habits to your workday and you can avoid getting web spread.

Why Online Shopping Is Here to Stay

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Today more than ever before, consumers are turning to the Internet to find the products and services they want. Given the convenience of shopping online, that’s not surprising.

 

 

When you shop online, you don’t have to drive down to the shopping district or mall, you don’t have to deal with the crowds, and you don’t have to interact with ignorant or inattentive sales staff. All you need to do is perform a quick search for what you want, click on a button and it will be delivered to your home within a few days — or even a few hours, in some cases!

 

 

Web Design and Online Shopping

 

 

The rise of online shopping has been a boom for most web design firms. That’s because even the smallest brick and mortar businesses now need to have a website in order to compete for customers. Most businesses are now taking it a step further and asking for web pages that are optimized for use on mobile devices like smart phones and tablets.

 

 

The trend for online retail isn’t going away anytime soon. In fact, it’s only going to get bigger.

 

 

Shopping – Investing in the Future

 

 

In response, many big retailers are looking for ways to simplify and speed up the process so that it’s easier than ever for their customers to get the products and services they want. Free delivery and next-day delivery have become so commonplace that many consumers now take them for granted and may balk at retailers that don’t provide these services.

 

 

Other big online retailers, such as Amazon, are now working on providing same-day delivery, investing huge sums in warehouses, distribution centers and delivery systems. Amazon is even experimenting with pilot-less drones that can deliver your order to your doorstep within an hour of placing your order!

 

 

For web design firms that seek out innovative and effective ways to make it easier for businesses to connect with customers, the future is very bright indeed.