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sandyclifton2
Mar 03, 2019
How to grow your therapy business content media
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sandyclifton2
Mar 01, 2019
In Website In's & Out's
1. NO CLEAR CALL TO ACTION This is the most common missing piece of websites today, missing call to actions. Include these: Get Started, Contact Us, Sign Up Now, Add to Cart, Call Now, Book Now. 2. WEAK SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION (SEO) Add long-tail keywords instead of just a single word. Add these to all pages including the back-end of any page you have. Keep it natural. Ex. Bathroom Remodel. Use instead: How much does a bathroom remodel cost? 3. NOT POSTING QUALITY CONTENT ON THE REGULAR Build those relationships and keep having your customers come back with fresh new content. 4. NOT HAVING A SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE Connect with your customers, often! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest. Post, and post often! This is a great way to build customer loyalty and expand to new maarkets. 5. NOT HAVING A MOBILE SITE This matters! You can't just have a website made for a desktop computer. You have to have a functioning and good looking mobile website design as well.
COMMON WEBSITE MISTAKES content media
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sandyclifton2
Jan 06, 2019
In Website In's & Out's
Home Page check list. Logo - transparent background Website Tagline and a paragraph of text that explains: Who you are What you do For whom Why should your website visitors care Can also have: Testimonial or two on the home page Client logos - for tile manufacturers Awards Event highlight Don't want to get carried away by cluttering the home page. We want the must-haves.Now this is a guide to go by that I typically try to use for any new home page start. It isn't a rule but something to think about for what is good to have for first impressions. About Page Quick Intro Your mission Call to action Show your personality Credibility - awards, testimonials, and or work samples Services page Visual Presentation What's important is prominent Clearly defined page areas Text Grab Readers attention Get to the point quickly Answer frequently asked questions Address & Eliminate Possible Objections Use short sentences whenever possible Avoid jargon Expose readers needdemonstrate importance Tell what's in for them Focus on benefits, not features State features clearlyjustify conversion
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sandyclifton2
Jan 03, 2019
In Marketing & SEO
Check out the how to video on YouTube found here. Click Here. You can submit your sitemap directly to Google via Google Search Console. This makes it easier for Google to crawl and categorize your site. A sitemap is a file that contains a list of all your site’s pages. It provides Google with information about your site’s pages. Every Wix site contains a sitemap, which is automatically generated by our server and is always kept up to date with your site’s information. You can view your sitemap by adding sitemap.xml to the end of your domain name. For example: mystunningwebsite.com/sitemap.xml. You can submit your sitemap directly to Google. This makes it easier for Google to find all of the pages of your site and can improve the speed of Google crawling and indexing. We recommend submitting your sitemap each time you publish new changes on your site. To submit your sitemap: Select your site on your Google Search Console home page.Click Sitemaps from the menu on the left.In the text field next to your domain, type sitemap.xml (mystunningwebsite.com/sitemap.xml). Note: Do not enter any additional text. For example, do not enter the page name. Click Submit. Note:If you receive the error message "Your sitemap appears to be an HTML page. Please use a supported sitemap format instead," make sure that you have entered sitemap.xml to the text field next to your domain (step 3).  Note:If you have connected your site to Google using Wix SEO Wiz your sitemap is automatically submitted to Google. Any subsequent changes that you publish must be submitted manually, as per the instructions above. You can submit individual page URLs (e.g., mystunningwebsite.com/about) directly to search engines. This can speed up the indexing and crawling process for these specific pages.
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sandyclifton2
Jan 26, 2018
In Website In's & Out's
Make sure to download any wix apps for blog, shoutout, etc by going to the app marketplace on your cell phone and typing in wix. All sorts of apps will pop up you can download to keep track, update, track your website. Don't forget to mobile format your website if that wasn't done as well as making sure you do your SEO backend Search Engine Optimization if that wasn't done as well. Things to do: Log into your wix editor and go through all of your back end pages in the dashboard. Make sure to go through all of theses tabs and make sure these are all up to date. Think about adding Marketing Options. Check out what I offer on this link. >>>
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sandyclifton2
Jan 26, 2018
In How To - Social Media
Setting up a Page is quick and easy. In just a few clicks, you can create a Page for your business, brand or organization and start connecting with people. To create a Page, you’ll need to log into your Facebook account. (If you’re not on Facebook yet, click here.) Step 1. Create a Page from your account Click the arrow in the top-right corner. Choose Create Page. Step 2. Choose a business category for your Page Select the type of Page you want to create from the following categories: Local Business or Place Company, Organization or Institution Brand or Product Artist, Band or Public Figure Entertainment Cause or Community Step 3. Choose an industry-specific category Choose a category that matches your business. Then fill out some basic info about your business. Agree to the Facebook Pages Terms. Click Get Started. Step 4. Optimize and start connecting Add a description and your website address, if you have one. Add a profile picture from your computer or device. You can also add your Page to your Favorites on your Facebook account, so you’ll have easy access to it when you log in. With Reach More People, you can immediately start reaching new audiences. Click Save Info and your Page is ready to go. Now that you’ve created a Page, you’re the administrator and can control the content and settings on your Page with your Page Admin Tools. And you can always add someone else to help manage your Page in your Settings.
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sandyclifton2
Jan 26, 2018
In How To - Social Media
Go to http://twitter.com and find the sign up box, or go directly to https://twitter.com/signup. Enter your full name, phone number, and a password. Click Sign up for Twitter. In order to verify your phone number, we will send you an SMS text message with a code. Enter the verification code in the box provided. Learn more about having a phone number associated with your account here.  Once you've clicked Sign up for Twitter, you can select a username (usernames are unique identifiers on Twitter) — type your own or choose one we've suggested. We'll tell you if the username you want is available. Double-check your name, phone number, password, and username. Click Create my account.You may be asked to complete a Captcha to let us know that you're human. Note: if you'd like to sign up with Twitter using an email address, you can do so via the "Use email instead" link at the bottom of the sign up page.  Tips for picking a username: Your username is the name your followers use when sending @replies, mentions, and direct messages. It will also form the URL of your Twitter profile page. We'll provide a few available suggestions when you sign up, but feel free to choose your own. Please note: You can change your username in your account settings at any time, as long as the new username is not already in use. Usernames must be fewer than 15 characters in length and cannot contain "admin" or "Twitter", in order to avoid brand confusion. Important information about signing up with email address: An email address can only be associated with one Twitter account at a time. The email address you use on your Twitter account is not publicly visible to others on Twitter. We use the email you enter to confirm your new Twitter account. Be sure to enter an email address that you actively use and have access to. Check your inbox for a confirmation email to make sure you signed up for your account correctly. First steps after you've created your account: After signing up, follow a handful of accounts to create a customized stream of information on your home timeline.Following means you'll get that user's Tweets on your Twitter home timeline. You can unfollow anyone at any time.
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sandyclifton2
Jan 26, 2018
In How To - Social Media
Step 1. Visit the Pinterest home page at pinterest.com  Step 2. Click on “Sign up with Email.” If you want Pinterest linked with your Facebook account, click instead on “Sign up with Facebook.” Step 3. Type your Pinterest profile information into the fields provided. You will be prompted to type in your first and last name, an email address, password, and gender.​ Step 4. Click on “Sign up.” You will now be signed up for Pinterest. Click on your profile name at the top right corner of your Pinterest session. Select “Your Profile and Pins.” Your current Pinterest profile will display on-screen. Point to the default image of the pin located at the top of your profile page and select “Change Picture.” Click on “Choose File” and select an image on your computer you’d like used as your Pinterest profile picture. The image you select will replace the default image of the pin. Click on the image of the pencil located to the bottom right of your name.The “Edit Profile” window will display on-screen. Type your personal information into the fields provided so other Pinterest users can learn more about you. You will have the option to fill out an “About You” section, specify your location, and type in the URL of your website, if applicable. Click on “Save Profile” after you have finished editing your profile. Creating a Pin Board Click on the “Create a board” link on your Pinterest profile page. The “Create a Board” menu will display on-screen. Type in a name for your Pinterest board. The name of your board should represent the topic or theme of your pinboard. For example, if you want to post content related to gardening, give your board a name such as “Gardening Tips.” Type a description for your pinboard. A description can help users better understand the purpose or theme of the content displayed on your pinboard. Choose a category that best describes your pinboard from the dropdown menu provided. For example, if you plan on posting content related to literature or reading, choose “Film, Music, and Books.” Click on “Create Board.” The name and description of your pinboard will now display on your profile page. Adding pins to you board Click on the “Add a Pin” link on any pinboard located on your Pinterest profile page. Choose the source from which you’d like to add a pin. You can add a pin from the Web, your computer, or from another page on Pinterest. Follow the on-screen prompts to add content to your pinboard. You will either be required to enter a URL that contains content you want pinned to your board, upload an image from your computer, or navigate to the Pinterest page from which you want to grab content. Click on “Pin it” after you have selected the content you want pinned. Your pin will then be “pinned” to your Pinterest pinboard. Tips You can also sign up for Pinterest by downloading the official Pinterest app for your iPhone, iPad, or Android devices. Visit the Apple App Store to download Pinterest for an iOS device, or visit the Google Play Store if you use an Android device. If you enjoy sharing content with friends and family on Facebook, you may want to consider linking Pinterest with your Facebook account upon signup. This feature will allow you to find your friends’ own pinboards and learn more about their interests when using Pinterest. If you experience technical problems when signing up for Pinterest, try using a different Internet browser or clear your browser’s history and cookies. Pinterest recommends using the Firefox and Chrome browsers since both browsers are in compliance with the latest Web standards. If you are unable to sign up for Pinterest using your Facebook account, it’s possible you may have blocked Pinterest in Facebook. Pinterest can be unblocked in your Facebook account from the “Block Apps” section under your profile’s privacy settings. Source: WikiHow
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sandyclifton2
Jan 26, 2018
In How To - Social Media
Step 1. Visit Tumblr's website. If there is a user logged in already, click on the computer power icon in the upper right corner of the screen. You should be directed to Tumblr's main page. Click on the "Sign Up" button on the far right. Step 2. Enter your email address, choose a password, and select a unique URL. Use a legitimate email address, as you will need it if you forget your password and to receive notifications and messages from other users. As for your username, choose something you like, since it will be part of your URL and visible by all. But don't worry--if you change your mind about your Tumblr handle, you can change it at any time under your blog settings. Step 3. Start posting! You'll need to pick out an avatar, a title, and a theme for your blog, but you're essentially all set. Go ahead and use Tumblr however you like; congratulations, you're officially part of the social blogging phenomenon! Source: Wikihow
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sandyclifton2
Jan 26, 2018
In Marketing & SEO
Seven ways to promote your business online that won't cost you a dime: Here are seven ways to promote your business online that won't cost you a dime: Use the three big local listing services. ... Embrace social media. ... Start a blog. ... Put up multimedia on YouTube and Flickr. ... SEO your company website. ... Press releases. ... Join a relevant online community and contribute.
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sandyclifton2
Jan 26, 2018
In Marketing & SEO
21 Ways To Market Your Business Online On A Shoestring Budget I often hear from business owners who feel they’re too busy running their business to spend time on marketing. This is valid — and to be honest, sometimes marketing is best left to the professionals. But a problem arises when you simply don’t have the budget to hire a full-time consultant or marketing person. The following will cover 21 ways you can market your business yourself, even on a tight budget. Online Review Sites Having your business listed on online review sites is important not just for driving traffic and sales, but for protecting your online reputation. The following sites are some of the most influential, as well as the most cost-effective (free!). Set up a Google My Business page: This listing will get your business on Google Search, Maps and Google+ and enable customers to review your business. Local business reviews tend to receive high rankings in the search results, giving you some great (free!) real estate. Google+ Local reviews also influence the search rankings of people you’re connected to, meaning your business’ reviews may also appear when your connections perform relevant searches on Google. Create a listing on Yelp: As the biggest online review site, creating a Yelp listing is definitely worth the effort. It’s free, and gets you in front of the platform’s more than 140 million monthly visitors. Create a free Angie’s List page: Users pay a monthly fee to use the platform, but listing a business is 100 percent free. Available for service-based businesses only. Get listed on Yahoo Local: Yahoo offers local businesses the opportunity to get a basic business listing in its directory for free. Listings are integrated with other Yahoo products like reviews, maps and events. Social Media Join industry Facebook and LinkedIn groups: Become a valued member of two or three groups in your business’ industry, offering advice and support. This helps to establish you as an expert in your field, and ultimately builds your reputation and sales. Create your own Facebook group: Create a free Facebook group for customers or prospects to get help or support with a problem related to your niche. (For example, a social media consultant could start a “DIY Social Media Mastermind group.”) Use images to offer discounts on Facebook or Twitter: Using images to offer discounts or coupon codes is a great, non-threatening way to promote your products without being too “salesy.” Promote a free, no obligation 15-minute consult to your followers: Reduce the risk your prospects feel by offering a risk-free consult. Monitor brand mentions: Use a social listening tool like Social Mention to monitor and contribute to conversations happening in your niche. Create and share an original infographic: A tool like Piktochart requires no design or coding skills, and costs start at only $29 per month — much cheaper than hiring a designer to do it for you. Blogging Contribute guest posts to a well-known industry site: To find blogs to contribute to, do a search for “your niche” + “guest post”. Hold free webinars on your site: If you’ve investigated webinar software, you already know how costly they can be. Not to mention that most require a monthly subscription — not exactly small business-friendly! A great, low-cost alternative is using a WordPress webinar plugin like WebinarIgnition. It has a one-time cost of $97 for unlimited webinars with unlimited attendees. Partner with a complementary business to co-sponsor a contest: Co-sponsoring the contest gives you access to each other’s audience, maximizing your efforts. Submit your contest to popular sweepstakes sites to extend the reach of your contest. Install a free social sharing plugin on your site: Using a free WordPress plugin like Share Buttons ensures all your blog content can be easily shared by your readers. Comment thoughtfully on blogs in your niche: It’s perfectly acceptable to leave your website URL in the appropriate field, just be sure to use your real name or business name, not keyword-rich anchor text. Create an award for businesses or products in your niche: Create a simple badge using a free program like Canva, and then write a blog post of the Top 10 _______ (e.g., Top 10 websites for Web designers). Award each of the winners with a badge that links back to the post. This strategy works best once your site has built up a reputation in your niche. Other Channels To Get Yourself Out There Join relevant industry forums and respond to questions with helpful advice: I’m not talking about writing spammy, thin comments just to gain links back your site. Make meaningful contributions to conversions to capture the attention of other readers. Sign up with HARO (Help A Reporter Out) to get free PR for your business: Respond to relevant media queries and land free mentions and links in publications like Huffington Post, Forbes and other popular outlets. Email a well-known business or influencer in your field with an authentic testimonial:Businesses love receiving testimonials, and many times will post them on their website (along with a link). Invoice your business like a pro: Make sure that you’re billing your clients on time each month as well as keeping track of everything. I personally love Due invoicing as it’s a free option that invoices clients, and for a small fee you can bill people over PayPal. Answer questions on a Q&A site like Quora: These sites consist of real people looking for answers to questions. Search the site for relevant questions you can answer intelligently. Over To You… The Internet has leveled the playing field significantly when it comes to marketing. The reach and visibility that used to only be available to big brands with big budgets are now within the reach of even the smallest businesses. I want to know: How do you market yourself online? What low-cost strategies do you use to raise awareness of your business and products? Share below. Some opinions expressed in this article may be those of a guest author and not necessarily Marketing Land. Staff authors are listed here. Article Source: Click Here Article By: Steve Olenski
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sandyclifton2
Jan 26, 2018
In Marketing & SEO
1. Offer Deals on a Regular Basis Most online marketplaces will give you the option to hold sales and/or use promo codes to help entice shoppers. Be sure to do this on a regular basis. From taking advantage of holiday shopping (get 15% off for Father’s Day, 31% off for Halloween, 50% off of select items on Black Friday, etc.) to simply offering great deals for no reason at all, this will help ensure you have regular web traffic. 2. Use Email Marketing to Remind Customers to Shop An example of one of our newsletters that features our online sellers’ products. When you first open your store, you’ll want to send out an email announcing it to your database. Make sure it links directly from the email to your store. Once you’ve done this, start sending out weekly (if possible) newsletters that highlight your products with great images and persuasive, yet succinct, content that links directly to each product for easy purchasing. When you have sales, be sure to announce and promote them via email so customers can take advantage of your exclusive pricing right away. 3. Start a Blog A blog is more than a great way to establish yourself as a leader in your industry, it’s also an indirect way to help promote your online shop. Include one relevant link back to your store in each blog post (either link the home page of your store or link directly to a product) and make sure each blog is informative and helpful. If the content isn’t strong, it’s not going to do you any good. Quality blogs will help you grow your online business, however, so if you have the time, it’s a great project to invest in. 4. Contact Bloggers About Your Products Do a search on Google Blogs for whatever industry your products are in. (For example, if you create candles, you might look for lifestyle bloggers and/or bloggers who write about homemade goods) and then reach out to the ones with the largest following. Be sure to look for how many comments they receive and how large their following is on their social media accounts to gauge their popularity. When you contact them, tell them why you love their blog (be specific), then briefly explain why you feel your product would be a good fit for a review on their blog. Provide a sample of your product for free, and if you can afford it, offer to provide another sample for a giveaway. You’ll get a review, a reader will get a free product, and you’ll get priceless promotion direct to your target audience. 5. Start Guest Blogging Guest blogging can be a great way to reach a larger audience you wouldn’t have access to otherwise. Research who the top bloggers are in your industry (see above), read through their posts to see what topics they normally write about, and then contact them about guest blogging opportunities. Most bloggers will let you at least have a link to your store in your bio, but you possibly may also be able to get one in your content as well. 6. Offer Video Tutorials/Behind-the-Scenes Shots People love a good video — they’re easy to share and they can add depth and clarity to your products, as well as help them gain popularity amongst your target market. For example, if you sell headbands for babies, show parents the different ways their babies can wear them. If there’s only one way, just show adorable babies wearing your headbands in videos. If you sell dog treats, why not show a little behind-the-scenes action of you baking them? If you make clothing, show model fittings, fashion shows, you sewing, etc. When you’re done, share these videos on YouTube (create your own account for your business) and also share on all other social media sites you’re on. 7. Branch Out with Social Media Social media is essential if you want to promote your online shop effectively. But, as with anything, it takes effort and time to build followers. Depending on what you have time for (or if you can delegate tasks to anyone else to help you), you will want to check out the following sites to help market your store: (And continually try new sites to figure out what bests works for your business.) Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest YouTube Google+ LinkedIn Tumblr StumbleUpon We Heart It Flickr Foursquare Quora Polyvore Periscope Meerkat 8. Highlight Products on Social Media Fluff It Marshmallows uses Twitter to promote their online shop on Scott’s Marketplace. For social media marketing to work, you need to post regularly. For most businesses, this will be at least once a day, if not 2-3 times, depending on how many followers you have. Post enticing pictures of the products you offer, along with any deals you have going on.Always include a direct link to the specific product for fast purchasing at your online store. Ask your followers to post pictures of themselves wearing your products or using them in their home, depending on what you sell, to encourage interaction and help further your online reach. Using a scheduling tool, like Hootsuite, can help make social media more manageable for you. 9. Hold Contests on Social Media Contests are a great way to spread the word about what you have to offer, drive traffic to your store, and increase your social media followers. Some sites have specific rules for holding contests, like Facebook, so be sure you know what they are before beginning your contest. Offer one of your products as a prize (or put a few together for a prize pack) and then announce the contest on all of the social sites you use. Post about the giveaway often to encourage signups (use the email addresses you get to build your email database) and then be sure to ask the winner to post a picture of themselves on your page with their prize once you’ve shipped it. Say something like “More great products just like this can be found at (insert URL)” to encourage those who are viewing the post to check out what else you have to offer. 10. Try Paid Advertising on Social Media Sites like Facebook and Twitter offer the ability to use paid advertising to target the right consumers for you. If you try this on Facebook, we suggest selecting a metric such as ‘website clicks’ or ‘website conversions,’ because you want people to click through to your online store’s URL, not your fan page. On Twitter, you could try using ‘Promoted Tweets’ to market your store. Be sure to include concise, yet enticing content along with the URL to help drive traffic. For example, if you create clothing, your promoted tweet might look something like this, “What are the hottest #fashion trends for summer? Find out here: (insert shortened URL).” 11. Include Your Store’s URL in Your Email Signature This is a fast and easy one. No matter what email provider you use, you should have a custom email signature that includes the URL to your store. WiseStamp makes this simple and is free to use at a basic level. If you have Outlook, you’ll have to do add the URL yourself as WiseStamp doesn’t yet work with this email provider. 12. Print Your Store’s URL on all Marketing Material From business cards to flyers and everything in between, your URL needs to be included wherever you’re marketing your business. Never leave home without something you can hand out to potential customers that has your URL on it. 13. Wrap Your Vehicle With Your Store’s URL If you want your vehicle to be a non-stop promotion machine, get it wrapped with your store’s URL and some kind of image or slogan that entices passerby to pull out their phones and look up your store. 14. Print Your URL on Shopping Bags If you have a physical location, try having your store’s URL printed on your shopping bags. As customers carry the bags around, your store will be getting some good promotion. Even better: If you have the budget for it, get some reusable shopping bags printed with your business’ name, logo, and store URL on them and hand them out to customers who spend ‘X’ amount of money. You can also do this with online orders by including them in packages. 15. Hand Out Magnets with Every Purchase Include a free magnet (that includes your store’s URL, of course) with every purchase, whether in-person or online. This way, current customers won’t forget where they purchased from and can also refer you easily to their friends. 16. Use Counter Cards at Checkout Set counter cards right next to the cash register so customers can grab one as they’re leaving. Consider adding a coupon code or discount for online shoppers and direct them to your store’s URL. 17. Use Window Clings Everywhere You Can Window clings are an easy way to promote your online shop. You can put one on the door of your physical location and in various other locations throughout your store and in your vehicle’s window. You can even ask friends, family, and willing employees to do the same. As always, include your store’s URL. 18. Partner with Other Local Business Owners Partnering up with other local business owners is a great way to drum up new customers for your online shop. Who are the other local business owners in your area? If you don’t know them yet, make it a point to go introduce yourself. Talk to them and see if they’d be willing to put any flyers or counter cards out for your business in their stores and, in turn, do the same for them. If you’re online only, see if any businesses that sell their products at local events, farmer’s markets, and festivals would let you have flyers on their table. Again, do the same for them wherever you sell. 19. Try Your Hand at Direct-Mail Marketing Just because you want to promote your online business, not a physical location, doesn’t mean you can’t use direct-mail marketing to your advantage. The key here would be to include a great discount, descriptive content, and your online store’s URL to get shoppers to visit your site. Research the local coupon mailers and newspapers in your area to find good spots for you to advertise in. 20. Look Into Grocery-Cart Advertising Depending on how savvy your target audience is, you could have a QR code-centric adthat takes grocery shoppers right to your store’s URL once scanned. This would be a fast and easy way for them to shop your products online. You could also do a basic ad instead if this won’t work for your target market that includes your URL. 21. Place Coupons In Packages Every time you complete an online order, make sure you toss a coupon in the packageto encourage the consumer to shop again. Have your URL printed on the coupon to make it easy for the customer. You should also always include one or two of your business cards in each order. 22. Update Your On-Hold Message Be sure to update your on-hold message so consumers know they can now shop for your products online. State the URL slowly and spell out any words that aren’t easily understandable to ensure phone callers will have time to not only write down your URL, but get it right the first time. 23. Get Your Staff Involved Have your staff wear buttons and/or printed T-shirts that say “Shop us online at (insert URL here)” during shifts at your brick-and-mortar location if you have one, and/or at any local events you have a presence at. 24. Optimize Your Product Names and Descriptions Use keywords in your product names and descriptions to help your store get found in search engines. To research the best keywords for each of your products, you can use the ‘keyword planner‘ available for free through Adwords. Use these keywords in each of your product descriptions naturally, though, or it’ll turn off potential customers. Only use one keyword per description/product name. 25. Optimize Your Photos Give your photos good names so search engines can find you. (E.g., green-womens-shirt.jpg instead of 3929s.jpg) Doing this can help you reach more consumers who are searching for products like yours. 26. Add Your Products to Google Shopping Google Shopping lets you add your product feed to their site, making it easy for shoppers to discover your store online. Some online marketplaces, like Scott’s Marketplace, already do this for you. You can contact your marketplace directly or review the list of sellers’  benefits listed on their website to find out if this service is included with your virtual store. 27. Try Pay-Per-Click Ads Paid search campaigns (i.e. pay-per-click ads) on search engines such as Google or Bing can be a great way to drive traffic and conversions for your store, but warning, they eat up your budget quite quickly. If you prefer not to have to do this task yourself, some online marketplaces (including Scott’s Marketplace) do this for you, saving you time and money. 28. Join Local Associations Local associations have big followings, and aside from many other benefits, joining a few in your area will mean your business gets listed in their directories online. This can help increase traffic to your site. 29. Sponsor Local Events Sponsoring local events can help you increase exposure for your online business. Sponsoring local events in your area means you get promotion for your business, normally by a link on the event page, and sometimes through social media posts and other marketing material. Be sure you ask for your URL to be included. You may also want to ask if you can include one of your flyers (with your URL) in any goody bags or handouts. 30. Get Customers to Review You Word of mouth is a very powerful marketing tool. Review sites like Yelp, Google Local, and Yahoo Local are very popular with consumers, and you should aim for your business to have as many reviews on them as possible. When a customer makes a purchase, send them a follow-up email asking them to review their experience with you on ‘x’ review site of your choosing. Don’t bribe them with free things for a positive review; focus on outstanding customer service and fast shipping instead and let your business’ great reputation build organically. 31. Start a Referral Program What better way to boost your online traffic than by offering current customers a discount or free item for referring their friends? Whether it’s a $15 credit when their friend makes their first purchase of $50 or more, or simply a free item under $10 when their friend makes a $25 purchase, a referral program can do wonders for getting new consumers to purchase from your site. 32. Update Your “Closed” Sign If you have a physical location, be sure to update your “closed sign” to say something like, “We’re closed, but shop online now at (insert URL)” to encourage more sales at your virtual store. 33. Comment in Forums/Groups Do a search for forums related to what you sell to establish yourself as an expert in your field. Choose forums that allow you to either have a custom signature at the bottom with your URL and/or a linkable username. Be sure to choose a username that makes you stand out. For example, “ICreateBeautifulThings” or “SassyJewelryMaker” is better than “Shannon543267.” Answer questions in the forum without blatantly promoting what you have to sell — people will naturally begin to click through to your site over time. When you repeatedly add value to forums, you become part of the community there, which makes the other users trust and value what you have to say, and, most importantly, want to find out what you sell. You can also do this by finding applicable groups on LinkedIn and Google+. 34. Subscribe to Blogs For a steady stream of ideas on how to promote your online shop, subscribe to small business and marketing blogs just like this one! When tips get delivered directly to your inbox every day, it makes it easy to learn fresh ways to help get your business more exposure and profit. There you have it! 34 ways to keep customers shopping at your online store all year long. If time is an issue for you, choose one or two of these ideas at a time and set aside anywhere from 10-30 minutes per day to work on them. Whether it’s in the morning while you have a cup of coffee or during the “slow period” at your brick-and-mortar location,getting into a routine will help make marketing your store more manageable and effective for you. Article by: Shannon Willoby Source: Click here
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