May
06
May
01
Real Life Example – Use the internet to your advantage
I’ve had a surreal week – I met Eddie Izzard on Monday at the Dylan Thomas Theatre.
I look after the online presence (websites, e-mail marketing, social media, online membership system etc) for the theatre as I am one of their voluntary directors and trustees. I also Stage Manage a view of their events and Monday’s gig was one of them.
We had the booking confirmed at 6pm on the Friday night and were told we were allowed to publicise it from 8pm.
So, 8pm we put the approved promotional material on our website, sent it out to our public mailing list using e-mail marketing, sent it out to our members via our internal e-mail system on our membership application and put it on facebook and twitter. Our online booking system was ready and waiting.
The capacity of the auditorium at the theatre is 150 standard. We sold half in 30 minutes and then at 8.30pm, Eddie twittered himself and then the rest of the auditorium sold out in 15 minutes. We increased capacity by 16 chairs so we were full to capacity and they sold out in a further 10 minutes.
166 seats sold in 55 minutes just through the power of the internet. Nothing like this has ever happened before.
So, a real example of how using the right technologies and having the right systems in place, we could be in control of our complete online presence, update it in seconds and have an amazing success!
The Dylan Thomas Theatre website is fully controlled via a bespoke Content Management System. We use MailChimp for our public mailing list. Our membership system is an online application with the ability to e-mail our members. All the systems were designed for purpose by Beach Software and fully managed.
Could you benefit from understanding what technologies are best to use and what media can benefit your business? Get in touch!
Apr
17
| Constructing A Website That Works
Posted: 07 Apr 2010 01:46 PM PDT Before you even consider starting to build your first website, you need to think very carefully about what you are going to include in it. For instance, you should not create a site that promotes numerous unrelated affiliate products. As you can imagine, a potential customer will not want to wade through fishing tackle supplies when she came to your site looking for handbags! What’s more, the search engines won’t approve of it either; they won’t be able to distinguish what it is you are trying to sell and therefore won’t rank it well for any of your products. The more products you have on your site means that they have to compete with each other to be viewed when what you really want is a fewer amount of related products that complement and enhance each other. Here is a basic list of things that you must consider when creating your first and each subsequent website.
A sitemap literally acts as a map of your site. They can always refer to your sitemap to see where they are, and navigate through your pages with the utmost ease. There is no need to get the “big picture” of your site by reading through each page, and by doing that you will be saving your visitors’ time. When you create a sitemap, you are actually creating a single page which contains links to every single page on your site. Imagine what happens when search engine robots hit this page — they will follow the links on the sitemap and naturally every single page of your site gets indexed by search engines! It is also for this purpose that a link to the sitemap has to be placed prominently on the front page of your website. Don’t get overwhelmed by the amount of things on this list, they may take a little time to put together but they are not difficult by any means. Once they are in place, you can tweak and test your site and add new content to keep it fresh and interesting which in turn will keep the search engines and your website visitors very happy indeed! Karen Thomson is a successful Internet Marketing Consultant. If you found this article useful, claim your free social media for business e-book and more goodies, available at http://simplecashblogbonus.com Post from: SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources |
Apr
17
| 15 Important Web Design Tips
Posted: 15 Apr 2010 10:00 PM PDT Here are 15 important website design tips that you might not be aware of or have overlooked. Consider taking advantage of them if you haven’t already done so… 1. Custom 404 Pages Create a custom 404 web page, so that any time your website visitor mistypes or misspells a URL on your site, they will still be provided with navigation options for your site (instead of getting nothing but a “Page Not Found” error message, which is neither friendly or helpful). 2. Redirect Non-www. To www. Website visitors will often leave out the “www.” portion when they type a URL or link to your website. Set the website up so that it automatically redirects any non-www version of your domain urls (http://domain. com) to the www version (http://www.domain. com) of your website. 3. Properly Sized Graphics Size and define all graphics and images on your web pages properly and correctly. Web pages will load quicker if the graphics contained on each page are properly defined so they don’t require the web browser to re-size them. Properly sized and defined images can reduce the web browser workload and speed up the page loading time. 4. Favicon Add a Favicon (favorite icon) to your website, so that your company or product logo appears in the URL box. This icon will also show up in a bookmark list, and gives the web site an added level of professionalism. 5. Include RSS Auto-Discovery If you offer an RSS feed for any content on your website, be sure to include auto-discovery code in the header of your website. This will allow many browsers and RSS readers to automatically detect the presence of an RSS feed and alert the visitor that it is available. 6. Alternate Domains Domain names are relatively inexpensive, so you should register multiple domain versions and extensions in order to protect your brand. The varied domains can be parked on the main website, simply to prevent others from obtaining them. Registering alternate domain versions will help protect your brand. 7. Consistent Navigation Navigation should remain consistent on a website. As a website visitor moves through the website, the navigation bar should remain in the same place on each page. This will make it easier for visitors to navigate your website, and become more comfortable as they move through your site. 8. Home Goes Home The main graphic, company logo, or “header” at the top of the site should be included on every page in the site, and should always return the visitor to the home page of the website. This has become a web standard, and most visitors now expect to return to the main page of the site simply by clicking on the main top graphic from any page within the site. 9. Copyright Notice Include a copyright notice on the bottom of each page contained on the website, and keep it current! It may seem trivial, but an out-of-date copyright notice can send a message to your visitors that the website and its content may be out-of-date as well. 10. Meaningful File Names Use meaningful file names for any files, graphics, or web pages. Many search engines look at file names as part of their search algorithm, and using keywords in file names may help to improve search engine rankings. 11. Hyphens vs Underscores When naming files and webpages, use hyphens (i.e. web-page.html) rather than underscores (i.e. web_page.html) for the file names. It is much easier for search engines to 12. Alt Tags Use ALT tags to describe what images represent on web pages. ALT tags not only assist visually-impaired visitors in knowing what the images are, but they also help with search engine ranking. 13. Spell Check Use a spell-check feature on the text of all web pages in a website. A website that contains mistyped or misspelled words just shouts “unprofessional”. Take the extra few minutes necessary to check the spelling of text on each page of your website. 14. Test After making changes to a website, test it! Many times, a webmaster will upload changes, confident in their abilities, only to later discover that in their attempt to fix one thing, they have “broken” something somewhere else. Make testing a habit after making even the most minor changes! 15. Keep It Simple Simple is good. Remove unnecessary clutter and distractions from a website and navigation menu. Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for RecordForAll audio recording and editing software. Post from: SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources |
Apr
17
| 5 Resources Every Copywriter Must Have
Posted: 16 Apr 2010 12:44 AM PDT Copywriting is one of the most vital elements of effective online marketing. The art and science of copywriting includes strategically writing words that will promote a person, a product, business, opinion, or ideas with the ultimate intention of having the reader take some form of action. Whether you are looking into selling something over the internet or in building traffic by earning links from others, you will need to tell moving stories that will grab attention and will connect with people so that they will respond in the way that you want. There are many copywriting tutorials and great online copywriting course that you can find online. Some of these online copywriting courses and tutorials are packed with comprehensive lessons and tips in doing the job properly. Some even include in-depth copywriting training complete with references and recommendations from professionals. An online copywriting course that is available in the internet can be downloaded or be bought in a DVD format. Among the many topics discussed in an online copywriting course are the things that every aspiring copywriter should know how to write. Such topics are: 1. Print Ads Since most copywriters land in advertising jobs, rookie copywriters should spend some time learning about print advertising. When you understand what makes a print ad effective and sellable, you can then move into learning about other medium such as flyers, yellow pages ads and newsletters. Writing print ads can also be a good way to start creating samples for your own portfolio. 2. Brochures It is not enough that you sit down and try to write to brochure. You should learn the fundamentals in writing one – how the brochure fits into the buying process, if the brochure will stand alone or be tied in with other mediums and what the selling points will be. You have to know the different types of brochures and then start finding your niche among them. 3. Direct Mail Writing direct mails broadens your knowledge of writing brochures. Every direct mail package is different. Some may include a sales letter or a response card. Others could include a sales letter and a brochure. Being familiar with direct mails helps you be exposed to a different side of advertising that some advertising agencies specialize in exclusively. This can be a great tool to have if you find out that you enjoy writing direct mails. 4. Commercials Television commercials will help you learn how to write a matching audio and video output. Creating a 30-second TV commercial script can already be a very good exposure in the world of copywriting. Your script needs to have perfect timing. And while you incorporate audio and video, you will also learn about the use of fonts, graphics and will learn how to play with other effects in the commercial. You can also check out writing for radio commercials as well, while you’re at it. You can make use of both TV and radio commercials as additional materials in your portfolio. 5. Websites Being able to write copy for websites is a necessity for every copywriter. Even large companies that do not sell products online need a website, so having someone maintaining the company’s website is something every company should do. And this is where you being the copywriter comes in. To Know How Elmar Sandyck Has Created A Very Profitable Internet Business Using Techniques And Strategies Here Learned In The Best Copywriter’s Guild Visit : http://www.CopywritersTraining.com Post from: SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources |
Mar
04
Recent case law confirms once again: if online agreements are presented properly to end-users, they’re legally enforceable.
This continuing trend is good news for websites that contract with registered users though SaaS Agreements, Membership Agreements, Subscription Agreements, Terms of Sale, Content License Agreements, and the like.
Why? Among other things, this means that important legal disclaimers and limitations of liability are legally enforceable.
But what about liability exposure arising out of customer contracts entered into by your resellers? Are you liable for actions of your resellers?
The Direct Revenue Case
In the case of People v. Direct Revenue, the New York Attorney General in 2008 attempted to nail Direct Revenue for its distribution of software that served pop-up advertising software on consumers’ computers.
Direct Revenue is in the advertising business. It’s software client serves pop-up advertisements to consumer’s computer screens through the Internet. Direct Revenue does not charge fees to consumers. Instead, it charges fees to the companies whose products it advertises.
It’s interesting to note that one line of attack by the New York Attorney General focused on Direct Revenue’s “click-wrapped” (where the user clicks on “I ACCEPT”) end user license agreement (EULA) and Direct Revenue’s alleged deceptive and illegal practices. The court granted Direct Revenue’s motion to dismiss the claims noting that sufficient disclosure was given in the EULA, and the required elements for an enforceable agreement were followed.
Having failed with its first line of attack, New York’s additional line of attack focused on the customer agreements of Direct Revenue’s resellers in an attempt to hold Direct Revenue liable. The result was the same as with the EULA — Direct Revenue was held not liable.
New York conceded that Direct Revenue’s resellers were independent contractors rather than agents. Generally, a principal is not liable for acts of an independent contractor due to the lack of control over how the contractor’s work is performed. In addition, the court noted that Direct Revenue’s software distribution agreement required its distributors to obtain consent of consumers consistent with the EULA and prohibited distributors from holding themselves out as agents of Direct Revenue.
New York argued that Direct Revenue should be liable because it’s servers interacted with the consumers’ computers in the software installation process. The court pointed out that participation in installation was not enough for liability in the absence of participation in deceptive conduct that induced the installation.
Finally, New York argued that Direct Revenue should be held liable for the actions of its resellers on the ground that Direct Revenue ratified the conduct of its resellers. The court ruled that mere knowledge of consumer complaints was insufficient to impose liability on Direct Revenue, especially in light of the fact that when Direct Revenue had actual knowledge of a reseller misconduct, it took steps to remedy the problem.
3 Tips To Avoid Liability For Actions of Resellers
Potential liability for acts of online resellers is a major concern of ecommerce businesses which use reseller networks.
The Direct Revenue case teaches us that ecommerce sites may not be held liable for actions of their resellers if these 3 tips are followed:
- if you transfer anything to a user’s computer, require your resellers to obtain consent of end-users consistent with your EULA – this means consent in clear and easy-to-understand (not deceptive) terms,
- prohibit your resellers from holding themselves out as your agents, and
- if a reseller does engage in misconduct, take affirmative steps to deal with the situation, including termination, if warranted (particularly if the reseller’s actions tend to indicate an agency relationship).
These 3 tips won’t guarantee that you have no exposure, but they’ll go a long way to protecting you from liability for actions of your resellers.
Post from: SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources
Feb
26
| 1. Identify Your Target Audience
Who is going to be interested in your offering? Is there a clear USP for your business versus the competitors in the same space? Is there enough room in the market for a “me too” model? A marketing company will work with you to answer these questions and provide a clear marketing strategy for your business. |
| 2. Develop A Clear Business Model
Have you considered all options for your business model and decided on a clear winner? A well thought out business plan based on tangible metrics will help you succeed. Options include selling products, monetising visits via third party, providing information in return for high value customer data or by generating sales leads for a high value product or service. |
| 3. Make Sure Your Website Meets Your Business Needs
It’s likely that you will want to update your website regularly with fresh content. If this is the case then ensure you have a suitable content management system to allow for this. Likewise, if you are planning on selling products you must have a secure and reliable payment system in place to make this viable. Using the right specialist or website designer for the job will help you to produce a site that fits your business requirements. |
| 4. Design Your Site To Attract Free Traffic
More than 47 million new websites were created in 2009 alone, so you need to think carefully about how you’re going to attract visitors to your site. If it’s a new site then you have the opportunity to get it built with SEO in mind and attract some free traffic, so make sure you get some recommendations from an SEO company and benefit long-term. |
| 5. Increase Visits With Targeted Paid Methods
PPC (paid search) can generate instant visits to your site. However it can be easy to blow a lot of cash on clicks that fail to turn into revenue so it’s important to get an expert on board. Email and direct mail are perfect for one-off blasts to a targeted audience and are designed to quickly pull in new customers. |
| 6. Think About Your Brand
When you’re setting up a new site in a competitive space then it’s essential that your brand communicates how you stand out from the crowd and conveys the values that your company encompasses. Your target audience may be over 50s, but your brand may appeal to the under 35s. Branding companies can help you to get this right by developing a brand that fits with your offering, plus provide you with guidelines to help you keep your branding consistent across all marketing mediums. |
| 7. Ensure Your Website Is Focused On Your Conversion Point
You’ve spent time creating a website that fits your brand values and you’re satisfied with the overall look and feel. The question is does the site encourage visitors to do what underpins the success of your business? For example, is it easy for them to view and purchase a product? Is it clear what information they need to provide before being able to access password protected content? Are they encouraged to consume more content? A website designer or ecommerce web designer will help you to achieve this. |
| 8. Use CRM Tools To Increase Sales And Build Relationships
Good CRM (Customer Relationship Management) allows you to know your customers inside out and tailor your service to them. CRM software collects data about your customers, tracking their preferences, decisions and responses at every stage of the buying cycle. Studies have shown that a tailored CRM system can increase your sales by 40-50 percent. |
| 9. Use A Telemarketing Company To Set Appointments Or Find Contacts
Whether you’re looking to have appointments set or simply find the right person to contact, a telemarketing company can handle your contact generation and you can keep your sales people doing what they do best: selling. |
| 10. Use Web Analytics Tools To Track Visits And Conversions
If you don’t have access to web analytics data for your site then you’re effectively driving blind. Web analytics can help you to gain answers and solve problems. Answers can include, where your visitors are coming from, how visitors are responding to your site, and if visitors are exiting the site before reaching your money pages. There are lots of packages to choose from – some paid, some free. Google Analytics is a good package to use if you’re just starting out. |
Feb
19
You’ve tested your website, you’ve visited it a few times, you’ve gotten some feedback on it, and you have a bit of data about your visitors.
You might want to make some changes. Here are the top ten issues in website design and usability.
Think about these things in relation to your website and consider what you might want to do to perfect your site.
1. The First Glance
In general, people look at the top left corner of your website first. You should have your essential information there: what your offerings are and how your potential customers can get it. Some visitors are at your site only long enough to confirm that you sell what they want, and some are ready to buy. All visitors need to be able to tell what you do right away. Don’t hide behind a splash page or make people wait while something loads – many won’t take the time.
2. Navigation
When your customers want and need more information, they’ll stay and look for it. Make sure they can find it easily. Put your navigation in the usual places, and make it very obvious what your visitors need to click in order to find each section. Don’t have more than 5-7 choices in your main navigation and keep it consistent on every page. Let your creativity and uniqueness show in some other way – follow the rules when it comes to navigation.
3. Contact Information
Can customers (and search engines) find you when they need you? Your contact information must be clear and accurate. It must also be easy to find. Visitors will visit your website several times before they choose to go for your services or purchase. Don’t make it hard for them to contact you when they’re ready.
4. Call To Action
What do you want your visitors to do? It should be easy to find out how to complete an order through your website or get more information. Regardless of the content of the page make sure that you include a clear call to action. Make it easy for visitors to purchase or request information from you. Just be sure to make it very clear.
5. Above the Fold Focus
Many visitors won’t scroll; most won’t scroll unless you have already convinced them that it’s worth their while to do so. Make sure important aspects are above fold. The unimportant things – why are they on your page? This is especially important on the home page. Visitors who’ve reached your FAQs page or your blog are probably interested enough to spend some time reading.
6. Inviting Content
To develop relationships with your clients, you need to have them visit more than once. In fact, most people won’t commit themselves the first time they come to your website. You need to offer them something of value so they’ll return. Do you have a blog, or frequently-updated featured products? Have you got any useful information that you could offer your customers?
7. Well-Organized Pages
Don’t make your visitors search. Always ensure that your page layout is clear, concise and gives the visitor exactly what they want without having to search for it. Try to put yourself in your customer’s position and use what you learn from testing. Decide what you want to say and plan its organization before you write, so you can be sure to have coherent paragraphs.
8. Visual Appeal
While the content on your page is the most important thing, an attractive page will be more enjoyable and appealing for visitors. Choose colours that work well together, leave some open space so it’s not too busy, and make sure you have everything lined up nicely. Even if you have not got artistic skills you can make a good impression – and you should.
9. Sincerity and Trustworthiness
The internet is all about trust. If you can ensure that your website is trustworthy, people will be more likely to complete an order. What’s more, the search engines also base your rankings on how trustworthy they think your page is. Don’t undermine your future success by trying to trick the search engines or mislead your visitors.
10. A Polished Finish
Do your links work? Make sure you check your grammar, spelling and layout are correct? Is all the information up to date and accurate? Your visitors would prefer to shop in a well kept and clean shop in the high street. They would prefer to purchase in a clean and well kept website too. They’ll have less faith in you if you have errors on your website.
Is your website perfect? Maybe not. We’ll be providing more information on all of these points as we go along, and your site will become better and better as you follow our suggestions and learn more.
Post from: SiteProNews: Webmaster News & Resources