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We post weekly tips, tricks, and marketing advice to help grow your business.
4 Easy Ways To Capture Leads On Your Website
Think of your website as a salesperson who works for you 24/7. Have you equipped this salesperson with all of the necessary tools to ace their job? Not only should your website contain a wealth of interesting and helpful content for visitors, but it should also serve as a portal for capturing new leads! In this blog post, we’re going to share a few easy ways to do this.
Think of your website as a salesperson who works for you 24/7. Have you equipped this salesperson with all of the necessary tools to ace their job? Not only should your website contain a wealth of interesting and helpful content for visitors, but it should also serve as a portal for capturing new leads! In this blog post, we’re going to share a few easy ways to do this.
1. Put your high-traffic pages to work.
Each month, you should actively review your website data. Don’t worry … this is not as scary as it sounds. If your website is integrated with Google Analytics, then you already have access to a plethora of valuable statistics. One piece of data that we like to regularly monitor is page traffic. Page traffic outlines what content your site visitors are most interested in and essentially points you in the right direction for CTA placements.
A call-to-action, or CTA, is an image or line of text that prompts visitors, leads, and customers to take action. It is, quite literally, a "call" to take an "action." (HubSpot)
Many times, CTAs are linked to landing pages where a visitor can complete a form. This form might allow them to book a consultation, download a free piece of content, or even enter some sort of contest. Regardless of what the form is linked to, its sole purpose is to collect information from website visitors.
Placing CTAs (that ultimately link to forms) on your top performing website pages will allow you to strategically capture leads. Just be sure that your offers are enticing and relevant to the website pages you’re promoting them on!
2. Use pop-up boxes.
A fantastic way to grab new blog subscribers is to use pop-up or subscription boxes on those high-performing pages we just discussed. If you’ve poked around on the LMG website, then you’ve probably already noticed how we use these.
That little pink box in the lower left corner = a lead generation tool.
So how did we create these nifty little pop-ups? Using HubSpot, of course! The great news … you can do this even with their most basic FREE Marketing Hub subscription! If you’re interested in learning more about getting your website synced up with HubSpot, then reach out to us.
Lead generation pop-ups can be as loud or subtle as you want them to be. On our homepage, for example, a visitor is only presented with the pop-up box after they scroll through 50% of the page. The box itself is also pretty non-intrusive. It simply appears in the lower left-hand corner of the screen. And we have it set to not reappear for a certain length of time if a visitor X’s out of it.
3. Present visitors with an option to subscribe on every page.
You never know when a website visitor might feel inspired to subscribe to your content. So give them the option to do so on every single page! Whether it’s via a simple button or perhaps a basic one-field form at the bottom of each page, be sure your website visitors have a quick and easy way to subscribe to your content as soon as they want to.
This section is found at the bottom of every LMG web page. It gives visitors a quick and easy way to subscribe to our content. Speaking of which, why haven’t YOU subscribed yet?
4. Activate the power of your blog.
A business blog serves a number of different purposes … the most obvious one being a platform to share valuable content and information with your website visitors. However, the importance of blogging runs much deeper than this. Did you know that each time you publish a new blog post, you’re adding a new page to your website that will eventually be indexed by Google? This equates to more opportunities for you to show up in search results!
Want to learn more about this? Read our blog post on How To Get Found In Google Searches!
Now let’s tie that into our topic of capturing new leads. By including an enticing call-to-action in every blog post, you can acquire pertinent information on new prospects. Having intel on where a future customer is in the buying process (as well as their needs, pain points, and desires) will tremendously improve your ability to effectively market to them in the future.
When placing CTAs within your blog posts, try experimenting with different options in terms of color, style, and even placement. We’ve found that when we place CTAs closer to the top of our posts, they get clicked on more. Graphic CTAs as opposed to linked text also tend to yield a better result. You’ll want to do a little of your own testing to determine what works best with your website visitors.
Remember what we said at the beginning of this post … your website is a 24/7 salesperson! Put it to work by incorporating lead capture mechanisms throughout and never miss another opportunity.
Ready to revamp your website for 2019? We’ll give you a FREE 15-minute consult!
15 Reasons Why Your Small Business Needs A Website
We get it. Some businesses just can’t afford the thousands of dollars it typically takes to design a website. That’s why we’ve created our Mini Website package. It’s the perfect way to establish a professional online presence in a budget-friendly way. The best part? The Mini Website can be built upon in the future as your business becomes more profitable! Sound awesome? Check out these 15 reasons why you should go for it today!
If you own a small business and don’t have a website, you’re missing out on many marketing opportunities. According to a 2017 study by Clutch, a Washington, DC-based business-to-business research firm, 71% of small businesses have a website. In the study, the businesses that didn’t have a website gave four common reasons why:
They use their social media profile(s) instead.
They lack the technical skills needed to build/manage a website.
They don’t feel it’s necessary for their type of business.
They lack the resources needed to invest in a website.
Are any of these reasons trapping you amongst the 29% of small businesses that don’t have a website? We’re here to help bring you over to the other side!
Introducing Mini Websites by LMG!
We get it. Some businesses just can’t afford the thousands of dollars it typically takes to design a website. That’s why we’ve created our Mini Website Package. It’s the perfect way to establish a professional online presence in a budget-friendly way. The best part? The Mini Website can be built upon in the future as your business becomes more profitable!
What you’ll get:
(1) 15-minute phone call for planning and direction
(1) mobile-friendly concept that includes: About, Services, and Contact sections
(1) round of revisions
This is an awesome value at just $500! To view the details and restrictions, be sure to check out the Mini Website product page!
A website can transform the future of your small business ...
Here’s our list of 15 reasons why you should make launching one a priority for this year.
Improved chances of getting found in Google searches
Competitive advantage
Platform to showcase your industry knowledge/expertise
Added channel for your customers to interact with you
Added channel to announce news and updates
Elevated brand image
Ideal place to tout your best content and offers
Ability to capture new leads who wouldn’t have found you otherwise
Increased marketing opportunities
More cost effective than brick and mortar
Capability to track marketing and sales analytics
Digital sales conversions = savings on time and labor
New opportunities for targeted marketing campaigns
Provide clients/customers with easy access to information (= less phone calls)
By not having a website, you’re giving the impression you are no longer in business
Ready to become part of the 71%? Contact us today!
Tuesday Tip #12: How To Get Found In Google Searches
It’s the dream of every website owner to rank on the first page of Google search results. The truth is, however, achieving Page 1 Status requires some work. Owning a domain and a website are simply not enough. Your website needs to be optimized for search. Needless to say, there’s a lot to know when it comes to SEO. For today’s Tuesday Tip, we’re going to unpack four things you can do to help you small business website get found on Google.
It’s the dream of every website owner to rank on the first page of Google search results. The truth is, however, achieving Page 1 Status requires work. This statistic alone sums up why the work will be well worth it:
89% of U.S. internet users search online before they make a purchase, even when the purchase is ultimately made at a local business. (HubSpot)
Owning a domain and a website are simply not enough. Your website needs to be optimized for search. Before we dig in and explain how to do this, let’s first take a look at the definition of search engine optimization:
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results. (Moz)
The quality of your website is defined by the visitors it’s attracting. Are they genuinely interested in the product or service you’re offering? A quality website should draw quality visitors, which leads to quantity. The more traffic the better.
Needless to say, there’s a lot to know when it comes to SEO. For today’s Tuesday Tip, we’re going to unpack four things you can do to help your small business website get found on Google.
1. Implement a keyword strategy.
In order for your website to rank in Google search results, you’ll need to optimize it for the keywords people are using when they perform a search. However, this will require you to do some research first.
We recommend beginning your keyword research with a brainstorming session. Open a blank Google Doc and fill it with every keyword or phrase pertaining to your business that you can think of. You’ll want a good mix of both short-tail keywords (one or two words) and long-tail keywords (more than three words).
Note, the broader the keyword, the more challenging it will be to rank for. For example, “inbound marketing” is a very popular search term, making it difficult to rank for. “Inbound marketing agency in Middletown, CT” might have far less searches but this long-tail keyword would be easier to try and rank for.
After you’ve written down all of the keywords you’d like to rank for, go to Google and type each of your short-tail keywords into the search box. Scroll to the bottom of the page and you’ll see other searches that are related to the search you entered. Make sure you add all relevant, related searches to your list as well.
Once you’ve put together your comprehensive list, you’ll want to use an analytics tool such as Moz’s Keyword Explorer to decide on the most sensible keywords to try and rank for.
Ok, so now it’s time to optimize your website for those keywords you decided on. According to HubSpot, “every page on your website needs to include the critical optimization elements that help Google understand what each page is about. Each website page needs to have the following elements addressed with a single focus keyword.”
Page Title (under 70 characters)
Meta Description (under 155 characters)
H1 & H2 Title Text (break up main content by describing it)
Alt Text (every image needs a title)
Keyword in Content (at least once, bolded)
2. Implement a content strategy.
Your marketing needs to resonate with your audience and offer more than just touting your brand. It needs to tell your story and effectively explain the WHY behind what you do. If you’ve been following us on social media, we’ve been talking a lot about content these days. So what exactly is content marketing?
“Content marketing is a strategic marketing and business process focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience, and ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.” (Content Marketing Institute)
Like the exercise of keyword research, implementing a content strategy takes time and planning. What types of resources will your target audience find most helpful or beneficial? After you make that determination, you’ll then have to create the content!
“The most common components of a content marketing program are social media networks, blogs, visual content, and premium content assets -- like tools, ebooks, or webinars.” (HubSpot)
For many small business owners, the task of content creation can seem quite overwhelming … maybe even impossible. Don’t freak out! LMG offers content planning and development solutions so you don’t have to worry about writing or designing graphics and guides. To learn more about our content marketing services services, contact us.
The key takeaway here is to never let your website get stale. Implementing an ongoing content strategy will ensure fresh content is always being added.
3. Implement a blogging strategy.
Blogging is a great way to get your small business found on Google. Each time you publish a new blog post, you’re adding a new page to your website that will eventually be indexed. This equates to more opportunities for you to show up in search results!
Now let’s tie in that content strategy we just discussed. A blog gives you the opportunity to capture and convert leads who visit your site. By including an enticing call-to-action (CTA) in every blog post, you can acquire pertinent information on new prospects. Having intel on where a future customer is in the buying process (as well as their needs, pain points, and desires) will tremendously improve your ability to effectively market to them.
Lastly, a blog is the perfect way to showcase and share your industry knowledge with others! When you develop interesting and informative content based on your own experiences it not only positions you as a thought leader, but also creates a fantastic opportunity to share something with your social networks.
Still not convinced? Then absorb this fun fact …
“Companies that blog get 55% more web traffic and 70% more leads than those that don’t.” (HubSpot)
4. Implement a link strategy.
In February 2018 we published a blog post on backlinks. If you missed it, here’s the definition of what a backlink is:
A backlink is a link one website gets from another website.
You’ll notice that throughout this post, we’ve linked to sources such as HubSpot and Moz. Your goal as a website owner is to try and get other websites to link to yours. But not just any websites. You should strive for placement on quality sites that are relevant to your industry. And if those sites are ranking well on Google, it will help your cause even more.
“Guest blog articles are a fantastic application. The idea behind guest posts is that everyone wins. The host site gets a good piece of quality content, it's readers get yet another piece of information relevant to their interests, and you get to expose yourself to a completely new audience by posting to their blog instead of your own.” (HubSpot)
While we’re on the topic of links, let’s not fail to mention the importance of linking to your social media channels. Be sure to include social sharing buttons on your website (especially in areas where you’re promoting content). And when you publish new content to your website or blog, be sure to share the link on social media, too!
Ok, so this was a lot to absorb. We understand! If you want to improve your small business website rankings on Google, we’d love to brainstorm and help you generate some fresh new ideas! You know how to find us :)
Every Tuesday we share easy and actionable advice you can take to refresh your current marketing plan. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more!
#LMGTuesdayTips
Tuesday Tip #8: Let Your Personality Shine
Take a good look at your current website, social media platforms, and other marketing collateral. Do they speak to who you are? Do they give a prospective customer or client an accurate glimpse into what it will be like to do business with you? If not, here are four quick and easy ways to incorporate your personality into your marketing …
Photo courtesy of Audra Nicole Photography
One of my favorite things about the LMG website is that it fully embodies who me and Katie are as people. Colorful, fun, witty, and real. I browse the Internet often and have stumbled across many websites that completely lack personality. Copy-heavy, overloaded with stock photography, and boastful … yet lacking true substance. Missing the kind of stuff that would make me want to do business with you because I already feel like I know you.
Today’s Tuesday Tip: Let Your Personality Shine
Incorporating your personality into your website and other marketing materials is actually a fairly easy thing to do. And trust us when we say, it will pay dividends. People want to deal with real people. Not robots or those people depicted in stock photos who appear to be overly excited to be at work. If you’re selling products or services online, this is especially important. Personalizing your website will help visitors get to know and trust you. (For more tips on how to earn trust on your website, click here.)
Take a good look at your current website, social media platforms, and other marketing collateral. Do they speak to who you are? Do they give a prospective customer or client an accurate glimpse into what it will be like to do business with you? If not, here are four quick and easy ways to incorporate your personality into your marketing:
1. Utilize professional photos of you and your team.
Professional photography will make your marketing burst with personality. Candid pictures of you and your team at work. Light and bright head shots. Rich and vibrant close-ups of your top-selling products. Professional photos will make a dramatic impact on your marketing and truly help to tell the real story about your small business. Making an investment in creative photography will launch your marketing from the realm of mediocre into magnificent!
2. Blog.
If you follow LMG, then you know that me and Katie are big fans of blogging. And we practice what we preach! A blog not only benefits your website from an SEO perspective but it also provides you with a platform to speak to your customers in your own voice. We’ve had numerous clients express fears over blogging. “I’m not a writer!” “What do I talk about?” “I’m clueless when it comes to this stuff.” Let us reassure you: 1. You CAN write. You KNOW what to talk about. You’re NOT clueless. (Read our Small Business Resolutions For 2018 for more on getting your blog started. You can do this! We promise.)
3. Don’t be afraid to record videos.
I’ll be quite frank. Facebook Live used to scare the shit out of me. The thought of pressing that record button and then completely freezing, not knowing what to say or do. However, when I realized how important videos were becoming in the world of social media, I knew I had to get over these fears. The success of our Instagram and Facebook accounts depended on it! However, I learned something else about videos. They allowed us to put a voice and personality with all of those photos we had been posting! Our website visitors and social media followers could now see us and hear us … making our connection even stronger!
The bottom line is, video is crucial these days. Get over your fears and start connecting with your audience on a much more personal level! (Need more evidence? Review Social Media Today’s infographic on The State Of Video Marketing In 2018. It’s incredibly compelling.)
4. Feature a bio on your website.
About Us pages are not overrated. When I’m exploring a website, I always look for the About Us page to gain further insights on the company. How did they get started? What’s their backstory? Why are they in this line of business? For me, knowing more about the business owner gives me a level of comfort.
Featuring a bio on your website allows your visitors to connect with you. Tie that in with your professional photos and blog, well, that’s personalization at it’s finest! To get an idea of how to draft a bio, check out how me and Katie did ours!
We hope you found today’s Tuesday Tip helpful! For more marketing advice like this, be sure to scroll to the bottom of this page and subscribe to our blog!
Every Tuesday we share easy and actionable advice you can take to refresh your current marketing plan. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more!
#LMGTuesdayTips
5 Tips For Marketing Your New Small Business Online
Our friend Audra recently launched a new photography business in Tampa, FL. Using the know-how from her full-time marketing job, she was able to quickly build up a clientele and strong social media presence. We asked her to share some highlights from her success so we could, in turn, share them with you! So here they are … Audra’s five tips for marketing your new small business online.
Photo courtesy of Audra Nicole Photography
Our friend Audra recently launched a new photography business in Tampa, FL (Audra Nicole Photography). Using the know-how from her full-time marketing job, she was able to quickly build up a clientele and strong social media presence in just a few short months. We asked her to share some highlights from her success so we could, in turn, share them with you! So here they are … Audra’s five tips for marketing your new small business online.
Guest Blog Post
Being a small business owner is a delicate balancing act. As if it's not hard enough taking your passion and making it into something profitable, you also need to know where the people who want your product/service spend their leisure time online. Once you know them then, gosh! Then comes the website and the social marketing just to get a few leads. It's a lot of work and you start to say to yourself "I didn't go into (insert your business) to spend all of my time marketing."
I've personally found Little Marketing Genius (LMG) to be such a great resource. I do Marketing for a living but their wealth of knowledge has been an awesome reminder for me. For instance, circa 2013, Google Business Pages still hadn't come up with a solution for service-based business. It was a clunky process where you had to do this crazy work around to just get found. So, I put them on the back burner. It wasn't until LMG had an Instagram post about it that I was like, "Sweeetttt, way to go Google" and followed LMG's suggestions to set up my service-based Google business page.
So, other than reading LMG's blogs religiously, here are the five online marketing tips that have helped me with my new small business:
1. Design a good website.
My husband is always on me about not spending money until I'm making money. (Let's just say I've dabbled in a few online business adventures in my time.) I followed that principle for years but it just lead to long hours for me that I just didn't have as we kept adding more kids to our family. So, I bought a custom URL and I paid for a WordPress website template. I had coupon codes and it was worth it.
If you already have a website, I suggest screen grabbing it right now and saving it somewhere. It will be fun to look back at how far you've come as you start to tweak your brand. If you don't have a website or are looking for a change, I suggest going to Wix, buying a theme to add to WordPress, or using LMG.
2. Girl, you need to blog!
Okay, so your website is set up. Now I suggest blogging. Like LMG says - blog at least twice a month but strive for even more! They have a blog post about why.
At first, I started blogging about myself. I'm an introverted extrovert so I'm this blend of shy but personable. Who knew, right?! So, it was VERY hard for me to start blogging about myself. For one I thought, “Who is going to care?” and then, two, “Gosh, what do I even say?”
My market is saturated with photographers but there's only one me out there. I'm a wife, believer, Mom to three young kids, and have a full-time job on top of my business so I figured somewhere another woman out there would totally relate to me.
I'm not a copywriter and I don't stress myself out about it either. I am who I am and I do the best I can to make my high school English teachers proud! It takes awhile to start to get organic traffic from the blog posts so don't get discouraged. Just keep doing it!
3. Find Your Audience Online
Okay, so have I stressed you out yet? No?! Okay, cool. So next, find where the people who want your product/service spend their leisure time online. I serve women with my photography business and they're predominantly on Facebook and Instagram. I use the platforms differently. On Facebook I share my blog posts. On, Instagram I share my portfolio and quotes to inspire women because inspirational quotes have always been my "thing." You can ask any of my friends. I'm always their cheerleader pushing them to do more so I thought, hey, why not do it for perfect strangers, too?!
4. Be Genuine On Instagram
Sharing:
Like the blogging, I try to be as genuine as possible. I share that I'm not a perfect Mom. I share when I make mistakes. No one is perfect and, again, I feel that somewhere out there another woman can relate to me.
Commenting:
Back in high school I found my calling as a complimenter. I just see the best in people and I like sharing it with them. "Oh girl, I love your top." I'm totally genuine about it. So, I took that to social media. At first I thought, gosh, these women don't know me and they're going to think I'm a total weirdo. Then I thought, when someone comments on my photos on Instagram, first, it makes me feel good and, second, I totally check out their pages. Who is this person? Natural relationships just formed, which has lead to increased relationships and followers for me.
5. Use Instagram Hashtags
Like Facebook, Instagram is always changing their algorithm. Right now, Instagram allows you to use 30 hashtags. However, I've been getting stuck around 15. After you share your photo, add a comment to your own post and place the 15-30 hashtags in there. That way it's not crammed in with your photo description but you'll still get found. Since I'm a photographer, I try to keep my hashtags local but sometimes I use broader ones, too.
So, there you have it! Those are my five tips for marketing your new small business online. I hope it helped you. Don't forget to follow me @audranicole_photography on Instagram so I can watch as you as you become #instafamous!
xoxo
Audra
Tuesday Tip #1: Earning Trust On Your Website
Earning the trust of your website visitors is paramount … especially if you’re selling a product or service online! SSLs.com recently shared these three tips for building trust on your pages:
Earning the trust of your website visitors is paramount … especially if you’re selling a product or service online! SSLs.com recently shared these three tips for building trust on your pages:
1. BE PURPOSEFUL.
Each page needs a clear purpose to avoid confusion. Remember, users expect instant gratification. If they’re baffled over how to take action on your pages, they will quickly leave.
2. EXPLAIN SAFETY.
Any legitimizing security information (i.e. protection through a third party SSL or payment gateway) needs to be explicitly stated.
3. BE APPROACHABLE.
Your contact information should be easy to locate. Your visitors want to know they’re dealing with real human beings.
[To see the full article and infographic, click here.]
BONUS TIP!
One tip LMG always gives our clients is to personalize a website as much as possible. Present an inspiring About Us page. Showcase photos of yourself (and your team). Include real life testimonials. If a website visitor feels like they already know you before doing business with you, the chances of them actually doing business with you are much greater!
Every Tuesday we share easy and actionable advice you can take to refresh your current marketing plan. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more!
#LMGTuesdayTips
What are backlinks and why are they important to your website?
Do you own a website for your small business? If YES, continue reading! I'm going to explain backlinks and why they are critical to the vitality of your website. I'm also going to share an extremely cool infographic that will give you a bunch of ideas for acquiring new backlinks to your site.
TGIF Beautiful People! My oh my do we love Fridays! This morning I was reading through one of my favorite websites, Social Media Today, and discovered this amazing infographic that I wanted to share with you guys.
IF YOU OWN A WEBSITE, PLEASE CONTINUE READING THIS ... IT'S WORTH IT!
WHAT'S A BACKLINK?
So first thing's first ... what's a backlink? It's a link one website gets from another website. For example, if you regularly read our blog, you will oftentimes see links to other websites for reference (a.k.a. paragraph numero uno of this post where I linked to Social Media Today). These would be considered backlinks to those other websites.
WHY ARE BACKLINKS IMPORTANT?
Next, why are backlinks important to the vitality of your website? Moz puts it best so I'll share their reasoning ...
When search engines crawl the web, they extract content from all the different pages they hit and add it to their indexes.
“In this way, they can decide if they feel a page is of sufficient quality to be ranked well for relevant keywords. When they are deciding this, the search engines do not just look at the content of the page; they also look at the number of links pointing to that page from external websites and the quality of those external websites. Generally speaking, the more high-quality websites that link to you, the more likely you are to rank well in search results.”
Long story short ... you WANT high quality websites linking back to your website! So how can you accomplish this? Social Media Today shared the below infographic that Kissmetrics put together with some great pointers.
Think you might need some help in getting creative with obtaining backlinks to your site? Reach out to us!
Now get out there and have the most productive Friday ever!
-J