Based on the number of newspapers and magazines that have gone out of business over the past 18-24 months, it would appear so. While there will probably always be a small percentage of people who will not change their habits, many people are finding the web to be more convenient for media consumption. By spending less than 10% of their ad dollars online, local businesses are missing the opportunity to reach consumers where they spend 50% of their time.

In the current business environment, traditional methods of advertising are not working and are proving to be a waste of money. Web marketing allows you to reach not only local customers, but global customers as well. With the Internet now in widespread use throughout the world, today’s consumer is very comfortable shopping online.

What Internet Marketing Strategies are You Using?

A company without an Internet marketing strategy is like putting a sign up advertising your business in the middle of a forest. It could be the world’s greatest offer, but no one is going to find it! The Internet is not going away and the businesses that are finding success today are those that use a mix of Internet marketing strategies to beat the competition.

In order to stand out from the competition, a company today needs to combine a website with an effective web marketingstrategy. Having your site ranked in search engines for effective keyword phrases will lead customers to your website, generating website targeted traffic with very high conversion rates. Ranking in search engines is the most effective way of attracting new customers to your website.

WSI-More Profits helps businesses get found on the web. Whether it is managing an online advertising campaign for your business, providing blog content, or improving your search engine ranking, we can provide the expertise. Don’t wait another minute to implement an effective Internet marketing strategy for your company. Call us today @ 413.770.7185 or visit us online @ www.wsimoreprofits.com for a free evaluation.

Often, a visitor has arrived at your landing page without having gone to your website’s home page. At this point, this may be their only encounter with your company. While it is tempting to load the page with lots of text, graphics, and videos, resist the urge and follow two simple rules. Rule #1: keep your content relevant to your goal of converting the visitor; and rule #2: content needs to be organized in such a way that the visitor knows what to look at, in what order, and what you want them to do next.

Landing Page Layout Fundamentals

• Make sure that all critical elements of your page are “above the fold” (the bottom edge of your browser screen without having to scroll down). This will insure that 98% of the visitors can see and act on your offer. There has been some debate recently as to whether this rule still applies with the addition of a scroll wheel on everyone’s computer mouse. I have seen no studies about this, so I will take the conservative route and stick with keeping all of the important things above the fold.
• Put enough information above the fold so that the visitor is able to make a decision on whether to stay and keep reading or bail.
• Do not include navigation bars in your website design. If visitors are clicking on other links, they are probably bored and not likely to convert anyway, so don’t give them the opportunity to leave the page without converting.
• Landing pages with one main column tend to outperform pages with multiple columns. The more columns you have, the more confusion for the visitor- so keep it simple with one column.
• A landing page should have a single focus, so eliminate the “we-also-carry” line and keep the visitor focused on your original goal.

How Many Elements Should be on a Page?

The consensus among the experts is that you should use what is absolutely necessary and no more. A well designed landing page may have several different elements, both text and graphical. Studies have shown that placement of elements can have a drastic impact on how intensely someone reads a page. A misplaced element or photo can lead the visitor away from what you would like them to do and they may never get back to the action you want them to take. It is best practice to test various versions of the page until you have one that converts the highest number of visitors. For a free evaluation of your landing page design, click here to contact us.

Market focus- I will state the obvious: you must know who your customer is! You must do targeted market research to determine your customer’s pyschographics (their motivations and preferences) and demographics (income level, gender, size of the potential market, where are they located, etc.).

Differentiation- what is your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)? What makes you different from the competition? Identify a niche within your market and exploit it.

Innovative design- it is important to match creative design with pyschographic and demographics research. Using this combination, you can use the power of outstanding design to generate maximum response rates.

Education- when we talk about educatin, we are talking about educating the visitor. This entails the development of education materials specific to your visitor’s needs. You should brainstorm what strategies you can use to gain credibility utilizing educational materials.

Maximum frquency- you should develop a formal plan on how frequently to reach out to your customers/prospects. This needs to be maximum frequency balanced by minumum intrusion. If the communications with the consumer are excessive, it will have the opposite effect.

Top of mind awareness- your outstanding maketing campaign needs to be seen as creating inherent value so as to have high visitor retention rate. It should be highly targeted based on your prospect’s needs.

Strategic media selection- recommendations of media type are based on research. Maximimum cost effectiveness ratios are measured against productivity. Multiple types of media are available: direct mail, magazine, press releases, and Internet to keep your name in front of the public.

7 Components of an outstanding marketing system

According to American Marketing Association May 2009, 68% of all marketing programs fail. An outstanding marketing system consists of the following 7 components:

1. Market focus
2. Differentiation
3. Innovative design
4. Education
5. Maximum frequency
6. Top of mind awareness
7. Strategic media selection

While it is good business practice to limit unnecessary business expenses during a challenging business environment, cutting or eliminating the marketing budget will not increase your traffic. Instead, in order to crush the competition, it makes sense to have a plan and to then execute it. We will go into more detail of these 7 components in the next post.

Improve ROI with online marketing

50% of media consumption is being done online by today’s consumer. By spending less than 10% of their online ad dollars online, local businesses are missing an opportunity to reach consumers where they spend 50% of their time. One of the many advantages of Internet marketing is the ability to zero in on your target market and then have the ability to calculate a return on investment. You will be able to see how many people viewed your ad; how many people clicked on your ad; and then see how many people made a purchase (let’s see newspapers give you that kind of reporting!).

WSI has been helping businesses improve their Internet marketing since 1995. If your website is not making you money,contact us today for a FREE website evaluation. Call 413.770.7185 or visit us online @ www.wsimoreprofits.com. Let us help you develop an effective marketing plan for your business.

Emerging trends as businesses grow larger

• The importance of the management team and employees increases, including the need to adopt effective practices for finding, motivating, and retaining good employees.

• Professional services providers such as lawyers, accountants, financial advisers, and Internet marketing consultants increase in value.

• There is a growing focus on the disciplines of professional management, with an intensifying interest in improving productivity and stimulating business innovation.

• The business continues to shift its focus externally instead of looking inward. In particular, the small business owner places greater value on membership in-and information from-professional associations, and the value and importance of the company’s website rises.

Four types of small businesses based on the number of employees

In the study The Guardian Life Index: What Matters Most to America’s Small Business Owners, businesses were segmented based on the number of employees:

• 2-9 employees- The smallest business entity, often consisting of the principal and a small, dedicated support staff. The focus is on “Principal”.
• 10-24 employees- At this small business growth stage, an organizational structure exists but is informal, collaborative, and collegial. The focus is on “The Business”.
• 25-49 employees- The enterprise is starting to look like a formal corporation but lacks the resources for departmentalization. The focus is on “The Team”.
• 50-99 employees- The business has grown to a size that resembles a larger corporate entity but with fewer resources. The focus is on “The Organization”.

At WSI-MoreProfits, we can help small businesses define and implement an online growth strategy that is right for their business. Call us today for a free consultation @ 413.770.7185 or visit us on the web @ www.wsimoreprofits.com.

Your website as a business tool

Your website should be one of your most powerful marketing weapons. It is available to promote your company, sell product, and educate others about the products you carry on a 24/7 basis.

Your customers will judge your company by how professional your website presents its self and by the types of products that you carry. When people visit your website, you have the opportunity to engage with them; build credibility and trust; and encourage them to take action.

Social Media Marketing (SMM)

One of the most effective forms of social media marketing is blogging within your website. You are able to showcase your expertise, engage with customers and potential customers, and generate leads for your business. In order to get the best results from social media marketing you need to offer value and interact with people.

Post on a regular basis- people will come back to your website if they are able to find new, unique content that they find interesting. You should concentrate on interactive discussions instead of one way conversations.

Need help with your social medial strategy?

Call us today at 413.770.7185 or visit us online at www.wsimoreprofits.com.

How do You Define Online Marketing?

Online or Internet Marketing is the marketing of products and services over the Internet. It is also referred to as i-Marketing, web-Marketing, Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Banner ads, sending e-mail to prospective clients, creating an e-commerce site, etc. are all examples of online marketing.

Do you have a plan for your online marketing strategy?

Internet marketing brings together design, development, advertising, and sales into an Internet marketing strategy. The interactive nature of the Internet has much to do with the success that online marketing is enjoying today.

The ability to measure ROI of an Internet marketing strategy is what makes this form of advertising far superior to other, more traditional forms of advertising. If you would like to learn more about developing an online marketing strategy, visit www.wsimoreprofits.com today!

Commercial Liability Insurance is a necessity in today’s business environment.

Professional Liability insurance provides protection against claims that the policyholder becomes legally obligated to pay as a result of an error or omission in his/her professional work. Business insurance protects you and your business with coverage for claims related to allegations of negligent activities or failure to use reasonable care.

Commercial Liability insurance is also known as Errors and Omissions insurance.

This type of professional liability insurance is critical to commercial businesses in Springfield today. E&O insurance responds to claims of professional liability in the delivery of your technical services. Axia Group in Springfield has helped thousands of businesses obtain the liability insurance that they need. Call Axia @ 413.205.2942 today.

People have grown numb to traditional media and it has become much more difficult to attract and hold the attention of a company’s targeted demographic. Social media has the potential to attract this demographic. Below are some additional benefits your company may experience by utilizing social media:

• Affordable Marketing- There is no requirement for a large budget to conduct social media marketing.
• Viral Nature- Users can easily share your messages with their friends with the click of a button.
• Enhances Brand- Through social media you can enhance and build your online reputation.
• Builds Credibility- User generated endorsements are more credible than traditional advertising.
• Increases Traffic- A well-planned social media strategy will drive more traffic to your website.
• Engages Customers- Connect with your customers and respond to their feedback in real-time.

To help your company get started with social media, WSI More Profits can provide your company with a list of best practices, checklists, templates, tools, and resources to use. Give us a call today at (413)770.7185 or visit us online at www.wsimoreprofits.com and let us help you implement a social media strategy for your business.