1. Make sure your website is on all your online and offline marketing materials.
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- On your letterhead
- In your email signature
- Business cards
- Brochures
- Standing Newspaper Ads
- Chamber Ads
- Product labels
- Product packaging
- Direct mail pieces
- Voicemail
- Facebook page
- Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and/or other social sites
- Invoices and Statements
- Vehicle and building signage
- Local TV or Radio Ads
- On the front desk/customer service area
Tip: If you forgot to add your website to your letterhead or business cards, print off some labels or stickers and add until it’s time to reorder. Chances are you’ll draw even more attention to your site!
2. Don’t waste any precious space
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- Your homepage doesn’t waste space with a generic “Welcome”
- Scan for “fluff” and modify.
- Reduce “I’s” and“We’s” – focus on the customer
- Rewrite or add headings to include powerful keyword phrases
- Use your email footer to include current info and links to your website
- Use your title tag space to highlight what’s on each page
- Use descriptive “Categories” and “Tags”on blog posts
Tip: If you aren’t ready to hire SEO work done, you can still get started making changes yourself. Spend time writing better titles and content for your website or blog.
3. Ask Questions
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- When someone emails you, ask how they heard of you.
- When someone contacts you from your website, ask how they found you.
- When someone buys from you, ask who referred them.
- Ask visitors which search engine or social media platform they prefer.
- Ask for feedback
- Ask what you could add to the site to help your clients.
- Utilize forms on your blog to ask the right questions and track feedback
- Consider a timely survey to customers using an email automation
Tip: After you ask questions and get feedback from clients, be sure to make things happen. Did they ask you for a user’s guide? Get one put on the website. Did they ask you where they can find an outdated part? Post the answer on your site or Facebook page. Chances are other visitors are looking for the same things. Be the first to offer it and stay ahead of your competition.
4. Stay current- Things change daily. New opportunities become available.
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- Your website footer includes an updated copyright and current physical address (search engines like this and it’s critical for local searches, mapping, etc)
- Read your website. When’s the last time you read everything on there? Look for dated material. If things are old, chances are visitors will leave before buying anything
- Change the message in your email signature and your voicemail.
- Take a look at competitor websites. What are they doing that’s new? Take notes.
- Consider more or new social marketing venues that are a great fit for your business, prospects, and customers.
Tip: While it’s important to make changes to your website to stay current, don’t tweak SEO efforts very often. It can take a few months for Google to find your first set of changes and positive results to happen. It’s better to focus on a different area or section of the site each month, and keep plugging away—eventually coming full circle with changes. Your best bet is posting new blog content on a consistent basis; Google loves blog posts.
5. Avoid Quick Fixes
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- If you receive an unsolicited email offering to help you get in search engines or drive thousands to your website, ignore it. Stay the course with the simple things listed here and you’ll fair much better.
- Spend time building quality links from sources that are reputable and add value to the user experience. Start with vendors, suppliers, dealers, sister companies, forums, user groups, fan pages, and complimentary industries. This will benefit your website greatly. The only investment is your time and good judgment.
- Make sure your homepage and all graphics/photos/content loads in a couple seconds. This is especially critical for those who have the ability to make changes to their own site. It’s fun to add photos, but if they don’t load fast, it’s better to leave them off.
Tip: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Vivid Image can help you weed out spam offers
