Clare Lancaster: One woman's adventures in online business and life » Attract good visitors

How Seth Godin Markets His Bestselling Books

Clare Lancaster — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:19:13 +0000

Ideas that spread win.

Free ideas spread better then paid ideas.

The way you monetize it is by selling souvenirs.

If you haven’t got time to watch the whole thing – the good stuff starts around 15 mins in.

Key points

Give people an incentive to talk about your idea – you do this – I’ll do that.
Permission is the asset you should be working to create online – through blog readers, email list, followers, fans – anything opt-in.
Don’t find readers for your words – create words for your readers.
Make people care about you – by giving them what they want.

Links mentioned

36 Must Read Website Marketing Articles I’ve just come across this website called Copyblogger. He’s compiled...
What is a referrer? I mentioned earlier how I am in love with Google...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Use Twitter to Further Your Customers Experience

Clare Lancaster — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:18:08 +0000

“As with any social media platform, Twitter provides an opportunity for fashion marketers to create an experience around their brand that consumers desire to be a part of, encouraging online conversation and providing marketers with an intimate insight into how their brand rests in the heart of their market.” Jessy Cameron.

Just came across this blog and thought the statement above really sums up why businesses should be on Twitter -

Create an experience that customers want to be a part of
Start and become part of conversations and
Observe feedback from your target market.

All this – for free.

Is Following a Business on Twitter the Ultimate Opt-In? Twitter has been gaining popularity for months now in Australia,...
Are you sp*mming your customers? The idea of free, direct email contact with your customer...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

22 Tips to Quickly Improve your Online Marketing Results by Freestyle Media

Clare Lancaster — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:04:26 +0000

Came across this list of ways to improve your online marketing results – it’s a great post with practical information that you can implement today. By Fred Schebesta.

- – - -

Here are 22 things you can do to improve your online marketing right now that will cost you just time.

Practice a Purchase – Get one of your friends, and go onto your website and show them how a customer can go through the process of buying an item or getting in contact with you. Note down all of the things they and you notice during the process, the results might surprise you! Usually there will be 1 change you can make that will increase your conversion by at least 10%.
Ask for Feedback - Add a button that says “Can’t find what you are looking for, email us your question”. You are not your customer, let them tell you what they want.
Add more keywords to a webpage – Some of your pages may be lacking in keyword density. Login to your CMS and just add a paragraph of text to the pages that are looking a little empty. Remember: Google can’t see images but it can see text, so tell Google what your page is about. Even Google change their logo on their homepage!
Change your homepages main image – Make the image users see when they first hit your site something a little fresher. If they are coming back for a second time, nothing is more persuasive than seeing a website is changing and evolving. Its a signal that the website is alive and that the company is reputable.
Offer an incentive to your affiliates – Offering an incentive to your affiliates might just give them that extra 10% motivation to spend more time promoting your program. More promotion means more sales.
Add a page of content – Write an article and add it to your site. The more pages Google can see on your website, the more chances you have of ranking for any particular keyword. I call this “Buying more tickets to the Google Lottery”!
Change the colour of your buy now button as a test – This button might be your main call to action button like “Apply Now”. You are trying to get a bump on your websites conversion. Red = Stop and Green = Go. Are your buttons telling users to stop or go? Copy the best in the business www.amazon.com

Go to 22 Tips to Quickly Improve your Online Marketing Results to read the full list.

The Beauty of Email Marketing For Your Online Business I’ve got Google Alerts set up on my favourite subjects...
1 SEO Step Every Business Owner Needs to Know Do you know if your website is included in Google?...
Website Marketing Basics – Getting Visitors to Your Website The article below outlines the basic website marketing principals and...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Want to know how Google works?

Clare Lancaster — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 04:17:19 +0000

There are a few essential things to understand when working with the Internet and this is one of them. Here’s why – of all searches for 4 weeks ending 11/4/09 Google served 91.25% – MSN 4.74% and Yahoo 3.26%. [Source]

If you have a website you need to know the basics of how Google works.

Here goes…

Google works by crawling through the Internet via links, to make a library of all the websites that it can find.

When a user types a search query into Google, the search engine looks through its library and uses a ranking algorithm (computer program) to compile a list of the most relevant websites to satisfy what that person is looking for.

It also looks for advertisements that are relevant and displays these in the right hand column of the search results (Google Adwords results).

Yep – that’s it in a nutshell.

Of course there are a million and one other details that the above doesn’t cover but if you can get your head around this simplified version – you’re probably miles ahead of the competition when it comes to understanding how search engines work and the process they go through to present the list of websites to answer a search query.

How to get Google visitors to your website Did you know that 80% of research before purchase is...
Google Australia Launch “10 Steps to Promote Your Business Online” Google Australia have launched a new small business initiative “10...
Google to launch customised search – how it will affect your website Plenty of Google News at the moment. Google is set...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Using Twitter for Business – A Guide for Beginners

Clare Lancaster — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 03:12:53 +0000

I’m excited to announce that I’ve just released a simple, easy to follow e-guide to Twitter for small business owners.

The guide was designed to answer the most frequently asked questions I get asked about Twitter by my consulting clients. It teaches you simply what it’s about and how you can use it in these key areas – Marketing, Sales, Customer Service and Business Development.

It was designed for Business Owners, Marketing Managers and anyone who needs to get up to speed quickly to start using Twitter effectively. It’s for people who need a concise, practical guide without the hype.

The guide is 21 pages with a bonus guide full of tips & tools from business owners successfully using Twitter right now. The advice is identical to the information I give my consulting clients and will not be republished on this blog.

Personally, I’ve found participating in Twitter invaluable.

The business opportunities that I’ve received (most recently being asked to write an article for Dynamic Business Magazine and Virgin Blue Voyeur In-flight Magazine) I wouldn’t have dreamed of if it wasn’t for my daily Twitter fix!

It’s priced at an introductory offer of $12.95AUD until midnight, Friday the 20th of March so if you want to pick one up, please visit the website twitterguide.com.au now for more information.

Is Following a Business on Twitter the Ultimate Opt-In? Twitter has been gaining popularity for months now in Australia,...
A peek behind the scenes of twitterguide.com.au & the Twitter for Business E-book I thought that some people might find it interesting to...
Hello to Virgin Blue Voyeur & Dynamic Business Magazine Readers Welcome to readers of Virgin Blue Voyeur Magazine (p84-88) or...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Link Love Friday

Clare Lancaster — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 03:42:39 +0000

Am trying something new today.

I love Twitter. No surprises there.

I also love posting links on Twitter so every Friday I’m going to do a round up of the Tweets with links and post them here.

Let the fun begin!

RT @valeriekhoo Just blogged on my Top 3 networking tips to boost your business http://is.gd/jEMw
Wow. Australian Anthill to reduce print magazine schedule and move to more digital business style http://tinyurl.com/c3v6ny
@mimobase Afternoon chair dancing proudly brought to me by http://tinyurl.com/czy6r4
Reading about HerMentor and women’s approach to networking. http://tinyurl.com/atcgtc
Reading and dreaming about @SNOBEd first big national competition – win a $1000 online shopping spree. http://tinyurl.com/shopaholic
RT @RobLincolne http://bit.ly/QfmVZ – Orange Mocha Frappachino Obama Style! What a great way to start a Monday morning! Heh!

Online Casinos, SEO and Doing What You Love My first job was as an SEO specialist for an...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Want to know why you should use Social Media and Internet networking?

Clare Lancaster — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:56:28 +0000

A few quick thoughts about why businesses/entrepreneurs should get involved in social media and networking like Twitter.

It doesn’t cost any money to use
It can improve customer service, communication and customer loyalty
It can reduce phone calls, drop out rates
It can create a team of evangelists who market via word of mouth for free (priceless)
A conversation is happening online whether you participate or not, you can use it for your benefit or ignore it at your peril.

Social Media is just the Internet – Now I got introduced yesterday as Clare, who works in Social...
Does Cotton On know about its Social Media failure? If it does – it’s not handling it right. It’s...
Social Media Case Study: U2, You Tube and Twitter This case study is so sexy I can hardly stand...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

How to Boost Your Online Sales in a Downturn

Clare Lancaster — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:35:09 +0000

I’ve just finished listening to the latest Smart Company Webinar. A panelist of online business owners and online marketers were discussing “How to boost your online sales in a downturn“.

The general feel of the webinar was to build credability and trust through professional design and customer service.

Here are my notes.

Panelists: Amelie Mills, Campbell Corser, Chris Thomas, Craig Reardon, James Thomson, Naomi Simson, Nicholas Egonidis.

The webinar will cover two parts:

#1 Fundamentals: Removing barriers to purchase and
#2 Advanced tactics to close/up the sale.

Part 1 – Fundamentals

Photography

Critical to have good quality photography (correct lighting, show details, show different angles) first impressions count when it comes to professionalism and trust building/credibility.
Would you purchase – does it show you enough?
Naomi Simson: Professional photography is critical. They realised quickly it had a huge impact on sales and now use it to connect to their audience. Must be vivid and authentic – use your own photography, visitors are bored of stock photography. Needs to portray the service/experience authentically and perception is incredibly important – listen to your customers to develop your tone and products/services.
Provide rich content, and think of all the angles from a customer perspective – think ahead to provide the right information.

Payments

Offer a range of payment options
Consider offering pay by phone, fax (least secure way of buying online), mail in addition to online, direct deposit
Make it clear who you service (which areas) and how transactions are processed (if over the phone, is it still processed online through your gateway?)

Delivery

Make delivery charges clear upfront
Consider a flat rate for shipping or build shipping into product pricing and introduce free shipping. Removed a mental block and simplified. <-Chris Thomas
Last minute charges are a major source of ‘Cart Abandonment”
Make sure there are no surprises such as shipping and handling, or a long delivery time or out of stock

Tangible Contact Details

Many people still nervous about purchasing online
Credible contact details clearly displayed (email address, physical address, fixed phone number not mobile)

Returns Policy

Tell visitors what to do if product is faulty
Answer common questions (who pays for shipping, how long have they got?) and let them know the process to give them confidence and remove another sales barrier
If you’re selling services how do you return? You offer a Refund and Exchange voucher.
The more info you give them, the less time you have to spend answering questions.

Call to Actions

Have clear ‘Add to cart” buttons
Have “Order Now” clear call to actions
Tell people what they need to do to buy and start directing people towards the checkout
Don’t make people think about what to do next – tell them.

Customer Support

Respond to both orders and queries promptly
Customers will be nervous about transacting with you until they receive a professional response
Say they will respond within a time frame (e.g. within 12 or 24hours) when you respond promptly and professionally 9 out of 10 customers will go on to purchase.

Security

Don’t ask for or store credit card details yourself
Have the payment service (banking/Paypal) collect them
Assure customers their details are safe – have that clearly displayed that a secure 3rd party gateway is used for their security.

Product Range

Bring as much product to the front page as much as possible (while not crowding)
Tell people clearly what you sell
Involve people in the website – provides interactivity for visitor and useful customer data for you. Think about voting polls. E.g. home page of Red Balloon Days.
Have reviews from staff – creating personality and trust
Give people chance to browse the whole range (different price range and types)
People love a bargain – have a few specials
Search facility is incredibly important and have fuzzy logic (typo’s or ‘did you mean’ suggestions)
Suggest related products before checkout

Customer service

Contacts – give multiple options for customers service.
FAQs – Explain how transaction works, think about other barriers to purchase and questions that potential buyers would ask and answer them here.
Show staff photos so that visitors can see who is behind the business, behind the website.
Always have an “About Us” page
Naomi Simson: “Life at RedBalloon” is one of their most visited pages people like to see what its like to run an online business and who is behind it all.

Design

Needs to be as professional as possible
The less you are known, or your brand is known the more critical this is.
Naomi Simson: They are up to the 7th version of their website to reflect brand qualities. Be aware of optimising it for Google (text) but humans love images/aesthetically pleasing finding the balance is key.
Invest heavily in design, how customers use the website and tweak design to suit.
Doesn’t need to be expensive but should reflect your brand values, consistent message, instill confidence and speak to your customers.

Part Two – Advanced Tactics

Delivery Tracking

Adds a better level of assurance
People want to know where their order is up to, when will it get to me
Enter order number to check process status (processed, shipping, back order)
Saves time dealing with tracking queries from customers
Notify customers via email of status updates

Introduce currency conversion

Attracts international sales
Have a currency converter calculator/selector

Introduce customer reviews

Either automatically or manually
They used to have a rated system but if an experience was consistently low rated they would be removed from the website
Staff reviews are popular – video and photography gives visitors a richer experience. Customer reviews are priceless – e.g. Don’t just take our word take a look what other people have said to see if it suits you.

Provide Chat and/or Phone help

Provide further assurance and tangibility
Look at implementing ‘online/live chat’ facilities

Experiment with eBay

Good way to clear stock
Come up with interesting bundles to clear stock

Extras

Throw in a pleasant surprise in the parcel
A little treat goes a long way – Red Balloon add a little gift movie tickets, discount coupon, related – Make their day and they’ll come back and spread the word.
Make it seasonal/e.g. Valentines day chocolates or heart shaped balloons.

Questions and Answers

Q) How can you tell where people leave in the checkout process?
A) Install Google Analytics to see where people are dropping off. Set up a goal funnel from when they add a product to the end of the shopping process. See if they drop out and see where they go – if they’re going to the FAQ page they might be looking for more info on shipping etc. Then you can respond by providing information throughout so they don’t have to leave and look elsewhere for it.

Red Balloon also use Google Analytics for tracking and analytics – daily reporting on drop out rates and keep trying and testing to reduce drop outs. Have found that brand recognition improves drop out rates if they have trust and confidence.

10 Common Shopping Cart Mistakes Just read an interesting article by Jonathan Crossfield over at...
How to sell physical products through your website This is a step by step guide for beginners who...
Website Basics – What You Need to Get Your Business Online For people starting up an online business or wanting to...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

How to get Google visitors to your website

Clare Lancaster — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 02:37:32 +0000

Did you know that 80% of research before purchase is done online. 88.14% of those searches are done using Google.*

Your website must be found on Google to have a chance of connecting these targeted, high quality visitors to your website.

There are two ways to get visitors from Google.

Using Google Adwords
Using Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

These two methods come under the term “Search Engine Marketing” or “Search Marketing.”

Google Adwords is a way of sending high quality visitors to your website immediately, by paying for it.

SEO will provide a stream of free, high quality visitors to your website but can take up to 6 months for best results.

Both types of search marketing can be used to ensure your website reaches the visitors that you want to connect with.

What is Google Adwords?

Google Adwords allows you to place small text based advertisements of your website on Google.

Here’s how it works:

You create text ads and choose keywords you think your customers would use to find you.
Those text ads are displayed when someone types in one of your keywords.
You only pay when someone clicks on your ad’s link and visits your website.

What is SEO?

SEO is a way of ensuring your website is accessible to Google and has the best chance to rank higher than other websites that offer similar products/services.

The theory behind SEO is simple:

Ensure your website follows the Google webmaster guidelines to make it accessible.
Create a website that is the more relevant to what you are offering then your competitors.
Think about the keywords your customers would use to find you and use those words in relevant places throughout your website.
Make it a high quality website so that other websites will link to you

I recommend that if you have invested in SEO (and I always advise that you do) you should run a Google Adwords campaign until your SEO results appear. At that time, you can stop paying for visitors and start receiving high quality visitors that are easier to convert – for free.

*July 2008, Hitwise [Link]

Google Australia Launch “10 Steps to Promote Your Business Online” Google Australia have launched a new small business initiative “10...
Website Marketing Basics – Getting Visitors to Your Website The article below outlines the basic website marketing principals and...
Want to know how Google works? There are a few essential things to understand when working...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Google Australia Launch “10 Steps to Promote Your Business Online”

Clare Lancaster — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 19:29:46 +0000

Google Australia have launched a new small business initiative “10 Steps to Promote Your Business Online” to help businesses understand basic concepts of online marketing and to promote their paid advertising option – Google Adwords.

Google’s introduction to Search Marketing/Google Adwords is free to use and it’s a nice run down about how to approach your website for business and get into an online marketing mindset.

While Google have defined Google Adwords as “Search Marketing” there are actually two forms of search marketing – SEO and Paid Search Advertising.

Google Adwords is a type of Paid Search Advertising. You pay to advertise your website with a short piece of text and your website link – the ads are displayed down the right hand side of search results.

You can decide when your text ad is displayed by selecting keywords you want your ad to appear with.

Advertising using Google Adwords means that you can immediately connect your website with visitors who are searching for keywords relevant to your business.

SEO on the other hand delivers free high quality visitors from Google. While the results are not immediate and the initial outlay is more than Adwords, the return on investment is much higher.

Visit: http://www.10searchmarketingsteps.com.au/ to test it out.

How to get Google visitors to your website Did you know that 80% of research before purchase is...
Google to launch customised search – how it will affect your website Plenty of Google News at the moment. Google is set...
Want to know how Google works? There are a few essential things to understand when working...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.