Welcome to the digital age, where your Google My Business (GMB) profile is your new storefront. Just like a catchy window display in a brick-and-mortar store, your GMB listing can lure customers right to your doorstep. But how do you make sure your virtual storefront stands out in the bustling online neighborhood? With leveraging GMB as your local SEO jetpack.

Let's chat about setting up, optimizing, and sprinkling a little magic on your GMB profile to boost your local SEO.

Why GMB is a Game-Changer for Local SEO

First off, let's talk about why Google My Business is like the superhero of local SEO. When someone searches for a service or product near them, Google wants to show them the best options, right? Well, GMB is the tool that tells Google all about your business – what you offer, where you are, when you're open – all the good stuff. It's essential for local search because it helps your business show up in Google Maps and local search results. Think of it as your business' first handshake with potential customers.

Setting Up Your GMB Profile: The Basics

Claim Your Business: If you haven't already, claim your GMB listing. It's like planting your flag in the digital world and saying, "This is my turf!"

Fill Out Every Detail: Be as detailed as possible when filling out your profile. Your business name, address, phone number, and hours need to be spot-on. Consistency is key – make sure this info matches what's on your website.

Choose the Right Categories: This helps Google understand exactly what your business does and ensures you show up in the right searches.

Add a Description: Write a compelling description. This is your chance to tell your story and include keywords that potential customers might use to find your type of business.

Upload High-Quality Photos: Photos add personality to your profile. Include shots of your products, services, team, and your physical storefront if you have one.

Optimizing Your GMB for Maximum Impact

Encourage Reviews (and Respond to Them!): Reviews are the bread and butter of GMB. Encourage happy customers to leave a review. And hey, don’t just leave them hanging – respond to these reviews, both good and bad, to show you’re engaged and care about customer feedback.

Use Google Posts: Think of Google Posts like mini-advertisements or social media updates that pop up right in your GMB listing. Share updates, promotions, events, or new products. Keep it fresh and engaging!

Answer Questions: GMB allows people to ask questions right on your listing. Be proactive in answering these. It not only helps the individual asking but also shows potential customers that you're attentive and helpful.

Add Special Features: Depending on your business category, you might be able to add bookings, reservations, or even a menu. Take advantage of these features!

Insider Tricks to Make Your GMB Stand Out

Keep Updating: Regularly update your profile. Google loves fresh content, and so do potential customers. It shows that your business is active and current.

Utilize Local Keywords: In your business description and posts, use keywords that locals might use to find your services. If you're a coffee shop in Austin, make sure "Austin coffee shop" finds its way into your profile.

Engage with the Community: Use your posts to engage with local events or news. Show that you're not just a business but a part of the community fabric.

Track Insights: GMB offers insights that show how customers find your listing and what they do once they find it. Use this data to tweak your profile and strategy.

Mobile Optimization: Ensure your website is mobile-friendly. A lot of local searches happen on mobile, and you want to offer a seamless experience from your GMB listing to your website.

Wrapping Up: Your GMB as a Digital Powerhouse

In the bustling world of local SEO, your Google My Business profile is like your digital handshake – it's often the first impression you make on potential customers. By setting up, optimizing, and applying some insider tricks, you turn your GMB into a powerhouse that boosts your visibility, engages customers, and drives traffic – both online and in the real world.

So, take the reins of your digital storefront, infuse it with your unique brand flavor, and watch as it becomes a cornerstone of your local SEO strategy. With GMB, you're not just waiting for customers to find you; you're inviting them in with open arms. Happy optimizing!

Remember what it was like in the ’90s? Before internet advertising noise was a primary marketing tool? It seemed like there was less competition, and a business could simply put an ad on the local print circuit to build the customer list they needed to thrive. 

But nowadays, people see thousands of ads a week, and getting responses from the ads means you need to be a little more crafty. Standing out from the crowd by letting your personality shine and engaging with each and every lead is best done when your sales and marketing team are in collaborative sync.

And with the right system in place - keeping your sales and marketing teams in sync can be relatively automated and focused on compiling feedback that helps you refine the strategic system over time.

To be successful in any business, your product or service has to be tailored to a specific demographic.

It doesn’t have to be the best on the market - but it does have to leave an impression and deliver on the promises your brand makes. If your customers love what you do, they’re more likely to tell their friends, and you’ll soon have a whole new set of growth problems on your hands. 

But before this can happen, you need to attract the right customers. The easiest way to do this is by looking at your comprehensive plan. An ideal plan grows from the center of a venn-diagram where you have smart marketing on the left and an engaging sales process on the right. The sweet spot where those two initiatives overlay is what we call the butter chicken of your marketing plan! It's where the best ideas come from, and the strongest client relationships grow.

For the best results, these components never work in isolation but hand in hand to fuel the company fires.

These components shouldn't be separate, but instead, they must work together for the best results. Your marketing team can find and engage leads, which are then taken over by your sales department. At all stages, communication remains open, and the two departments give each other feedback. That way, your strategy can be improved over time, and you'll increase your sales and your reputation in the community.

What Can Marketing Do?

A good marketing team is worth its weight in gold. Many business owners can produce a fabulous product or perform excellent service, but they don't know how to get the word out to their community. Fortunately, there are experts out there who can provide your business with a steady stream of leads.

Once your marketing professionals have found new potential customers, they will engage them, so the leads will recognize your name and think of you the next time they need a product or service you offer. A good marketing team will focus their efforts on those people who are most likely to buy from you.

 

Provide Leads 

The most important job of a marketing department is to provide leads. Marketing experts use a wide variety of strategies to achieve this, both online and offline. For example, here at Lovely Pixels, we run an "In Your Neighborhood" campaign for businesses that offer in-person services in certain areas. We will deliver your marketing materials directly to your customers' doors, allowing you to reach only those people who live in your desired area.

Additionally, we will use digital marketing techniques like building an SEO-optimized website and social media marketing. Nowadays, having an attractive website that is easy to navigate and allows customers to find what they're looking for is key. Similarly, businesses that want to attract the younger generation have to set up several social media platforms, such as Instagram and TikTok, and post relevant fun content.

 

Warm Up Leads

Once your marketing team has found consumers who are interested in your business, these leads have to be nurtured. On average, people have to see your message seven times until they're ready to buy. That's why many businesses advertise in multiple ways and update their online profiles regularly.

Your marketing experts will spend time every week posting interesting content to your online accounts. That way, your followers are constantly reminded of what you have to offer, and they will eventually internalize your message. The next time these people are looking for a product or service you offer, your name will be the first to come to mind, and they're likely to buy from you instead of your competitor.

 

Target Campaigns to the Right People  

No matter how many followers you have on social media, you won't be able to make any sales unless you've attracted the right kinds of people. Many businesses operate locally, so they need to target customers in a certain radius. Other companies sell their product all over the world, but it might only apply to customers of a certain age group, gender, or background.

A good marketing team will discuss your business's aims with your salespeople and then focus their efforts on those people who will be most likely to buy your product or service. If you're a regional company, the marketing experts might post news of local interest to your social media feed, or they might connect with other businesses in your area. That way, your efforts aren't wasted, and you'll only receive those leads who are interested in buying from you.

What Does the Sales Process Involve?

After your marketing team has generated leads and nurtured them, sales can take over and "seal the deal." The job of a good salesperson involves interacting directly with your customer. Because they know the product well, they can answer any remaining questions and make the customer a good offer. For marketing and sales to collaborate effectively, successes and failures have to be discussed and evaluated.

Interacting Directly with the Customer  

After potential customers have been engaged by your marketing experts, they can be handed over to sales. Your salespeople know everything about your product or service, so they will be able to answer any remaining questions and show the customer how they will benefit from their purchase. The sales experts will go through the last few steps with your customers, which might include sending them a quote or creating a customized offer.

When the marketing and the sales teams work together, this process is much easier because the customers will already have a good idea of what your company does, and they will have a positive impression of you. Instead of having to convince your customers to purchase from you, the salespeople simply have to answer specific questions and complete the sale.

 

Giving Feedback to Marketing 

Continuous feedback is crucial because it allows you to improve your strategy over time. Every time you sell a product, your sales team can contact the marketing experts and let them know about the new customer. Together, the two teams can analyze where the customer came from, how they were engaged, and whether this process can be repeated with other leads.

Communication works best when it is planned ahead of time. When you first ask your two teams to work together, determine the best communication channels. Will the two teams hold a regular meeting once a month, during which they discuss what worked and what didn't? Or will constant communication through a messaging app be encouraged? Either way could work well, but the expectations have to be set up ahead of time.

Successful companies need their marketing and sales teams to work together to provide excellent customer service. The marketing department can find and warm up leads, while the sales team will answer customer questions, sell the product or service, and give feedback to the marketing experts. 

Feel like you're ready to improve your strategy by hiring professionals? Call us at LovelyPixels or submit a quick project brief to find out how we generate high-quality leads for small businesses using the latest trends in digital marketing tactics.

Your boutique is uniqie, and your community should know it! The best way to amplify your brand presence and attract a following is through a multi-faceted marketing strategy that doesn't isolate you. From a strong social media presence to accurate analytics - your marketing strategy should cover the basics as early as possible in your venture.

Here are 10 top-shelf marketing activities your business should be focusing on. This investment makes it easier to build good marketing habits over time, so that as your business grows - you're able to make better marketing decisions based on performance, and not just throwing wet spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks! 

1. Market Analysis

The best place to start is with a market analysis. If your boutique isn't regularly conducting a marketing analysis, get on this marketing activity ASAP! It will not only help you better understand your competitors, but it will also make your strengths hyper-clear. Considering you're a boutique, you're already a one-of-a-kind business in your community. Your market analysis will help you further pinpoint what makes you valuable to customers.

2. A Quality Website

Your boutique's digital presence is key for growing within your community and expanding your reach, so your marketing activities should include online strategies that attract your target audiences and show your unique selling points. Your website is at the heart of any digital marketing campaign: a great one will inspire potential customers and remind them why you're the best choice.   Creating a custom website will ensure you stand out for all the right reasons. It will be the extension of your brand's physical space, giving customers the same vibes as if they were to walk into your store. Photos, text, colors, and spacing are all key elements that will elevate your website and allow it to serve as the backbone of all future marketing activities.

3. Search Engine Optimization

Okay - your site is up and running. Now what?   Engage in marketing strategies that are all about directing people there to check out your products. SEO, which means Search Engine Optimization, is the continual process of improving your website's features so that they will appeal better to both users and search engines.    Common SEO principles include using relevant keywords, optimizing URLs, using internal links, speeding up your site's loading time, and designing content with user experience in mind. All of these activities should be included in your marketing repertoire because they will ensure that your site consistently ranks highly on search engine results pages, attracting the most people possible.

4. Blogging

While you can pick and choose SEO strategies that are the most relevant to your business's needs, there's one that you should never ignore: content creation. Creating and maintaining a well-strategized blog on your website will generate traffic for months or even years after each blog post is published. The key is the right balance between trendy and evergreen (always fresh) content.

Content that's based on trends will allow you to capitalize on inventory that you want to sell quickly to take advantage of the current market. Evergreen content will focus on your classic products that customers love and that you will continue to sell for years to come. We recommend hiring a team of marketing experts who can utilize their years of experience to showcase your products and brand identity for the highest ROI.

5. Email Marketing

One common problem businesses face with their marketing strategies is the inability to close a sale. Although they may draw people in to view their websites, these leads do not make a purchase either online or in person. Following up with personalized marketing strategies often makes the difference between forming a loyal customer and losing one.

Email will give you the opportunity to engage in more personalized marketing. One common and effective tactic that boutiques use is a pop-up on the homepage that promises 10% off a person's first purchase with email sign-up. This small effort will make new customers feel a bit more special while giving you a point of contact to reach out.

6. Social Media Marketing

Looking to connect to your target audience in a relatable way? Social media has made it easier than ever to create two-way relationships between a brand and its customers. Your accounts can do more than advertise your new products: They're a collection of moments that explain what makes you, you. The key to a solid social media marketing presence is to understand the platforms that your target audience is using.
Facebook and Instagram are always good options for your boutique to let your followers know what you're up to. With the visual-heavy focus of Instagram, you can design an aesthetically-pleasing field that sets your products apart. Facebook has a more communal feel, making it the perfect platform for a boutique looking to make a positive impression on its community.

7. Team Development

Whether you've owned a business for one year or 20, there's one marketing truth that stands the test of time: best practices constantly change. What may have worked a year or two ago may no longer be effective, and you may even lose money on a marketing campaign that seemed foolproof 18 months ago. The best way to ace your marketing strategy is to engage in continual team development so you and your business partners can stay ahead of the trends.

From online webinars to strategy workshops hosted by industry professionals, there are hundreds of options that will challenge the way you approach marketing. Our team can point you in the right direction and even give you the in-depth information you're looking for.

8. Print Marketing

Despite the importance of having a digital marketing strategy, you shouldn't ditch the traditional means of putting your boutique out there. Print marketing can make or break your boutique, especially if you're a business with a large local customer base. Reach your community through well-designed billboard ads, newspaper ads, and local marketing efforts.

Just like your digital marketing strategy, your print strategy should align with your brand identity and appeal to your target market. Every marketing activity should feel cohesive and representative of who you are, all while driving your target audience to action!

9. Branded Items

Nothing gets a better return on investment than free publicity. Branded items add value to your business by creating loyalty, putting your name out there, and telling a story about who you are. With branded items, you can create a narrative that reflects your values. For instance, if you are a boutique that sells sustainable clothing, branded items could include a tote bag made from 100% recycled materials.

Just like your digital marketing strategy, your print strategy should align with your brand identity and appeal to your target market. Every marketing activity should feel cohesive and representative of who you are, all while driving your target audience to action!

10.  Marketing Audits

Lastly, it's crucial to conduct marketing audits to keep track of your marketing campaigns. You'll never maximize your ROI if you don't know what's workmen and what isn't. Many businesses get caught up in creating and implementing marketing campaigns without evaluating them. Don't let that be your business!

Regular marketing audits will give you precise insight into what marketing efforts increase sales to get the most out of your budget. Our marketing audit will reach out to your vendors and assess your accounts. With this data, we'll conduct a transparent analysis that will tell you what you need to know.

No matter what marketing service you need, we're here to help. We can assess your current marketing strategy and determine what's working, what's not, and what the next best steps are. Contact the Lovely Pixels team  or send us a project brief so we can start our collaboration ASAP!

 

The rise of social media has changed many aspects of modern society, and that includes how companies interact with their customers. Many brands use their online platforms to weigh in on current events to better resonate with audiences. But where should you draw the line?

Assess Your Brand's Values

When deciding on any aspect of your online marketing strategy, it's important to have a clear vision of what your brand's values are and how to communicate those values. What personality do you want people to bring to mind when they consider your brand? Considering the personalities other major brands portray can be helpful in this exercise. For example, Apple manages to convey an image of being cutting-edge innovators, keeping audiences fascinated with their next move.

This consideration can have a big impact on deciding whether or not to weigh in on the topic currently being discussed in the public discourse. For example, some brands might benefit from leading with strong, outspoken values, and as a result might have more leeway when it comes to discussing highly-charged topics. Other brands might benefit from having more broad appeal and should stick to less controversial subjects.

"Some brands might benefit from leading with strong, outspoken values, and as a result might have more leeway when it comes to discussing highly-charged topics."

Topics Worth Weighing in On

Staying current with your digital media messaging will help you portray your brand as relevant and with the times, but it's important that you choose your moment to enter the public discourse wisely. Here are some topics that provide great opportunities for your brand to put themselves in the conversation around current events.

Issues with a Broad Consensus

You want the message your brand conveys online to have the broadest approval possible. This gives you the best possible chance of reaching new audiences and reinforcing your image with the audience you already have. Posting content related to issues that have the vast majority of people in agreement is a great way to achieve this goal.

Some issues that are unlikely to alienate people are things like education, public health, and gender equality. If your brand provides products or services related to these issues, that provides an even bigger incentive to make posts related to these subjects. However, most brands can benefit from taking a stand on these popular issues as long as it's done in a thoughtful way.

Trends and Memes

Current events don't have to be serious and heavy. In fact, some of the best ways that your brand can show that it's keeping up with the times without risking your message being construed in a negative way is to participate in the trends and memes that are popular on social media feeds at that moment. For instance, participating in social media challenges will help your brand resonate with users on that platform.

These trends present simple ways for your brand to step into the current discussion, but they need to be approached carefully. Attempting to take part in a trend and getting it wrong can make your brand look out of touch with what's considered ‘cool' at that particular time. Make sure your attempts to join in on a trend are done in a media-savvy way that will be seen as natural and unforced by your audience.

Environmental Issues

While some current events are touchy subjects that are likely to kick off debates and arguments, environmentalism is an increasingly nonpartisan issue that most people can support to one extent or another. After all, everybody benefits from clean air, clean water, and healthy ecosystems, and the dangers that all of these things face have become more prevalent in public discourse. As a result, many people expect brands to take action on this issue.

Many brands can benefit from highlighting the ways that they strive to be green and eco-friendly in the way that they do business. At worst, people will be indifferent about this type of messaging. At best, many other segments of your audience will be encouraged by your company or organization's steps to be good stewards of the environment and will be more likely to choose to do business with you as a result.

Subjects to Avoid

While keeping your finger on the pulse of public discourse and commenting on current events can be a great way to increase the appeal of your brand, there are certain times that you're better off staying out of the discussion. Here are some subjects that you should think twice about before weighing in on media platforms:

Divisive Political Issues

As previously stated, some brands can benefit from letting their values show through and taking stances that are important to their audience. However, weighing in on highly-charged topics that people are emotionally invested in comes with the risk of alienating portions of your audience. Additionally, when these messages aren't well thought out, they come across as laughably tone-deaf instead of socially aware, as with Pepsi's now-infamous Kendall Jenner protest ad.

Instead of risking polarizing segments of your audience or coming across as out-of-touch, find social topics that everyone can get behind. This can be difficult in today's highly divisive political landscape, but there are things that work for broad sections of the population. Note, too, that people are increasingly becoming turned off by overly "woke" messages in advertising, no matter which side of a debate they fall on. Those against it oppose a message because they don't agree; but even those who agree with a message increasingly believe companies are just pandering to make sales. Be careful about sending messages when you don't actually feel passionate about an issue that's part of your brand values.

Religious Topics

Everyone knows that religion is a touchy subject for many people throughout the world. Since you're trying to reach the widest possible audience with your brand, it's unwise to risk alienating followers of a given religion by doing anything that can be perceived as offensive or disrespectful towards that religion. Often, discourse on social media on these topics can be polarized and difficult for a brand to weigh in on in a positive way.

That doesn't mean that you should necessarily stay out of religion entirely as a brand. Simple, positive messages can help you ensure that certain segments of your audience feel like they're being seen personally by your brand. For example, putting out a message wishing your audience well when a religious holiday occurs can help to add a personalized touch to your messaging that is certain to resonate with the relevant parts of your audience.

Navigating the complex social media landscape you'll find online doesn't need to be difficult if you get the right help on your side. Reach out to LovelyPixels today and see how our marketing experts can help you define the message you want your brand to send!

You've got great ideas for the products or services you want your business to offer, but reaching the intended audience with those ideas takes hard work and an effective strategy. That's where marketing and branding tactics come in. But what is the difference between these two terms that are so frequently heard in the advertising world?

We'll take a closer look at both below to get you started towards getting your company's message in front of your audience.

While marketing and branding may be terms that are used interchangeably by people unfamiliar with them, they actually refer to two distinct parts of growing your business.

Marketing is all about finding the most effective ways to get your message to your intended audience with the broadest reach possible. Branding is creating an attractive message and personality to show the customer once you've reached them.

To give you a better idea of the difference between the two, let's explore some of the strategies that go into both of these important aspects of doing business in the modern world:

Proven Strategies for Reaching Your Audience

Define Clear Objectives

Before you can have a successful campaign to market your business, it's important to first develop a clear image of what success on this front looks like. Having clearly-defined goals that you're working towards will help you gauge the success of your attempts to market your business so that you can develop your strategy over time as you get a sense of what works, and what doesn't get you the results you desire.

Think about your current goals for growing your business. Are you looking to capitalize on the resources that you currently have available to you? Or are you prepared to scale your business up, hire new employees, and aggressively target new audiences? Starting with these fundamental questions will help you develop a strategy that works for your business's unique situation.

Figure Out Your Budget

As any business owner knows, planning a successful strategy takes more than just good ideas; you also need to consider the financial side of things. Clearly defining how much of your budget you're able to allocate towards ways to market your business will help you develop your plan for reaching your customers.

It's important to realize that allocating resources toward reaching your audience is an investment in the future of your business. You shouldn't necessarily be put off by the expense of a strategy to market your business if you have room for it in your budget. The money you spend reaching your customers now will translate into sales and the long-term growth of your business in the future.

Go Where Your Customers Are

For advertising your business successfully, choosing the right mediums to use is one of the most crucial decisions to make. You want to make sure that your name appears in places where the customers you're trying to reach can be found. Take a moment to imagine your target audience and their habits. Are they frequent social media users? Are they likely to respond to a targeted email advertisement?

Most businesses in modern times operate on multiple different platforms in order to ensure the broadest reach possible. Social media advertising is a quickly-growing field, with more customers than ever before turning to their social media feeds when they're searching for a product or service. However, other mediums such as email advertising or search engine advertising campaigns are also components of a successful strategy.

Collect Data to Measure Your Success

No plan to market your business is guaranteed to succeed, so it's important that you keep an open mind towards changing your strategy over time. Seeing what works and what doesn't will let you refine your strategy so that your business has the broadest reach possible. However, if you don't have clear ways to measure your data, you won't be able to tell what's working and what needs improvement.

Get a Grasp on Your Data

with LovelyAnalytics

With everything else that you do to keep your business running smoothly, gathering this data manually isn't a feasible option. Automation will be key to your success in this regard. Having tools that automatically gather data on the effectiveness of your marketing will allow you to easily compare how different strategies are working. You'll be able to use this information to sharpen your strategy as you find what works for reaching your particular customer base.

"LovelyAnalytics connects with over 80 apps - including Google, Facebook, YouTube, SnapChat, and more to ensure you have access to real-time data."

Ways to Strengthen Your Brand

Discover Your Brand's Personality

Before you develop the message your brand sends, it's important to first develop a clear idea of what you want that message to be. Take a step back and think about what you want your brand to accomplish. What values does your company hold at its core, and what's your vision for the future of the brand as it continues to develop?

Taking a look at the ways that other brands operating in a similar space communicate with their customers can give you some insight in this regard. However, simply following the cues your competitors give you isn't enough. It's important to also identify what sets your brand apart as unique and emphasize that difference in your branding so that you stand out in the memory of your customers.

Present a Cohesive Online Presence

In the digital age, it's likely that your brand will need to be visible on multiple different platforms in order to succeed. It's important that customers get a consistent experience no matter which of these platforms they interact with your brand on. If they see one set of values on your website compared to a different personality on your social media pages, for example, they'll be left with an unclear and confusing experience.

Take a thoughtful approach to the content you post online. If you have multiple different people managing your presence on your social media pages and your email advertising, for example, make sure that these teams coordinate so they send a cohesive message. Make sure that every post on your social media doesn't online maximize engagement but also remains consistent with your brand's overall values.

Ready for Some Expert Insight?

You know that you have an exciting message that you want to get to people. However, knowing how to tell the story of your brand in the right way takes more than just having a great idea. Getting some expert advice will help you maximize the effectiveness of your messaging, ensuring that your customers see the best possible face of your brand in every interaction they have with you.

Our professional team makes it their number one priority to do everything necessary to help your business flourish. Reach out to LovelyPixels today and let us show you what we can do for your brand's online presence!

The internet dominates our reality. People from around the world access information online on a daily basis from a variety of different devices. As a business, you need to make sure you can be found: but it's more than just having a website. You need the right web design.

"We stress it with clients often - but having websites that convert mean being organized and intentional with the hierarchy of your site. If it's cluttered and not easy to navigate - you've lost your audience (often, for life)."

A lot of small businesses aren't using the internet to their benefit. For many of the clients we interact with, the reason behind this is that they believe it costs too much to develop and maintain a goal-driven website. And while it does cost to be online, not having a website is likely costing you more than you realize.

Once you've decided to take the plunge and invest in yourself and your business, making sure you have the right web design is essential. That includes making sure your website is organized. Here are some of the things you need to consider:

How Easy Is Your Site to Navigate?

There are millions of business websites online, which means that if you want to stand out from the competition, you need to make sure your website gets right to the point and is easy to navigate. If customers have to spend a lot of trying to find what they're looking for or to figure out how to use your site, they'll give up and find another place to shop.

It's advised that you keep your site as simple as possible. That means having as few pages as possible, making it easy to move from one page to another, being able to add items to the cart quickly and easily, then making the payment process straightforward. These aren't the only ways to make your site easy to navigate and keep it organized, but they are a start.

"Even if you have a 600 page website, it shouldn't FEEL like it."

What Pages Should Visitors Be Able to Access?

One of the biggest misconceptions about web design is that every single page you have for your site needs to be included in the main navigation. That's not true. You can link certain pages, such as geo-targeted or specialty pages, in site content.

Knowing which pages are needed in your main navigation menu and which ones can (and should) be secondary can get confusing. Having professional help with this process is in your best interest.

Customers Have Short Attention Spans

On average, a person surfing the internet has an attention span of about eight seconds. That means if you want to grab their attention, you have an incredibly short amount of time to do it in. The easier your site is to navigate, the better the chance you have of keeping customers interested in what you have to offer.

Limiting the number of pages on your site could be what you need to make your webpage simple and engaging, which could lead to more sales for your business.

Do Customers Know When Your Site Begins and Ends?

This may seem like an incredibly silly thing to consider when it comes to web design, but you'd be surprised at how many customers get confused when shopping online. Having a homepage that helps direct people to where they want to go is not only beneficial but necessary.

It's also helpful if a person knows when they have completed their transaction on your page. If they have to guess whether or not their payment went through, they may decide not to buy from you again in the future.

Is Your Site Pleasant to Look At?

Having the right color scheme on your webpage could be the difference between keeping customers on your site and sending them away. Not only should they be able to read text, but you also need to have images that attract attention.

Using your webpage as an extension of your branding is beneficial, and the right web design will ensure that once a person clicks onto your page, they'll instantly recognize that they are in the right place. If they are new customers, then staying consistent with your color scheme is a great way to embed yourself in their brains.

Are You Easy to Get in Touch With?

In the past, one of the easiest ways for customers to get answers to questions they might have was to access a FAQ page. While this can still be beneficial, it may not address all of the concerns or questions a person might have.

In addition to FAQs, you also need to include an email address, contact form, and a phone number so that people can get in touch with you. This may seem like overkill, but every person has their preferred way of getting answers, and offering a variety of options lets customers know you care.

Is Your Site Optimized for Search Engines, Social Media, and Mobile Devices?

Back in the day, when the internet was young, all you had to worry about was making sure your webpage was optimized to be found by search engines. That meant having the right keywords and phrases.

Being SEO optimized is still important, but you also have to make sure your information can be accessed through social media and on mobile devices. A lot of people use their phones to find stuff online, as well as to make purchases, so having a site that can be viewed and used on a smaller screen is essential.

The Rise of Social Media

Social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and others are incredibly popular because they allow people to connect with friends and family, as well as others from around the world. With so many current and potential customers using these sites, your business should be on there as well.

Leveraging social media to direct people to your site requires organization. If you lure someone away from their “fun,” you had better give them a good reason to stay on your page.

Is Your Site Flexible and Easily Updated?

What people expect the internet to look like changes over time, as does how search engines find information. Having an organized webpage means that it will be flexible and easy to update. The last thing you want is to have a page that looks out of date and old. This isn't appealing to visitors at all.

Of course, staying on top of the latest internet trends, along with the rules and regulations, can be incredibly time-consuming, and you have a business to run. That's when working with a professional that has all of this information at their fingertips works to your advantage. They'll even be able to update your site to make sure it stays relevant.

Have You Considered Your Ideal Audience?

Creating an organized, appealing website means that you have a specific audience in mind. You might think that everyone in the world wants or needs what you have to offer, but this isn't true — and it will make selling your service or product that much harder.

Think about who your ideal customer is, and then tailor your webpage to meet their needs. Knowing your audience and giving them what they want could ensure that you make sales and run a successful business.

When it comes to web design, having an organized website could be the difference between attracting customers and making sales or getting lost online. If you're ready to take your small business to the next level, contact Lovely Pixels today.

I'm going to let you in on a secret. And you have to promise to tell everyone you know! Ready? 

"Effective marketing does not mean expensive marketing! No budget means no problem!"

 

At least, for people who are self-motivated! While the old saying “you need to spend money to make money” is still relevant, there are ample options for people who don’t have a dream budget, but do have the motivation and savvy to try new things.

The Power of Asking

From asking existing clients for referrals to simply asking that new lead to give you their business, you’re simply more likely to get something if you just ask for it. Nervous or new to being so bold? Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Remember that people LIKE to help others, especially if there is no negative cost to themselves. 

• Remind yourself that the worst that can happen is them saying no. And in all likelihood, that doesn't result in a "no" that means the door is closed. Very often, that "no" is accompanied with a conversation about why, which means you get better insight on how to reproach the topic late, or prove your value.

• Make asking for a referral part of your customer lifecycle! If it's a step in the process, you'll naturally (and more comfortably) prompt people when the timing is just right.

Get an Elevator Pitch Together

Nothing is more detrimental to your business than being flustered or rambling when someone asks what it is that you do. Learn how to win prospects over by emphasizing the benefits of what you do, how you do it and the results you deliver.

• Organize the essentials of who you are and what you do. • Make it unique to you (IE: don’t outline that your strengths are “customer service” – because EVERYONE delivers in customer service. If you don’t, you won’t be in business long). • Keep it short. If you can’t communicate what you do in the time it takes the elevator to get from the first floor to the third, you’ve gone too far.

Develop a Social Media Plan

Social media is at your fingertips. And while a lot of people do social marketing completely wrong, there is nothing stopping you from diving in and testing the waters while you figure out the best way to engage your audience.

• Read as much as you can about engaging people on social media
• Only participate in social platforms that reflect where your audience lives! IE: don’t be on Pinterest, just for the sake of having a Pinterest account, if none of your ideal clients are ever on Pinterest
• Understand the difference between distributing branded and non-branded content, and how that effects your strategy. If you’re a local insurance agency, and every blog you share delivers your prospects to a competitors blog site – you’re essentially telling the world “the competition are industry experts”
• Feel like you have nothing to talk about or share on the regular? Bologna! Take a peek at our friends over at VinTin Welding who develop and manage 100% of their own social media marketing – and rock at it!

Join a Face to Face Networking Group 

While this is sometimes a luxury small service-based businesses can not afford to participate in (because lets face it, when you’re a solopreneur, every minute you’re away from the desk getting work done is a minute that you’re collectively falling behind), it’s something you should still invest some effort into!

• There is no faster way to meet the other movers and shakers in your community
• While the returns may not be immediate for your investment, it certainly helps you leverage a broader network outside of your usual social-echo-chamber

Write Some Blogs

Seriously. Just do it. Content marketing has the power to leverage conversation and trust. And when people trust you and talk to you, its a win win.

• Check out what your competitors are writing about
• Find a need to fulfill in your community and geographical area that is underserved
• Create a brand tone – and stick with it
• Most importantly, whatever you’re writing about – do it in a way that serves others first and you second

So What Now?

Where can your marketing afford a little TLC? Make some notes, along with a wish list. Then bring them to your first meeting with LovelyPixels!

If you own a business in a small town, you are likely always looking for ways to bring in new customers. Word of mouth is one of the greatest lead generators; just do a great job and people are likely to talk to their friends about you. But word of mouth will only get you so far.

(more...)

 

Janice, your top sales agent is consistently upset with the quality of leads being generated by (more…)

Let’s face it. When you want results, you want them immediately.

   

Especially when it (more…)

 

“If you build it, they will come.”

Although this misquote from Field of Dreams is inspirational for (more…)