Like Produce, Website Content Should Be Fresh

If you've ever gone to the produce section at your local supermarket looking for fresh strawberries only to find pints of over-ripened, browning fruit, you know what a turn-off that is.  It's pretty much the same thing with your website. Attracting visitors is only one part of the equation, getting them to come back again and again is the other.

Keeping your website updated takes commitment and a little extra time, but is well worth the effort.  Here are some tips for maintaining a website that will keep your visitors (and potential) customers coming back for more.

1. Content is king.  Offer as much useful content as possible.  If you don't have one already, consider starting a blog.  Because this can be time-consuming, you might want to consider occasionally inviting a guest to write on a special topic.  Another great way to expand your content is to add a podcast and videos. 
2. If your business involves frequently changing information, you should regulary update your website to reflect these changes. Such information might include prices, stocks or inventory.
3. If you use white papers, articles or abstracts, add to or replace these items every couple of months.
4. Be consistent.  If you change your marketing materials, are adding or discontinuing a product or service, make the necessary changes on your website.
5. Adding an industry-related news feature can also be another source of fresh content.

I realize that frequently updating your website can be a costly endeavor if you are using a web developer to make the changes.  You might want to consider re-negotiating the terms of your agreement, perhaps extending the service contract in exchange for more flexiblility in making changes to your site.

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Another Way Technology is Leveling the Playing Field

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, in business, technology is really the great equalizer. Small and mid-sized businesses can compete in ways they never would have been able to just a few years ago. They can pretty sell anywhere they choose, tapping into previously unapproachable markets. If you sell soap, the Internet allows for a global client base. No longer do the mom and pops of the world have to sit back and dream about expansion. Anyone with a well-designed website that has quality shopping cart software, and the appropriate fulfillment and distribution systems can have the same web presence as a multinational corporation.

Marketing and advertising options have also greatly improved for SMBs thanks to technology. And the one device that I believe holds the most promise going forward is your cell phone. A great example is text marketing or Short Message Service (SMS). In fact, SMS marketing is one of the fastest growing marketing channels, and for good reason too. Mobile phones are everywhere; audience measures on mobiles are 9 times more accurate than the Internet, and 90 times more so than tv.

The benefits are quite significant; when a mobile user texts your business, it's to request information or participate in your offer, so that's even better than permission marketing; you can get started for well under $100; you can create promotionals that require a quick response--and get it; you can develop creative promotionals that require an action such as forwarding your text to a friend, and of course the mobility factor can greatly increase traffic into your place of business.

Are you currently using text marketing? If you haven't thought much about using text messaging in your marketing plan, then perhaps it's time to consider it. Send me your feedback.

Dress Your Website for Success: Choose the Right Colors

Have ever logged onto a website and immediately thought, "This is a nice website?" Whenever I come upon a great looking website, I have high expectations that my actual experience with the company itself will be a good one. There are a number of elements that go into making a great website. From the basics, such as using the right fonts and point size, to custom features like e-commerce with FedX or UPS delivery and social media integration.

While you may not be able to add much that your web developer doesn't already know in terms of your website's functionality, you should work closely with your designer when it comes to creating the look of your website. If you're going to build your own website, be sure to get lots of feedback from others using a blind test. In my last post, I talked about the importance of choosing the right color for your personal brand. And as you may have already guessed, color is also very important in creating a website that your potential customers will find appealing.

It can be tempting to take the position that "It's my business, I'm paying for the website, so I'll choose the colors that I like for my website". Big mistake. Your website is not for you, it's for both your potential and existing customers. Remember, research shows that people make a subconscious judgment about a person, environment, or product within 90 seconds of initial viewing and that between 62% and 90% of that assessment is based on color alone.

Take several things into consideration when selecting the colors for your website such as the type of product or service that you offer. Are you selling high end fashion jewelry or cakes? What gender are you targeting? Will there be more men or more women, or about even? Does your market expect a company like yours to be more conservative or less conventional? Perhaps your company is a combination of things such as a high end bakery for the weight conscious? Take a long hard look at your company and your market, but careful not to use too many colors.

And don't work yourself up over this. Yes, researchers, color theorists and marketers all agree about the relationship between color and psychology, just remember, this isn't an exact science.

For lots more information on selecting the right colors for your website, read Special Report - Color Attracts: Increase Your Sales by Choosing the Right Colors by Connie Casparie. The 25-page report provides a step-by-step method for selecting the right colors, and includes a helpful chart matching types of businesses and color schemes.

What colors would be really hard for you to use or avoid on your website?

What Color Are You?

What color are you? I'm talking about your brand color. It's something that can be easily overlooked, but shouldn't be. For years, marketing professionals have applied their knowledge of the psychological effect of colors when branding for large corporations. Who doesn't know about the golden arches or Big Blue? However, I must admit that I associated the orange ball with "I-N-G", long before I even knew what ING was (just in case you still don't know, ING provides financial services).

Carefully selecting your color when branding is important whether you're branding a company, product, service, or yourself (you don't have to be a celebrity to have a personal brand). Lots of research has been conducted and shows a strong relationship between color and marketing. Research from CCICOLOR Institute for Color Research, reveals that people make a subconscious judgment about a person, environment, or product within 90 seconds of initial viewing and that between 62% and 90% of that assessment is based on color alone.

Color theorists have more extensive descriptions of value judgements and color, but here's my Cliffsnotes version.

WHITE – purity, peace, contentment
BLACK – boldness, seriousness, elegance
Gray or Silver – high tech, authority, practicality
GOLD – wealth, prosperity, happiness
BLUE – sanctuary, faithfulness, confidence.
RED – warmth, power, excitement
YELLOW – spiritual, happiness, warmth
GREEN – freedom, healing, tranquility
BROWN – richness, politeness, helpfulness
ORANGE – contentment, pleasure,
PINK – gentleness, romance, well being
PURPLE – royalty, spirituality, dignity

In my next post, I'll look what colors have to say about your website.