getting The Most Out of Your Business Website Insert Your Logo

Text How to use your current website to engage with your current and future customers and clients. The critical information every business website should have and where is needs to be placed. Learn how to use , social media, and mobile technology to communicate with your customers. Find out how to (politely) ask your customers and clients to leave a online review of your business. GETTING THE MOST OUT OF YOUR BUSINESS WEBSITE

Text Let the world know about your business Publish important information: Contact info Hours of operation Specific product/service information Attract customers Display reviews and testimonies Publish video and images Let the world know about your business Build a Relationship with Clients/Customers WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF YOUR WEBSITE?

What is the purpose of your website? Text Websites are no longer a static brochure for your business Your website should serve to promote, engage and describe your business

Website Promotion Text Common types of website promotion: Search Engine Optimization Social Media Pay Per Click Advertising Ad Placements

Describing Your Business On Your Website Text The ‘Bare Essentials’ Your Site Must Have: Business name and logo Business function Location Contact information Hours of operation Make it really easy for visitors to find this information. Ideally, all of this should be on the Home page.

Engaging With Clients/Customers The ‘Bare Essentials’ Your Site Must Have: Social Media (Use what is appropriate for you) Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, G+ etc... Place the corresponding logos on every page of your site. (Can also embed your social media)

Engaging With Clients/Customers Submission Encourage site visitors to submit their address in return of a ‘Ethical Bribe’. Video Show and describe your products Offer free training Endless ideas for video

Website Examples Text Insert local examples of great websites.

Website Design Two Rules For Site Design: 1. Keep it SIMPLE!! 2. Keep it SIMPLE!!!

Website Design Site colours should reflect your business location The home page should be: Inviting Easy to Navigate Offer various ways for visitors to interact with you. Don’t try and squeeze everything on your home page.

WEBSITE DESIGN Example Home Page Layouts: Insert Examples

USING TO COMMUNICATE Collecting customer addresses gives you the ability to put your message in front of your customers any time you want... However, it has to be done correctly, or it looses it’s effectiveness very quickly.

USING TO COMMUNICATE Collecting Addresses When you ask for your customers address, whether it’s in your store or on your website, be very clear on what you plan to use it for. 1. On your website Offer a ‘ethical bribe’ in exchange for their address. This could be a newsletter, notifications of upcoming events, promotions, sales, etc..

USING TO COMMUNICATE Collecting Addresses 2. In your store Let customers know you send out s for your chosen purpose. Ask if they would like to be added. Bottom Line: There has to be something in it for the customer.

USING TO COMMUNICATE Services to use to manage your list: w

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO COMMUNICATE Social Media can be used in addition and/or as an alternative to . Encourage customers to join your chosen Social Media sites. Give them incentives to join and keep coming back. Frequently update your Social Media sites.

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO COMMUNICATE Social Media Examples: Twitter: A local ski resort could send out a ‘Tweet’ each morning with the snow report Twitter: Restaurant could send daily specials Facebook: Announce new inventory and/or upcoming promotions. eg. A ski store could show a image of the brand new skis that just arrived in store. And by show, actually take your own picture holding the skis...

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO COMMUNICATE Service Business: Massage, Hair Dresser: Could ‘Tweet’ an opening as a result of a cancelation and offer a discount for the person who calls and books. Bar: Announce the band that is playing this weekend. Post videos testimonies from customers

GOOGLE+ LOCAL Google just moved all Goolgle Place listings to Google+ Local Google+ is Google’s Social Media It is intertwined with SEO Highly recommend having a G+ button on your business site

USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO COMMUNICATE Bottom Line: Be creative, don’t be afraid to try ideas out. Find out what works for your business. You want to create a ongoing conversation with your customers, being sure that they are part of the conversation. This conversation should not always be promotional in nature. Offer advice, resources, ideas, etc...

THE MOBILE REALITY Mobile is not a passing trend. Mobile is not the ‘new thing’ anymore. Mobile devices are here and now: Smart Phones: iPhone, Android, Blackberry, etc Tablets: iPad, Android, etc... The question is, what do you as a local business owner need to know and do with mobile???

THE MOBILE REALITY Have a mobile version of your website Traditional websites are too large to show nicely on the smaller screen size of mobile devices. Mobile users typically are looking for specific information about a local business: Hours of operation Location Contact information Product/Services

THE MOBILE REALITY Mobile Example: Insert good looking example of mobile sites. iPhone Previewer:

THE MOBILE REALITY Text Messaging: Similar to a auto-responder, you can use a SMS text messaging service to send out texts. Use with caution Only Where appropriate Be sure to let the customer know what you will be sending

THE MOBILE REALITY Example For Text Messaging: Appointment reminder Reservation reminder Last minute promotion (eg Cat skiing seat available)

ASKING FOR REVIEWS Customer Reviews are the new “Back Links” for local business People love to see ‘Social Proof’ Over time you will get reviews (Good ones hopefully) There are a few ways to speed up the review process...

Ways to get customers to leave a review of your business First, you need to identify where online you want the reviews. This is different for each business, however, a great starting point is Goolge.

ASKING FOR REVIEWS Create a poster to use in store asking for a review. Using a ‘QR’ image, a customer can scan the image and be taken directly to your Google+ Local Page Create a simple URL that is redirected to the Google+ Local Page

ASKING FOR REVIEWS Using Your Google+ Local (Previously Google Places), Make sure you have a claimed listing. Copy your Google+ Local page URL to a txt file on your computer Once you have your link, start spreading it around the web: Place a link on your website “Leave us a Review” Place a link on your Facebook Page and other Social Media.

CASE STUDY Name a business type and city....