MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Use Your Website to Attract Customers and Drive Action v

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Introductions Go Around the Room Tell everyone:  Your Name  What type of business you are currently operating  What you hope to get out of this session  60 seconds!

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG About SCORE Successful and experienced executives acting as volunteers. National web site, provides useful information and resources for small business. Seminars and workshops Free Mentoring  One-on-one  mentoring Contact Manasota.SCORE.org Manasota.SCORE.org

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG SCORE Office 2801 Fruitville Road Suite 280 Manatee Chamber of Commerce Downtown and Lakewood Ranch Sarasota Chamber of Commerce Venice Chamber of Commerce Your Place of Business Location convenient to you and your mentor Mentoring Locations

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MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Emergency Exits Restrooms Please do not wander around the building! You are HERE Classroom Safety – Argosy U

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Emergency Exits Restrooms Please do not wander around the building! You are HERE Classroom Safety - ComCenter

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG What We Will Cover Workshop Agenda Internet Strategy for Your Business Key Elements of: Effective Web Design Website Development Integration with Social Media Turning Web Traffic into Sales Measuring Results

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG CREATING YOUR INTERNET STRATEGY

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG  To inform potential customers about your business with relevant and concise information  To advertise and describe offerings and location  To sell products and services  To generate business leads  To brand your business and provide contact information  To be “found” by potential customers using search engines  To build a foundation for customer interaction (ordering, returns, feedback, etc.) Every Business Needs a Web Presence Keep in mind: 86% of Americans use the Internet 20 hrs/week. (Center for the Digital Future 2013)

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Benefits of Having a Web Presence = Increased Sales Professional Web Presence + More Eyes Looking At Your Business B2C (Business to Consumer): 43% of all retail sales are expected to be influenced by or made on the Internet by 2012 (U.S. Department of Commerce) B2B (Business to Business): 83% of businesses use the Internet to research and find vendors (Enquirio – B2B survey)

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Does Every Business NEED a Website ? -Businesses with an online presence which includes websites can expect to grow 40% faster than those without -Add credibility to your online presence – over 50% of small businesses have a website -Contains organized information that may not change as much as social media -Single point of sales for online purchases -Gather valuable customer information via web analytics YES!

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Functions of a Website Promote Publish Communicate Serve your business by telling customers about it information that’s useful to your customers with customers customers by handling business functions

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Goals for Your Website What do you need your website to do? The answers will create your Internet strategy = a measurable plan of action using the Internet to get desired results. Think about: Your business goals Your marketing goals Your target audience Your competition

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Target Audience and Competitors Target Audience  Who are they?  What are their characteristics (age, income, tech savvy)?  What are they looking for on your website?  Do you expect them to follow your Social Media site(s)? Competitors  Who are they?  What do their websites do well?  What could they improve on?  What are the opportunities for your business?

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG EFFECTIVE WEB DESIGN

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Effective Websites Are… 1.Professional 2.Consistent  With similar sites  With website usage  With your brand  Within your site  With all of your other marketing channels 3.Simple

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Elements of Website Navigation  Top navigation bar should be constant across pages.  Side navigation bars are optional.  Bottom bar should consist of simple text links to your site; it is important for search engine ranking.  Page body is where you put that page’s relevant information.

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Tips for Navigation  Organized structure  Keep it simple – users should be able to get anywhere in 2-3 clicks  Keep important links, content, etc. “above the fold”  Use white space to simplify

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG How Users Scan Sites: Hot Spots “F- Pattern”: Focus user’s attention  USERS DON’T READ – they scan!  Put most important elements in places where eyes naturally go.

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Using Color, Graphics, and Text  Use colors that work well together  Keep colors consistent with your brand  Keep text size readable  Keep text and background color readable  Use high-quality photographs  Avoid sound unless that is your business

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG What Is Web Content? “Content” refers to any written material on your website, including:  Titles  Headlines  Product names  Product descriptions  “About Us” page  Help page  FAQs  Customer service information  Articles  Blogs  Online Store  Info / links for your Social Media

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Writing Effective Web Content Know your target audience Keep it short and simple Headings 8 words or less Paragraphs words Write active content Write for how people search Keywords Google and Bing offer Search-Based Keyword Tools Edit and proofread

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Your Website Your website is (or will be) a collection of web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are addressed to a particular, and unique, domain name.

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG What Functions Does Your Website Need? A website doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some components different types of businesses might want to include:  Restaurant or Retail Store: Address, photo of location, product photos, menu, phone and contacts, map, hours, online reservation tool  Consulting or Accounting Business: Most of the above plus photos/bios of key personnel, explanation of services provided, client list, appointment scheduler, articles or tips from owner  E-commerce Business: Product photos/descriptions, online ordering and payment, frequently asked questions/help, shipping policies and costs

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Step 1: Get a Web Address Check to see if the business’s name is taken: GoDaddy.com Hover.com Register.com DomainNames.com GoDaddy.comHover.comRegister.comDomainNames.com A web address (domain name) only costs about $10 per year.com – global standard for businesses.net – great alternative to.com, fairly established.org – global standard for nonprofits.us – for organizations that highlight American pride (like veterans orgs).biz – newer for businesses, not as widely used or as credible as.com or.net.tv – newer, used for web videos

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Home About Us Why Us? Help Us Help Yourself Product & Services Management background addresses Map & directions Contact form Enticing blurbs summarizing the key sub-pages What you offer Benefits of key features Pricing and delivery Organize wide, not deep Your discriminators Testimonials Ask the Experts Common for not-for-profits How to donate, etc. FAQ’s Social Media Installation Videos Helpful Links Samples/spec s Draft meta tags for each page Title Description Keywords Step 2 – Outline Your Site Payments Checkout

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Integration with Social Media Social media may be part of your strategy to find and retain customers Information will be different on different sites, but should be consistent if it used in multiple places – Website, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc Website links should lead to Social Media sites Social Media sites should point to the website Attend our Workshop: Web Marketing and Social Media!

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Exercise 1 – Web Design Planner What are your website goals? What is the main purpose for the website? What action do you want visitors to take after visiting your website? Who is your target audience (income, interests, gender, age, technical savvy)? Try to create a profile for each. What websites do you like that you might use for ideas? 10 minutes

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Step 3: Build Your Site DIY Make it yourself with templates PROS: Easy, inexpensive, fast CONS: Less able to tailor, less advanced site CONTRACT Hire an individual PROS: More tailored site, able to work closely with someone CONS: May not include support/ maintenance COMMERCIAL Hire a company PROS: More support, more options CONS: May have less control over content and hosting, could be very expensive Best Practice – YOU contract for the web hosting, not your contractor

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Could I Do it Myself ? First Impressions Count 75% of web users admit to making judgments about the credibility of an organization based on the design of its website 68% of US online shoppers say they distrust a site that doesn’t have a professional appearance Time Stay focused on the critical issues for the business and delegate other tasks to employees or contractors Technical Requirements Troubleshoot bugs and cross browser compatibility Professional software and training

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG WordPress, GoDaddy.com, Wix.com, Weebly.com, 1and1.com, and AT&T provide easy drag & drop design templates WordPress, GoDaddy.comWix.com Weebly.com 1and1.com AT&T Wix & Weebly develop in HTML5 WixWeebly  important for mobility Low Cost for Development Guarantees a Low Rate of Down Time Wordpress, Wix & Weebly are mostly free GoDaddy & 1and1 & AT&T charge $10-20/mo. GoDaddy 1and1AT&T Do It Yourself Development

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Choosing a Web Team to Build / Maintain Web Developer / Programmer – Helps you to determine the page layout, graphics, text location and colors of your site, as well as the navigation and how pages will cross-link to one another Graphic Designer – Creates the graphics for the site, including page layout, colors, etc. Think of this person as the "visual artist" for your site. Internet Marketing Consultant – Helps you to determine how your website fits into your overall marketing strategy, and how to get more traffic and sales from your website.

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Cost & Legal Considerations How much will it cost? -Payment terms -Overall estimate  Have written contract covering: -Price -Schedule -Support and Service Level Agreement -Detailed Scope of Work -Documentation -Release of copyright -Portability to new Web host -Content and Technology Ownership

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Step 4: Create Content -Your developer does NOT create content – YOU do! -Don’t start from scratch! Use business plan, to friend, even record a conversation and play it back to get ideas for what to write -Stick to 300 max words per page and 50 words per paragraph more than that is harder to read -For photos, if you can’t afford a photographer, use your smart phone or purchase some stock photos. Something is better than nothing. -Use good SEO (Search Engine Optimization) practices i.e. keywords in your content; Appropriate SEO content on EACH page

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG SEO - Best Practices  Meta Tags -Your page title should ALWAYS include your keywords. (Preferably closer to the beginning of the title for better prominence) -Every page on your site should have a description meta tag which includes a description of the page content including use of your keywords -KeyWord meta tag should include a list of your keywords specifically for the page Right click on a web page and click View Source to see the page HTML code Step 4: Create Content

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Step 4: Create Content Test the content Show it to friends, family who are not familiar with the business Ask them if the flow of the information / organization is easy to understand and use Find out if there is content that is not clear or if parts should be improved Modify as required to get ready to Publish

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Step 5: Publish and Promote Contractor or commercial company Checklist or sign off process... Client is / is not happy with the site Fix it - Then - publish it. You need a mobile version of the site to deal with small screen size Automatically takes viewer to correct version based on device used Many “do it yourself” builders include this automatically or as an option. Some other features to look for/consider: –Click to call, –Clickable map to get directions, –Click to make a reservation –You get the idea!

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Choosing the Right Hosting Consider:  Tech Support  Cost  Control Panel  Accounts  Multiple Data Center Locations  Space and Bandwidth  References Best Practice – YOU contract for the web hosting, not your contractor

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG TURNING WEB TRAFFIC INTO SALES

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Getting the Attention to Creating Interest in Your Business Do I know you? Attract Customer’s Attention and Create Interest by Using the Following Technology Techniques: Leverage the power of your website & give customers a good reason to come visit In addition to your physical address and telephone number, include web and address on all collateral Use online newsgroups and mailing lists Purchase web advertising Use industry-linking web pages Use web search engines that index the web

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Moving from Interest to Desire Have I peaked your interest?  Desire is about connecting with your customers in a way that makes them want or desire what you have to offer.  Just knowing about your business is not enough.  Activate your customers desire to patronize your business.  Use appropriate Social Media to draw new customers and enhance relationships

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Call to Action Call to Action: Hurry in Today Buy Now Call Now Visit Now Click Here Now

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Create Your Own Call To Action Think about a web-ad that you are thinking of running, or a website that you are about to create and answer these questions: Why are you running this ad, or creating this webpage? Is it to: -Generate leads? -Create a database? -Get your brand/company name out in the market? -To get people to buy from you? -Be the landing page from a Social Media link?

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Exercise 2 – Call to Action What action(s) do you want visitors to take when visiting your website? What type of content will you use to attract interest? What “enticement” will you offer to get customers to return? 10 minutes

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MEASURING RESULTS

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Your Site Is Up - Now What? A successful website generates measurable results for your business. 1.Know your goals for the website To get the most from your site, follow this 3-step process: 2.Continually adjust site as needed – including frequent checks for “broken links” on your site that are dead ends for customers 3.Measure results All major search engines (Bing, Google and Yahoo) offer sophisticated free analytics tools to help you track and benchmark your website results.

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Understanding Web Analytics Two main approaches: 1.Log File Analysis - web hosting company tracks the number of visitors, which pages viewed, when they visited, where they are locate, etc. 2.Page Tagging - assigns a unique identifier (a cookie) to a visitor, to identify them when they visit your website. Indicates what site components attract visitors and where most visitors will enter / leave your site. Web Analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of internet data for the purposes of understanding and optimizing web usage.

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG What Should You Measure? Number of site visitors Individual page impressions Average visit length Most/least popular pages Most popular site entry pages Where users come from (sites or search engine phrases) Number of inquiries, leads or sales generated Conversion rates Total sales volume online Average purchase per online customer

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Web Analytics Terminology  Hit: A hit is a request for a file from a server. A hit is registered for every file that is requested, whether it is an HTML file, an image, a CSS file, or a JavaScript file. Hits are in no way a measure of the number of visitors that view a website.  Page View: A page view is a request for a file that is defined as a page in an analytics program.  Visit: A visit is a series of requests from the same uniquely identified client within a given time period. This is usually set to 30 minutes, so that if a user waits an hour between requests, the server will register two visits.  Unique Visitor: A unique visitor is essentially an individual coming to the website based on their IP Address.  Repeat Visitor: A visitor that has made at least one previous visit to a website.

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Module In Review Summary & Questions? Internet Strategy for Your Business Key Elements of: Effective Web Design Website Development Integration with Social Media Turning Web Traffic into Sales Measuring Results

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Do You Have A SCORE Mentor? Fill out the online request for free, one-on- one mentoring. –Right after this session! –manasota.score.org – click the Mentoring tabmanasota.score.org –A mentor will be assigned in about a week –Mentor will call you to setup a mentoring appointment Ongoing phone and/or face-to-face guidance to aid completion improvement plans Mentor will be available for an ongoing relationship Take advantage of this free service to help you make the best decisions as you grow and improve your business!

MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG MANASOTA.SCORE.ORG Visit manasota.score.org for Schedules and Registrationmanasota.score.org SCORE Workshops Specialized Workshops Building Your Business Plan Websites to Attract Customers Internet Marketing and Social Media for Business Simple Steps for Starting Your Business Start-up Basics Business Concept Marketing Plan Financial Projections Funding Sources / Next Steps

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