Internet Marketing Blog

3 Tips For Getting Internet Customers In The Door

Submitting an internet lead for a vehicle is something that is becoming easier and easier with time. There are several well-known lead resources like Cars.com and Edmunds.com which allow customers to surf the web from anywhere to find the perfect vehicle. Once these customers submit their information on a vehicle, it is usually the job of a BDC Rep or Internet Manager to try to get them in the door. However, with the automotive industry growing more and more competitive each day, this can be easier said than done. So in this blog, I give you my top 3 tips for getting internet customers in the door.

Grow Your Dealership With More Internet Leads

Call Quickly

Don’t be slow to dial. Make sure you are calling the lead RIGHT AFTER they submit their info. Getting an internet lead into the dealership is often determined by how quickly the first response comes. Depending on the website they submitted their information to, other dealerships might be calling them too. This means you need to make sure you are on point with your calls and doing your best to call them right when the call comes in. The quicker you are, the better the chance of connecting before your competition does. So don’t be lax, have the alerts sent to your email, cell phone, and computer screen to make sure you don’t miss a beat.

Be Creative and Precise With Your Contact Efforts

Make sure you are calling the fresh leads at least two times the first day they come in. Depending on the time that they come in, you want to make sure you call them at least twice during your shift. If you are working a split shift that day, I’d recommend having a Salesperson call for you after you leave. I understand some BDC Reps might quiver at the thought of this, but I assure you that having a salesperson in your corner to help is something you want. If your dealership doesn’t have this option yet, be sure to ask your Manager about adding it as soon as possible.

The main thing is just doing your best to connect with the lead before they connect with someone else. Two calls, a text (if they’ve opted in), along with two emails on the first day should suffice. You could also go above and beyond and shoot them a message on social media or Facetime / Skype them. This is a creative way to contact and will also make you stand out against the competition.

Don’t Give Away The Farm In The First Email

Don’t give away the farm in the first email. Everyone submitting a lead expects to get a reply but in that, this doesn’t always mean they want the price upfront. So if they don’t ask for it, don’t give it to them until they do.

It’s important to do everything you can to get them in the dealership without being too specific on the pricing. Obviously, if there are specific comments in the original lead submission, I would do my best to answer those in a “roundabout way”. For example, if they submitted their information on a 2020 Hyundai Sonata SEL I would try to get them on the phone AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to do a needs assessment.

A needs assessment will allow you to see what they REALLY want as opposed to the unit they submitted their information on. So in this, you can escape the direct price question they may have asked about in their original lead submission. This allows you the chance to make numerous points of contact before handing away the price.

The more you train on the phone the easier it will be to divert these direct price questions in exchange for more information about your prospect. If you feel you’re not there yet, try getting some extra training on the phones to help you achieve this goal.

The field of automotive internet sales is becoming more and more competitive with each passing day. With that being said, I believe these 3 tips for getting internet customers in the door will help you book more appointments and sell more cars.

Until Next Time, Stay Pushing,
Tia Lentini

Questions about Internet Strategy or my article? Let’s chat! Send me an email at tia@infinitemediaresources.com.

What Your Internet Department Should Be Doing In 2020

The New Year is a time most people commit to doing things differently. Doing things better. And your Internet Department is no different. This year can be the year that your internet department gains more leads, books more appointments, and help sell more cars. This blog explains what your internet department should be doing in 2020.

Sell More Cars With The Live More Sell More Sales Training

How can you do this you might be asking? Well, you can start by doing a few simple things that will make a whole world of difference.

The first thing your 2020 internet strategy should have in it is the use of video.

Whether you’re using video messaging to communicate with leads, YouTube videos to boost your SEO score, or micro-videos to share on social media, video needs to be on your mind. In a world where pictures are worth 1,000 words, videos are worth 10,000. The more you incorporate video into you’re internet marketing strategy the better.

Get Help With Your Internet Marketing Strategy

The second thing you need to focus on is optimizing your website. This can be done by making sure the user experience is straightforward and seamless. It’s surprising to see how many dealer websites aren’t optimized correctly or even mobile-friendly. I suggest trying the lead submission process yourself along just to see how easy it is for your customers to submit their information. Also, it helps to make at least 3 SWOT analysis of your competitor’s websites to make sure your website is better than theirs. These SWOTS will also give you creative ideas on what to add to your website.

Generate More Leads Today

The final thing your 2020 internet strategy should include is Social Media ads. It’s no surprise that we are becoming an ever more connected society through the use of social media. With that being said, every dealership should be doing their best to harness the power of these tools to gain and convert leads. Platforms like FB and IG provide low-cost ads with supreme laser targeting options for the audience that you want to reach. They also have a built-in CRM which allows you to stay connected and organized while talking to customers on the channel. Apps like YouTube also provide a great way to build up your SEO score while providing valuable information to your customer base.

2020 can be a fantastic year for your internet department to flourish.

5 Internet Marketing Tips For Amazing Results. (The Last Is A Gold Mine)

5 Internet Marketing Tips For Better Business

Internet marketing tips are all over the place…

So much that it’s pretty hard to actually know which ones work, and which ones are a waste of time. In this blog post I am going to put together 5 different internet marketing tips from the best marketers on the internet.

But… What Separates The OK Internet Marketers From The Best?

Great Question! Which is why before we start I want you to know how I am picking the “best marketers” on the internet.

I mean why would you want to waste your time reading another blog with information based on theory, and not credibility?

Truth of the matter is that you don’t want to waste your time, and that is why we made sure each marketer on this blog meets the following requirements.

Has A Verified Facebook Page
More Than 50 Blogs Written About Internet Marketing
Marketer Must Be Noticed By A Big Brand Company
Amount Of Engagement On Social Media
Awards Received In The Marketing Space

So, with no more delay…

Here Are 5 Internet Marketing Tips For Online Success. (You’re Going To Love #5)

1. Going Viral Takes Great Content, & Better Planning. Tip By John Rampton

Click click click (keyboard typing) you start writing attentively…

You pick a great topic (so you think), have amazing information to share, and write a perfect article. As you proof read the final copy you begin to experience chills, seems like this is the one! This blog is so good, therefore it should go viral… Right?

Not usually, and in fact most viral content is very well planned. John Rampton, Owner of DUE.com describes the process of making content by saying

“It starts with the idea for the post and it doesn’t even end once the post is out and winning shares. That’s just where the next process begins. –John Rampton“

According to John Rampton there are several steps that you should take when writing viral content (Click Here To Read John’s Blog About Writing Viral Content). Here is a quick run down of the steps you should be taking when writing viral content.

Select The Proper Content Idea

Selecting the proper idea for your content to go viral is very important. Make sure you do research on the trending topics, news, and audience moods in your space. Write content based on current events that effect your customers.
Use Google Trends to look at trending stories in your niche, after you find the trending articles take a look at the headlines that are trending. Study the headlines of trending articles and before you write your content this will give you an idea of what people are interested in. (Don’t steal headlines, but use them as a brainstorming tool for great content)
For example, if you sell dog food, and there was a huge Law that just passed increasing dog food prices by 10%, write a blog about it! Keeping your customer’s informed is a great way to ride the news headline waves, while providing great information to your readers.

Determine Your Promotion Strategy

Social Media – Ensure that after posting your blog that you’re sharing it with your friends. Post it on your Facebook Page, Blast it out on Twitter, and Share it on Linked IN. These avenues will allow others to share your post, and may start the viral spark.
Use Paid Ads – Organic reach is limited by many things, so many viral campaigns use paid advertising along with their organic reach. Boosting your blog on Facebook, promoting your tweet, or having a sponsored post on LinkedIn all have their advantages to drive your content further.
Email Your List – If you’ve been building your Email list than you want to send them an email telling them about your new content, also it’s a great idea if you ask them to share your content if they enjoy it! Don’t worry if you don’t have a huge email list yet, every list starts at 0 recipients.

Picking The Right Time

Post your content at a time when you know people will see it. What good is awesome content if you post it when everyone is offline?
Ensure to use your social media insights, and Google analytics in order to see when your content is most popular. Post your content around these times to get the best results.

Click Here To Read John’s Blog About Writing Viral Content

2. Focus On Your Organic Social Media Reach. Tip By Gary Vaynerchuk

It’s a new age of business, and pioneering this change is Social Media. Social Media is one of the greatest tools that any business can take advantage of, and the best part is that you can have huge results with very little money.

Posting daily on your Facebook pages, going live on Youtube/Facebook for daily webisodes, and even making your own short film can now be accomplished straight from your cell phone! No more excuses that you can’t start a business due to capital, it now has to do with your drive.

“It excites me to no end to think about the fact that most small business (and even A-list personalities) waste $250,000-500,000 a year on tactics like websites, PR, direct mail, or paid media when they could have just gone all in on organic social content and a small amplification budget to achieve more valuable results. – Gary Vaynerchuk“

In Gary Vaynerchuck’s article he also refers to social media as “the current state of the internet”, and you have to agree with him. Think about how many hours people scour Facebook feeds, Instagram photo’s, and Snapchat stories…

What number of hours do you think people are using Social Media daily?

According to this info-graphic provided by Social Media Today, people will spend more time on Social Media than they will eating and drinking combined… That’s Insane, but what does that mean for you?

This crazy, but true stat means that people are eating, and breathing Social Media.

Therefore, if you’re really looking to grow your business in the new age start getting active on Social Media, and your internet marketing will see results. (Patience Is A Virtue)

Here Are Some Way’s To Get Active On Social Media

Post Daily – Ensure that you are not just posting your buy links, or marketing information because people will unfollow you. Instead share great content that adds value for your customer. Give them coupons, funny videos, awesome quotes and even how to videos your customer would enjoy. When you’re thinking of what content to post it’s good to follow the 80% Social 20% Marketing Rule. This means for every 10 post you do each day, only 2 of them should be direct marketing post. If you follow this principal your social media accounts will grow.
Engage With Everyone – Reply to any comment on your post. Even if you just say thank you for commenting, or actually start a conversation, your constant engagement will bring great results.(This Is HUGE For Growth)
Stay Constant – Everything takes time, if you stop posting on Social Media you will not get results. Notice how Gary Vaynerchuk suggest for you to focus on your organic reach for an entire year… He doesn’t suggest 2 months, or a week, but a year. It’s very important to stick with social media because when you do your results will reflect your efforts.

Click Here To Read The Entire Blog On Social Media Marketing By Gary Vaynerchuk

3. Never Assume Your Internet Lead Hasn’t Done Research. (Always Give Your Customer The Info They Ask For.) Tip By Grant Cardone

“Companies that make themselves rely on internet leads are 100% more profitable than those that don’t. – Grant Cardone“

Internet leads.

When you hear that, do you cringe, or get excited?

Truth is that good internet leads are a game changer if your business handles them properly. Think about it this way… How many “Walk In Leads” would buy from your store if they get punched upon entering?(I’ll Bet Not Many.)

The same should be applied to your internet leads. Never punch them in the face, but help them like you would want to be helped, and you will close more deals.

Here are 3 Ways Grant Cardone Suggest Handling Internet Leads. (GC Is A Sales Genius, You’d Be Crazy Not To Listen.)

Never Assume – One huge mistake that your sales team could be making is assuming an ignorant buyer. Internet leads tend to be VERY educated customers, and they will know if you are blowing smoke. Assuming that your customer is uneducated is a huge mistake for any sales person. A good way to not fall into this trap is by asking your customer the research they have already done. Simply saying “What research have you already done on (The Product), because I would hate to waste your time by telling you things you already know” can save you time, and help you close the sale more.
Speed Matters – Don’t treat your internet leads like a cold call. People that inquire about your product from your website are looking to buy, and this makes them a great customer prospect. Respond promptly to your internet leads, and you will see better results.
Give The Info – As we have stated above, most internet leads are very educated on your product, and competitor products. This means that you should always give them the information they ask for. Don’t give internet leads the run around, provide the information your online customer ask for, and your internet closing rate will increase.

Click Here To Read The Entire Blog By Grant Cardone

4. Integrate Social Media Across Your Organization. (Not Just Your Marketing Department) Tip By Heidi Cohen

“If you still think marketing when someone says social media, you’re behind the curve. – Heidi Cohen“

Social Media is no longer just an internet marketing platform, but it is a way for everyone to connect in seconds. Your best friends, family, and even your arch enemy are just a URL link away.

You can connect, chat, and even stream your daily activities straight from your cell phone! The power of this connectivity is endless for your business potential.

But… How can connecting your digital strategy with your daily practices benefit your business?

Use Private Groups For Employees – It’s a great idea for your company to integrate your employees into your Social Media strategy. Start a closed group and make it mandatory for all employees to join the group. Encourage your employees to use the group to discuss work events, schedule changes, and anything else going on in your business. This open line of communication builds strong work relationships, and will help you in more ways then you think.
Encourage Your Company To Respond On Your Page – Post social content onto your Social Media platforms and encourage your company to engage with the content. Comments, Likes, and Even Sharing your pages content will increase the brand of your business. If your Facebook Page post something about your product, and a customer asks a question on the Facebook page reward your employees for answering them correctly. Having your customers, and employees engage on your Social Media has huge upside.
Open A Facebook Group For Customer Questions – Create a group that your product specialist, and your customers join. Have you customers post questions they may have about your product and have your experts answer. Give your customers great videos showing them how to use, maintain, and other great information about your product and you will start building a lasting relationship with your customers.

Click Here To Read The Entire Blog By Heidi Cohen

5. Optimize Google Maps For Amazing Local SEO. Tip By Neil Patel

“When it comes to local SEO, Google Maps is the most important factor. – Neil Patel“

Today’s market is huge, so how do people actually find your business? Now some people will just walk in from the street… But what about everyone else?

Businesses in the digital age are now being found straight from the mobile phone. You just pull out your handy dandy pocket computer, google a keyword, and there you go! Exactly what you’re looking for.

Now for the tricky part, what if your business is not showing up when a local person Googles your service?

Your Business Could Be In Big Trouble…

The good news is that you can start getting ranked organically for local search just by getting on Google Maps(aka Google My Business).

MOZ had a discussion on the top 100 factors for local search rank, and Google My Business was a factor in 35 of them. That means that you can almost fix all of your local search ranking problems just by getting your business verified on Google My Business (It really is that powerful).

Therefore, if your business provides a product\service to your local market than get on Google My Business in order to rank better in local search results.

But Wait, There’s More!

Not only will being on Google My Business allow you to rank better in local search, but it will allow you to connect your YouTube account, update business/holiday hours, and even upload pictures to brand your business.

Also another great reason to be on Google My Business is that it allows you to respond to each Google review about your business. You can thank people that love your product/service, and handle bad reviews to increase customer service. It’s a Win-Win for both you, and your customer.

Click Here To Read The Entire Blog On Local Search By Neil Patel

Hope You Enjoyed These Internet Marketing Tips

In conclusion, Internet Businesses are becoming more important as each day passes. Start building your internet presence by using these 5 internet marketing tips, and you will be on your way to a more profitable business.

Marketing To The Right Customers So You Don’t Waste Your Money

Photo Credit

A lot of companies buy an ad in the program for their local high school team, post their picture on the billboard downtown, or take out an ad in the Sunday clipper but they seldom take the time to make sure they’re marketing to the right customers.

In the world of business you want to market and appeal to your TARGET audience (targeted marketing) and not to just anyone who will listen. When you are marketing to an audience who have no use for your product/service all you are truly doing is wasting precious time and money. In the digital age we live in today, it is silly to waste your time and money on customers who don’t need your product/service because now you can target your customers online.

The internet is where people go to solve specific problems they’re having.

The secret to sales is to provide your customers with a solution to a problem that they’re having.

I have never purchased a product or from a business because of a billboard I seen while driving on the expressway or from the ad in the high school sports program. I don’t find my plumber from the mailer your company sent me and I definitely don’t look in the Sunday clipper for the business I want to give my money to.

It’s the digital age people, haven’t you ever heard of the internet?

I find businesses that I want to work with by “Googling” the product or service I am looking for and finding the best fit. After I research a couple of the top businesses and products that will solve my problems, I will choose the one I want to go with and then reach out for their product of service.

Think about it like this:

You’re a heating and cooling company and you put a $5,000 ad in the program at the high school football game. You’re all excited because the games are packed every Friday and you think, “there is no way I won’t get customers from this.”

However, nobody at the game has a heating and cooling problem and your ad is irrelevant to everyone at the game. You wait weeks for a single customer to call about your services but the phones stay silent and you’ve wasted your $5,000 with no customers to show for it and a bunch of wasted time.

Instead, you should’ve put that same $5,000 into an internet targeted marketing campaign towards customers in your area with heating and cooling issues. With these targeted customers landing on your website, and having a site that is designed to capture their information and make them want to call in, you will start to get customer call ins and relevant leads on a daily basis.

Instead of marketing to a bunch of customers who don’t need your product/service, you will get calls and leads from real customers who actually need you. Now that $5,000 loss you had before will turn in to profit and you will make a return on your investment (ROI), as opposed to losing money while you’re marketing.

Work smarter, not harder!

You would think this concept is an easy one to understand, but a lot of business owners are still making this fatal mistake. Small business owners are wasting thousands of dollars for paper mailers, billboards, TV commercials, t-shirts, etc but are unwilling to put money into internet marketing that is marketing to the right customers. This blows my mind and all I can say is, DON’T be that business!

Do yourself a favor and take a healthy budget from all of your old marketing techniques and put it towards a targeted online marketing strategy.

If you do this, you will be marketing to the right customers and start to get more relevant customers who are actually looking for your services. These targeted marketing leads will turn into more sales and happier customers who will refer your business to more customers and you will make a lot more money and waste less time.

On the flip side, if you continue with traditional marketing methods and don’t evolve your business into the digital age. You will see your numbers consistently decline till you eventually go out of business, and you will be left wondering where you went wrong. Be a smart business owner and bring your company into the digital age before you get left behind!

How To Not Fail In The Internet Age – Because 80% of Small Businesses Don’t Get The Memo

We are now living in the internet age and the customer has power!

As we continue living in the internet age and technology is growing faster then ever, companies have to be focused on taking care of their customers. If you are not, then you will be joining the 80% of small businesses who fail.

Your customers now have information and reviews on every competitor in your space by searching the internet. Lets just assume your competitors aren’t better then you, because if they are, you will be missing out on a lot of money!

Consumers are now picking the companies they want to give their business to from behind their computers. Your success will depend on high quality services/products and in your visibility to your market place.

With the internet giving people access to reviews and information from Google, Facebook, Yelp, etc; customers are now seeing who the good and bad companies are before they choose who they will spend their money with. Consumers trust these reviews and online information just as much as they do their best friend.

The internet has made it so that crap and invisible companies in the market place will never get that “I wanna give you my business” phone call, while the credible and visible businesses will be taking all of the cash flow.

Now if the above sentence is hard to understand, then just know this: if your online reputation is bad or your product/service is not good, then you will soon join the 80% of small businesses who rightfully go out of business!

So, if you’re one of the small businesses who provide a great product/service and don’t want to go out of business, ask yourself one question. What should I do?

The first thing you need to do is get your potential customer’s attention!

I always tell business owners, “You can have the best product/service in the world, but if nobody knows you exist, then who cares?”

This statement continues to be true, so make sure you are getting attention in your market place!

To get your customers attention in the internet age, you continuously have to be marketing and you need to have an up-to-date website. Your website needs to provide enough information to where a customer will feel safe buying from you.

One of the biggest mistakes small businesses make is that they make it too hard for their customers to contact them. You want to make sure that when your customer is ready to buy, it is easy for them to contact you, or for them to leave you their contact information. You can accomplish this by having a lot of call-to-actions on your website while having many ways your customers can contact you.

On top of having an optimized website you will also need to be all over the internet!

What I mean by this is, you need to be posting on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and every other channel that your customer is on. Honestly, if you’re not using these FREE marketing tools then you’re more then wrong!

By providing excellent content to your customers on every channel possible they will start to see you as the expert in your field. Once your customers see you as the expert in your field they will start to contact you when they’re in need of your product/service. They may even refer you to their friends when they’re in need of your product/service.

With good content across the internet and your website to capture your customers information, you will be getting a lot of FREE attention to your business and more potential customers to follow up with.

Once you’ve used your website to gain your customers trust and contact information, the next step is to have your sales team reach out and close the deal.

Assuming your sales team knows what to do and has closed the deal with your new customers, you now have to provide them with such an incredible product/service that it will MAKE THEM want to write an online review about their experience with your product/service.

This review is the most important thing because consumers will trust an online review just as much as they will their best friend, and these reviews will get your business a boat load of ATTENTION!

Side note: If you get any bad reviews you should publicly address the issue and make sure that your customers are seeing how you have improved from your mistakes. Customers will be more scared of a company that has bad reviews and ignores them then they will be of a company who addresses their mistakes and fixes them!

If you want to stay in business in the internet era, follow this simple formula for success and make sure to repeat it with every customer!

5 Reasons Your Bad Website Should Be Your Main Small Business Concern.

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when a customer asks for your website?

Are you immediately excited to say

“My website is yourURL.com”

or are you filled with thoughts like

My website is pretty ugly, should I just give them my Facebook page?
Well I have a website but it’s kind of under construction, here’s my business card.
My website? Um just shoot me an email.

If the latter option sounds more familiar, it’s a big mistake to your business because today customer research starts on the internet. It’s kind of like having a building that is falling apart to run business out of… Not very practical, Right?

Now for the good news…

You’re not the only business with a bad website.
You can still get ahead of your competition.
A stunning, yet simple website will improve your brand & business .

Here are 5 reasons your bad website is a huge mistake.

Did You Know?

“57% of customers say they won’t recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site and 40 percent have turned to a competitor’s site after a bad experience.” – Google

1. First Impressions Matter

Do you remember your first job interview? Of course you do, how could you forget the feeling of being interrogated by your potential future boss. Now I want you to think of what you wore.

Did you wear the sweat pants and hoody with your favorite sports team on it?

Did you grab the business attire & look sharp as a tack?

Chances are that if you got the job you probably wore the business attire, and this probably comes as no surprise. It’s human nature to be attracted to things that look good. I mean think about it, when was the last time you purchased something you thought was ugly?

Now think of your under dressed business website. Each person that goes to your website is meeting you, standing there with sweat pants and a hoody on.

Is that the impression you want to leave your customers with?

The fact of today is that first impression matters both in real life, and on the internet. Which is why it’s very important for your business website to look good, while being easy to use.

One of the best ways your business can stand out is by having an awesome looking website. Having a good looking business website will ensure

Visitors don’t bounce off of your website after seeing it.
Customers look at your business as legit, instead of thinking your business is a scam.
Everyone can easily understand your website because it’s neat and makes sense.

All of that being said, I know that looks are not the only thing that is going to keep customers on your website, but it is a great place to start.

Did You Know?

“70-80% of users will ignore paid ads, and focus on the organic results” – Imformza

2. You’re Missing Free Customers

The internet is such a great thing because it’s one of the best ways for your business to take advantage of free customers. Think about it, what other medium allows you to reach millions of people with just the click of a button?

Imagine taking your gourmet restaurant and opening up in the middle of Times Square. So many customers walk by you everyday that you are automatically going to get customers from the street, correct?

Now think of your website as the restaurant, Times Square as the internet, and the customers walking by as everyone connected to the internet. 324+ Million people are walking by your website each and every day…

Are you going to turn on the Open Sign yet?

Turning on your online business is a little bit harder then flipping on a “Open For Business” sign, but it’s definitely not impossible. The truth is that getting your website ranked organically on search engines does take some time and effort, but the reward is well worth it.

For Example

Think of that same restaurant that you opened up in Times Square. When people search Google for your business by name, or even restaurants in the area you show up! Great, that is a lot of customers that can already see your business. But what if your business also came up when a customer searched Google for phrases like

Swedish Meatballs Recipes
Italian Recipes From Home
Delicious Lasagna Recipes

The benefit your business has when you actually start showing up for different key phrases in your niche is incredible. Your traffic will start pouring in, and people will start finding your business out of thin air. All your work will pay off when you hear a customer say “I really love your blog, and I always use your website, keep up the good work!”

Did You Know?

“Judgments on website credibility are 75% based on a website’s overall aeshetics.” – Invision

3. Bad Website = Bad Business

Let’s make one thing clear before we continue with this section, I don’t think all businesses that have a bad website, are bad businesses.

But with that being said, many customers online DO think that a bad website directly reflects a bad business.

Think about it like this…

Do you recall the last time you were going thru the drive through window, and you saw “that guy” on the side of the road with his pants sagging farther than they should be? Were your first thoughts to trust that person? If not, don’t worry, you have the same trust issues many others do.

Now, I’m also not saying that everyone that sags their pants is a bad person because that is absolutely not true… But what I am saying is that people are more apt to not trust you if you portray a thug.

The truth of the matter is that people naturally prejudge everything. That gorgeous person that’s walking by you, the restaurant on the corner, and everything in between is being judged by your subconscious mind. This naturally occurring judgement happens automatically, so how can you make sure it effects you as little as possible?

Trust is Earned, Not Given

Well for starters it’s very important for businesses to present itself as a business you can trust from the start. As you know trust is a very hard thing to earn, and a very easy thing to lose therefore I wanted to give you some examples of things you can do to gain more trust online.

There are many things you can do to build trust online, below are some great ways to build trust on your website.

Add your contact phone number and email to the header of your website.
- 44% of website visitors will leave a company’s website if there’s no contact information or phone number. – KOMarketing
Have current customers give you online reviews on Yelp, Google, and Facebook. After show these reviews on your homepage for social proof.
- 72% of people entrusted online reviews just as much as personal recommendations. – IronPaper
Putting social media icons on your website will build trust and establish communication with your customers.
- Adding various social media buttons equated to 400% increase in conversions for voice-over service Voices.com – BlueFountainMedia

In conclusion, don’t make your business website start off on the wrong foot by sagging your pants. Just wear a belt and make sure your website has the best chance to establish trust the first time someone sees it.

Did You Know?

“87% of millennials never separate from their mobile device.” – AppBoy.com

4. The Mobile Millennium

What time is it? Chance’s are you pulled out your cell phone to answer this very common question. Welcome to the digital age ladies and gentlemen. Where wrist watches have been converted to computers that fit into your pocket… or even on your wrist, Gotta love technology!

Advance With The Technology, Or Be Left In The Watch Age.

Do you remember the last time you forgot your cell phone somewhere? How helpless did you feel? Not being able to call anyone, Google anything, or even get directions to the closest pizza spot. Just an absolute fail, and huge inconvenience to say the least.

Now Back To Your Happy Place

A time and a place where you have your cell phone. It’s time to eat, and you’re craving a good steak. You pull the cell phone out of your pocket… “Hey Siri give me directions to the closest steak house”. As you scroll down the list of steak house’s to choose from you see one that sounds delicious, so you click on it and

Voila

You’re taken to a website that you have to zoom in on… What? No Responsive design? This menu is impossible to see, and forget about figuring out the prices… This website sucks! Back Button

Next Steak House

This time you’re greeted with a gorgeous mobile website, that has contact information on the top. As you scroll through the menu you see the word steak, and immediately click on it. Now what do you see? A sight so good, you almost eat your phone. Steak after steak, beautifully displayed next to mash potatoes and asparagus. YUM, and it was at that moment you were sold, the Steak house won your business, and you are probably still customers today.

Get All Device Friendly Before It’s To Late

With mobile internet traffic growing at an amazing rate, and the internet only getting bigger it’s is extremely important for your business website to display on all devices. When your business can be viewed on all devices your website will get less bounces, more interaction, and longer user sessions.

As you can see the impacts to having a mobile friendly website are great, and very important to your business. Not to mention with only 11.8% of websites on the internet being responsive, you still have time to get ahead of your competition. Don’t wait, get responsive!

You Know Its Important

But Exactly How Important Is A Mobile Friendly Website?

60% of all internet use is now on mobile devices. – InMobi
70% of mobile searches lead to action on websites within an hour – iAcquire
61% of people have a better opinion of brands when they offer a good mobile experience. – Websites24-7

5. A Bad Website Makes You Work Harder, Not Smarter

You’re in a room, it’s packed full of people and they want to buy your product. The only bad thing is that you have to personally talk to each person before they buy. So what do you do? You start talking, person after person you talk. At first it was awesome, but after talking to 1000 people you start getting frustrated. The stress starts building, and you begin to wonder if selling your product is even worth talking to all of these people!

Then It Dawns On You

All You have to do is get a megaphone, and a slideshow presentation so you can show everyone in the room your product at the same time. So you put up a “Will Return In 30 Minutes” sign, drive to the store to pick up the needed supplies, and head back your room full of buyers.

Setting up the screen is easy, and talking about your product is even easier. Finally you give the last presentation & are greeted with applause. Everyone is excited! They love the product so much that they all buy, what a success!

A Website Is Your Megaphone, Presentation & Store Front

Good thing today your presentation is possible thanks to the internet. This handy dandy tool allows business owners to talk directly to millions of people at the same time. It is the only medium that connects you to consumers from all over the world & gives you the chance to go viral. Today your website can show off your product/service all year round, get you noticed by Ellen Degeneras, and even take credit card. What A Superstar!

Keep Talking or Show The Presentation, It’s Up To You

Now the choice is yours, you can keep going door to door and talking to every home owner about your service. Continue going to craft shows, and marketing events in order to meet new people.

You can present yourself to the world by turning your bad website into an awesome website
Sell your product 24 hours a day & seven days a week by using a website/eCommerce shop
Build a strong web presence to dominate your competition

The Questions Is

What Are You Waiting For?

4 Secrets On Building A Website That Gets Results

In today’s day and age every company must have a website if they want to stay in business.

With that being said, building a website is not an easy or common thing people know how to do. Because of this, a lot of business owners will skip building a website all together or they will pay/have someone make one for them, and frankly most of them look and perform like dog crap.

So, what are the secrets to building a website?

First, you will need a professional web designer/developer (unless you are one) who will be able to build you a professional, up-to-date, and responsive website.

Side Note: There are a lot of different content management systems (CMS) you can use to build your website, but I would recommend WordPress for most businesses.

The reason I recommend WordPress is because it is the easiest CMS to learn and use for people who have never run a website. If you decide to take over your website down the road, you will be happy it is on WordPress.

Side Note: Use a professional to build your website. Customers that see a poorly done website will view this as a reflection of your services and this will make customers NOT want to use you.

Second, your website needs to be focused on YOUR CUSTOMERS! A lot of websites that I come across talk all about themselves. They talk about how, what, and who started the company and have very little information on how their services will benefit their customer.

Do not make the mistake of being one of these websites, because NOBODY cares about your company. They care about how you’re going to help them fix their problems!

What your customer is looking to learn from your website is why you are the expert in your field and why they should go with your services over your competitors. This is truly the only thing they care about, so make sure you pay attention to how your website reads and the value your customers will get from it.

Third, you have to turn your website into one that will make your customer want to come back again and again. (Think of Google, Facebook, ESPN, Etc.)

The way to turn your website into a resource for your customers is to add quality content DAILY for them to read, watch, and learn from.

For example, lets say you are a plumber and you want to add content to your website. You can shoot videos using your cell phone on how to fix your sink when it leaks; or how to prevent water lines from bursting in the winter; or even how to install your toilet.

Next, you will write a summary blog about the video you recorded and then post the blog with the video onto your website.

Side Note: You will want to add new content to your website at least 3 times a week.

What this content will do is build trust with your customers and allow them to truly see you as an expert in your field.

Now, I know you’re thinking, “If I show people how to do my job, then why would they need me?”

The fact of the matter is that there are two types of people. There is the DIY type of person who will not call for help regardless of their situation, or the person who does not want to mess with it and will pay a professional to fix your problem and get the job done right.

By having these free videos/content on your website your customers can use and reference; it will position your website as the place to go for the services you provide. While the DIY person will be using your videos to do their own projects, the customers in your area that would rather pay someone will now trust you and want to use your services.

The Fourth and last step to building a website that will keep your customers coming back is to make your website easy to navigate and not confusing. I know that all of us have been on a website that is super confusing and hard to navigate, and if you’re like me, then you spend no longer then 10 seconds on those types of sites.

DON’T be that Website!

A very simple test for this is to have your Grandparents look through your website and ask for their feedback. If they tell you it was confusing and they didn’t know how to work it then you need to go back to the drawing board. If they were able to navigate it and learned something new from your information then you’re on the right track!

Use these 4 secrets when building and marketing your website and you will be sure to get more customers from your website.

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