Internet Marketing Blog

5 Things Your RV Dealership Is Probably Getting Wrong (Heres How To Fix Them)

In the digital age, there are some things your RV dealership is getting wrong. To excel as a RV dealership you need to focus on your digital sales strategy by optimizing your online brand, social media, and digital marketing.

A Digital Sales Strategy is the strategy your company uses to create more relevant leads for your dealership using your website, digital marketing, and social media.

Get Better RV Sales Training, Sell More RVs

In the digital age, your customers are becoming online shoppers, and because of this many dealerships are leaving money on the table. For the last 20 years RV dealers have been marketing to their customers using traditional marketing and has worked wonders

But…

Not anymore. If you want to run a successful RV Dealership you have to focus on digital. Today you can’t just have newspaper ads, billboards, and TV commercials if you want to sell more RVs. Your RV dealership is getting wrong your digital sales strategy if you’re still focused on traditional marketing.

RV dealers across the nation are selling more RV’s than ever because of their online brand and digital marketing. If this is not your RV dealership than use these tips to better your digital sales strategy and start selling more RVs.

Here are 5 tips any RV dealership can use to better your Digital Sales Strategy

1) Stop Giving Away Your Price For Nothing

One thing your RV dealership is getting wrong is giving away your price for nothing in return.

Now, think of this…

If 1 Million people come to your website today, and none of them give you their contact information or come to your dealership, can you start the buying process with any of them?

Can a sale happen before a sales associates takes a lead through your buying process?

Get Better At Your RV Sales Process

No… Every Sale Must Go Through The Buying Process

Therefore, it’s a huge mistake to give your customer the price without taking their information (Name, Email, & Phone). Remember those 1 Million viewers you just had on your website? What if just 1% of them gave you their contact information?

Your RV Dealership would have 10,000 warm leads for your sales team. If you close 8% of those warm leads you would have sold 800 RVs! Not to shabby huh?

But, How Do You Get Customer’s To Give You Their Information Without Giving Them Your Price?

In the RV industry people are shopping nationwide for the best value and for the right floor plans. Once a customer finds the RV and floor plan that will provide them with the most value, they next go online and search for the dealer with the best price.

Sell More RVs With The Sell More Live More RV Sales Training

You might be thinking, “This is exactly why I am showing my price, why are you saying it’s wrong?”

Your RV dealership is getting it wrong because customers will use your price as a negotiating tool to beat down closer dealers who have the same products as you without ever giving you an opportunity to earn their business -AND- prospects aren’t curious about your price so they have no reason to inquire or give you their information.

For example, if your selling price is $25,000, you can cross out $25,500 as a sale price with a call to action button making them give you their information for the lowest price.

As you see in the example below one of our clients uses “Rock Bottom Pricing” as the call to action to get their customers information, because remember, if we never get their information we can’t take them through the buying process.

Now, if a buyer is serious about a RV and they see that your price is competitive but they don’t know the exact price, curiosity will take over and a call to action button will entice them to give you their info in exchange for your lowest price.

Close More Of Your RV Customer Leads With Sell More Live More RV Sales Training

Once you get their info, your sales team now has a warm lead they can follow up with and hopefully they’re good enough to convert the lead into a sale.

On top of creating more leads, and sales for your dealership this will also help because…

Your competition will not know your exact pricing just by going to your website.
Your prospects can’t use your price as a negotiating chip at other RV dealerships that carry the same product but are closer.
More of your traffic will convert into warm leads instead of wasted traffic.

If you are giving away your pricing for nothing your RV dealership is getting it wrong.

You lose potential sales because you’re not efficiently turning your traffic into leads and a lot of buyers never make it into your sales process
Customers are using your price to get better deals at closer dealerships who have the same products so they don’t have to talk to you or travel to your location
Your competition has a pricing advantage over you because they know your numbers and can adjust their approach because of it

Stop giving away your price for nothing and start converting more of your traffic into leads and sales!

2) No Active Social Media or Facebook Ad Campaigns

One of the next HUGE mistakes a lot of RV dealership is getting wrong is they have no active Social Media presence and they’re not using Facebook ads. If you ask a business owner why they invest in TV commercials, ads, billboards and everything else, they will usually tell you something like, “It’s where my customers are.”

Get More RV Customers To Say, Yes

People spend around 5 hours a day on their cell phone which is the same amount of time people spend watching television. 1.28 Billion people will log into Facebook daily and the user rate is growing at an alarming rate. Out of the 5 hours your customers are spending on their phone daily, 2 of those hours are spent just on social media. Beside the fact that your customers are on social media; your advertising dollar can go a lot further on a digital platform than any other, which will help lower your customer acquisition cost if done properly.

Why aren’t you marketing on Facebook again?

With more and more consumers moving in the way of an “internet shopper” the way people are buying has changed. Consumers are looking for companies online who are active and who have good reviews. They’re messaging companies on Facebook to ask questions before they will give you their business and some of them won’t even think about coming to your dealership if you’re not on social media (its a trust thing).

By implementing a daily social media marketing campaign for your dealership you will start to build online authority and trust. Your customers will have another channel for them to talk to you on and you will have another channel that will help your dealership capture a warm lead.

Some buyers prefer to walk into your dealership, some prefer to call your dealership, and others prefer to shop the internet before they will buy. If you’re not allowing your customers to buy from all of these different platforms then you’re leaving money on the table! If you start using social media the right way and start running Facebook ads for your dealership, you will be surprised at the results… and that surprise will probably be a good one.

Get more in depth on this topic in one of our other articles:

3) Not Enough Videos

People are getting spoiled with the amount of video they have access too and they are looking up videos on everything so if you’re not using video than your RV dealership is getting it wrong. YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine and you can go “live” directly from your dealership using just a cell phone but most dealerships aren’t using video to their advantage. So if you’re not using video than your RV dealership is getting it wrong.These tools are FREE and will create new business for your dealership, yet a lot of dealers are ignoring video completely and it is costing them cashflow.

As a dealership, your goal should be to put a video up for every single RV that ever hits your lot. By adding videos of all your products you will start to get traffic from places you haven’t got it before. Customers who are searching the internet for good videos on the products they’re looking for might land on your dealerships videos and before you know it you have a warm internet lead all because you have high quality video of your products.

Not only is video strong for Facebook and YouTube but it is also really strong in your personal follow up as a sales associate. One of the strongest things you can do as a sales associate is texting your clients personalized video messages of the RV’s they’re looking at.

For example: If I was a RV sales associate and I just received an internet lead from a customer who is looking at the XYZ. I would go out to that RV, shoot a personalized video of RV XYZ and I would text it right over to them. I would also address them personally in the beginning and put my face in there so they can put a face to my name. As you start using this you will find it to be a strong follow up tool and it’ll help you sell more RVs.

Mediocre sales associates always want to send email after email but let me ask you this, how many emails are unread in your inbox right now? How many emails get sent directly into your spam that you never see? How many of your emails are skipped over because we get hundreds of emails a day and its impossible to keep up with? A lot of them I am sure because I personally have 5,000+ unread emails on just my phone and I would guess your inbox is very similar.

Now ask yourself this question, how many unread text messages are sitting in your phone? The answer is probably zero because people always read their text messages and it will bug them if they don’t. Use this to your advantage and stop sending emails your customers aren’t going to read and start sending them text messages (Or preferably, send them an email and a text). Send them text videos of units they’re looking at or text them asking for an appointment. The more you start using videos and text to communicate with your customers the more RV’s you will sell!

Sell More RVs This Year With Sell More Live More

One of our clients didn’t have a YouTube channel before they started to use us for their marketing and it was costing them a lot sales. By creating a video for every RV that hits their lot and some informational videos, we have been able to upload close to 1,000 videos and they’re approaching 1,000 subscribers, and these numbers are growing every day. With all of the videos we have created, this dealership has approximately 2 million minutes watched on their YouTube channel all from videos that you can create and upload for FREE.

These videos build a lot of trust with their customers because they get to see the exact RV they’re looking at before they come to the dealership and these videos have been the difference in a lot of their sales. Videos have also been a big part of the reason why people come from all over the nation to purchase from this dealership and if you’re not using video then you’re wrong!

What are your videos and YouTube channel doing for your dealership?

4) No Engaging or Valuable Content Creation

In today’s digital age it is important to create ENGAGING and VALUABLE content or your RV dealership is getting it wrong.

Think about the websites that you come to and use everyday. To name a few, Google, Facebook and YouTube. The reason you use these websites daily is because they provide you with a ton of value and new things are added daily that we’re interested in and want to engage with. There are a couple key take away from this. They provide you with value, they’re doing it daily, and you want to engage with them.

You have to turn your RV dealerships website into a resources that your customers can use on a daily basis. What does that mean? You can’t always advertise sales, products, and services to your customers!!! Dealerships have to provide their customers with valuable and engaging content that will make them WANT to interact with your dealership. You can do this by building an awesome blog and by adding new articles weekly or by running social media campaigns that are designed to add value to your customers while engaging them. There are a lot of ways to do it but the main thing you need to understand is you have to provide value and engage.

Close More Of Your RV Customer Leads

We all see 90% of dealerships Facebook pages that are all about showing you the sales they have going on, the new products that hit the lot, and the “just purchased” picture with their customers, but they never seem to provide you with any engaging or quality content. This is a huge mistake!

Most of the dealerships Facebook’s pages out there are boring and people unfollow them quick. Nobody comes to Facebook to be advertised to 24/7. Think about it, we use TIVO now because we want to fast forward the commercials. We use apps like Netflix and Hulu because we want to watch our shows with no ads. The same thing is true about your dealerships Facebook business page. If all you’re doing is advertising without providing your customers with valuable and engaging content then you’re wasting your time and energy.

At IMR we use a rule of 80% social and 20% advertising. This means that for every 10 pieces of content we share, 8 of them will be geared towards our ideal customer simply for fun and engagement while 2 pieces of content will be promoting sales or products. When you start to build a Facebook business page or marketing campaign this way you will start to see more interaction from your followers, you will see more new likes on a daily basis and you will see more leads coming from your social media and digital marketing.

Download our PDF 5 Facebook Strategies To Increase Page Likes and learn how to have a more engaging Facebook page.

5) Your Sales Team Is Not Using Live Video

There are very few dealerships out there who are using live video to promote their products and I don’t understand why. By adding your sales team to your Facebook Business Page they can go live at your dealership directly from their cell phone at any given minute.

This is HUGE because consumers want to see more social media posts and videos and Facebook Live checks both of these boxes.

Learn How To Close More Deals Than Ever

Instead of letting your sales members sit at their desk and scroll Facebook (like a lot of them are guilty of) make them go out on the lot and start shooting live video. Have them go live from your dealerships page and ask customers which RV’s they want to see and use live video to bring in qualified leads. Your sales team can use live video to get their face out there as a sales associate so people know who to ask for when they come to the lot and it will bring you leads you’ve never had before.

By simply going live for an hour and asking your Facebook fans what RV’s they want to see you will start to build trust with your customers. They will see you’re willing to provide them value and show them RV’s they’re interested in before they come to your dealership and it’s a good way to get leads. A lot of the people watching your live stream will even start to ask you buying questions like

Do you guys take trade ins?
Do you guys finance?
What is a monthly payment on an RV like that?
Where are you located?

As you start getting buying questions and qualified leads directly through Facebook Live you can then DM them to get their cell phone and email for proper follow up and boom you have a warm lead.

The other benefit of this is, IT’S FREE FOR YOUR DEALERSHIP!!!

Get Better Sales Training For Your RV Sales Team

It has never been easier to make your marketing dollars stretch in business. By using social media and all of the free tools we have at our exposure, dealerships can really ramp up their marketing and save money at the same time. One of our clients we implemented a digital marketing campaign for spent 80k less on their marketing than the previous year while selling more RV’s then they have in the 45+ years they’ve been in business.

By simply switching your marketing budget from old techniques and traditional marketing into a digital marketing and social media campaign you will see double the results for typically less money than you’re used to spending.

Start taking advantage of live video and see how it helps your dealership and sales team sell more RVs. You will thank me for it later.

Want more tips on better digital marketing for your dealership? Read our blog 5 Internet Marketing Tips For Better Business

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.

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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