For all the online marketing strategies that web designers and business owners employ, it's the results that matter most. That's one reason why so many books, seminars, and web pages are big on the topic of maximizing website conversion ratios – everything you do to bring traffic to your business website is a waste if you can't convince some of those visitors to become customers.

With that in mind, here are seven quick ways to increase the conversion ratios on your website, and improve your online marketing ROI at the same time:

1. Improve your business web design. This is a simple notion, but an effective one. The more credible and professional your business website looks, the more trust people put in your company, and the more likely they are to buy from you. Hint: work with an organization that has professional training and certification in landing page design, such as what they offer in MECLABS/MarketingExperiments curriculum.

2. Opt for a cleaner navigation structure. Just as in a physical retail store, customers who can't find what they're looking for quickly, and can't find help when they need it, are very likely to become frustrated and take their money elsewhere. There’s a reason why minimalist design has become so popular. Use the old “KISS” rule (Keep It Simple)!

3. Start a relationship with the customer. No matter how great your business website is, not everyone is going to be ready to buy on the first visit. For that reason, you should be collecting e-mail addresses and using auto-responders. It's an easy tool to install, and a great way to start a relationship with future customers and to keep in touch.

4. Add strong call to actions on every page. What do you really want people to do while they're on your pages? Figure that out, and then ask them to do it, in a very straightforward way. Asking for what you want isn't exactly an advanced marketing technique, but it can do wonders for your business website.

5. Encourage customers to leave online reviews. How will this help you improve your conversion ratios? The more visitors to your website see that you have been able to make other customers happy – in the form of four- and five-star reviews – the easier it is for them to make the decision to do business with your company. A study has shown that over 88% of all online reviews in the U.S. are positive ones, and 70% of consumers trust the word of other consumers, while only 27% trust the experts.

6. Use click-to-call functionality. Now more than ever, customers will be visiting your website through smart phones and other web-ready devices. By letting them click to call you instantly, you make it faster and more convenient for them to contact you and place an order, schedule an appointment, etc. Remember that a website designed for the mobile platform is very different than the design of your regular website.

7. Put your contact info in places that are easy to find. In a perfect world, visitors to your business website will understand exactly what you want them to do and decide to do it. Should they need assistance, or have a question, however, make it easy for them to reach you quickly. Most people do not feel comfortable doing business with a company whose contact information is difficult to find.

Remember, finding customers online is the name of the game, so use these tips to increase your website conversion ratios.

WSI (We Simplify the Internet) has been providing all size businesses with results-oriented internet and digital marketing strategies since the mid-90's. So don't hesitate to call the best in the business (at least we think so!). 

If you're in the Madison and Mount Horeb Wisconsin area and have been thinking about freshening up your website and start turning more visitors into customers, you should contact WSI or give us a call today at (608) 523-4255 and let's discuss these opportunities right away!

Best Regards,

Thomas J. Holzkopf
Certified Internet & Digital Marketing Consultant
Tom@WSIPrositebuilder.com
www.WSIPrositebuilder.com
Office: 608-523-4255

If You Use White Hat SEO, You Should Be Fine, But Still Check Your Ranking 

Just when you thought you were safe from Google updates, along comes another beast in Google Penguin. A few months ago we did an article outlining how you can protect yourself from Google Panda. Google actually released another update, Panda 3.5, just before, but it was the Penguin update on April 24th that has really caused waves in the Internet community.

How This Affects Your SEO

This newest search engine optimization update is predicted to affect a smaller amount of queries than Panda, but has still caused problems for some sites. The forums are a-buzz with talk of job and income losses, giving a rather bleak outlook and making Google look like the bad guy. Otherwise known as the WebSpam update, Penguin focused on penalizing those using spam and black hat SEO tactics such as cloaking, link schemes and general keyword stuffing. As much as we can’t help hearing from those that were hit, there were some winners with this update as well. It’s important to follow the rules.

SEO Points to Remember:

• Quality. Focus on quality content that readers will want to share, rather than strictly writing for the search engines.
• Unique Content. Make sure your content is unique, not duplicated.
• Rankings Fluctuate. Don’t put all your marketing tactics in one basket. Relying strictly on Google search to make your site successful may not work.  Always have a back-up strategy, so that if there is another update and you get hit (even accidentally), it won’t matter as much.

What You Can Do to Your Site

If your site has been hit with the Google Penguin update, there are a few steps you can take. First, look at your site honestly to see if there is something you could do better. If you believe you have been penalized incorrectly, you can submit a reconsideration request to Google.

WSI (We Simplify the Internet) has been providing all size businesses with results-oriented internet and digital marketing strategies since the mid-90's. So don't hesitate to call the best in the business (at least we think so!). 

If you’re worried about your rankings and how to get your site found, and you're in the Madison and Mount Horeb Wisconsin area and would like to sit down and discuss these issues, you should contact WSI or give us a call today at (608) 523-4255 and let's discuss these opportunities right away!

Best Regards,

Thomas J. Holzkopf
Certified Internet & Digital Marketing Consultant
Tom@WSIPrositebuilder.com
www.WSIPrositebuilder.com
Office: 608-523-4255

You probably receive at least one or two emails each day that end up in your spam folder, or unfortunately "sneak" past your spam filter and end up in you regular inbox, from so-called "SEO Experts" touting their search engine optimization expertise and guaranteeing you first place positioning in Google's search results. RUN, don't WALK, from these scammers.

Often times the language in those emails is written in poorly written English, which can be a dead giveaway right there that they are from some over the border country crooning your hard earned marketing dollars. Also watch out for the reputable web development firms and traditional marketing agencies in the area who also claim to be experts in search engine optimization and digital marketing, but they really have no training, experience or certifications to substantiate those statements.

Kimberly Nichols, a well-respected colleague of mine with her own WSI office up in Quebec, Canada, recently wrote one of the better articles on “SEO Guarantee Scams and How to Avoid Them” that I’ve read in a long while.

Unfortunately not all Digital Marketers have your best interest in mind. They typically come in several flavors: skilled, certified and highly trained digital marketing experts, then web developers who typically come with excellent graphic design skills but are not trained in "online marketing" techniques, and finally those with knowledge on how to "fool" the search engines and who get companies in trouble and even on the wrong side of the search engine gods by using their "black-hat" techniques.

Case in point is an article recently published by another esteemed colleague from the WSI network, Chuck Bankoff, who wrote: “Don’t let the “S” in SEO stand for Sucker” which details how an actual client was intentionally misled by a classic “bait-and-switch” with his keywords. The company in question provided results they could easily guarantee simply by making long tail keyword phrases even longer in the monthly analytics reports so they could meet their guarantee.

Legitimate Digital Marketing Experts will educate you as to what their strategy is, and not pull any punches as to what you can and can’t reasonably expect. Naturally you should expect a keyword placement report on a regular basis, but understand that is only part of the equation. It shows progress that the SEO Company should be using for themselves to show trends and progress, not absolutes. More to the point would be the actual analytics reports showing actual traffic and what keywords drove the traffic and where it came from.

Keyword selection should address 4 components:

1. Relevance: Are the phrases that are targeted actually relevant to your business…or just easy to obtain?
2. Popularity: Are the keyword phrases that are being targeted actually searched on in sufficient volume to drive sales.
3. Acceptable levels of competition: Is there a reasonable expectation that first page rankings are obtainable? This is where a legitimate “long tail keyword” strategy comes into play.
4. Monetization: Can you actually make money and grow your business by driving consumers to your website by targeting those phrases? Remember, the objective is increased business, not just more traffic.

Do yourself a favor and read Kimberly’s article. And as she says at the end of that article: “If it looks too good to be true…”

If you are looking to increase the visibility of your brand in the online environment, you should research and locate a certified SEO expert who has been in the business for several years, and can show results from past work they have performed for other clients. Don't be afraid to ask about their training and credentials!

WSI (We Simplify the Internet) has been providing all size businesses with results-oriented internet and digital marketing strategies since the mid-90's. So don't hesitate to call the best in the business (at least we think so!). 

If you're in the Madison and Mount Horeb Wisconsin area and would like to sit down and discuss your online objectives, you should contact WSI or give us a call today at (608) 523-4255 and let's discuss these opportunities right away!

Best Regards,

Thomas J. Holzkopf
Certified Internet & Digital Marketing Consultant
Tom@WSIPrositebuilder.com
www.WSIPrositebuilder.com
Office: 608-523-4255

 Search Marketing Partner Checklist

Now that you’ve made the decision to market your business via search engine advertising,

you need to find the best partner, one that can answer YES to all of these questions.

If you are in the market for a paid search advertising partner, don't hesitate to call the best in the business. We've been managing successful advanced pay-per-click campaigns since 2004, and offer services suitable for small to large-size companies.

Owners of all size businesses should have a digital marketing plan that takes advantage of the tremendous opportunities available in the internet and digital online environment. If you would like to sit down and discuss these opportunities, you should contact WSI since we have been helping all size businesses grow through professionally developed online strategies since the mid-90's.

If you're in the Madison Wisconsin area, give us a call today at (608) 523-4255 and let's discuss these opportunities right away!

Best Regards,

Thomas J. Holzkopf
Certified Internet & Digital Marketing Consultant
Tom@WSIPrositebuilder.com
www.WSIPrositebuilder.com
Office: 608-523-4255

Pinterest has slowly been staking a solid spot in the social media world. Although it’s best suited for personal use, a business may benefit from it as well.

Remember your locker in high school or the bulletin board in your dorm room? It had pictures, ticket stubs and other neat tidbits you hoped others would see – and comment on. Take that idea and spin it in a web-friendly way – and you have Pinterest.

See a photo on the web you like? “Pin it”. Comment on other interesting “pins”. The important part is to get involved in the Pinterest community.  Like all social media, Pinterest’s main goal is sharing, making it mostly a personal, social experience. However, just by thinking a little outside the box, we can see how easily it would be to fit this into a digital marketing plan with great success.

Here is a beginner’s look at Pinterest possibilities for your business:

About.
Warning: Not every business should add Pinterest to their list. By the visual nature of the site, it works best for services that may benefit from others seeing pictures of what you have to offer. Think restaurants, home decor, general retail, the wedding industry and travel.

Benefits.
There are a few benefits of Pinterest. Number one is that each image is automatically imbedded with a link back to the source. If that source is you, your site will see an increase in traffic as more people click on the image. Another benefit is that Pinterest images are easily shared, so the potential reach could be quite high if the picture is interesting.

Go the Extra Step.
Once you get the hang of Pinterest and start to get comfortable with it, try experimenting and thinking outside of the box. Try getting creative with contest ideas that get people to pin your images or consider adding a “Pin It” button to your blog.

Have you tried Pinterest yet? What are your thoughts?

Pinterest is one of many tools you can use to optimize your digital marketing plan. Get on the right path today by contacting a knowledgeable WSI Internet Consultant to assist with your strategy.

In most cases, the biggest obstacle to winning the new customer for your company, once they have visited your website, is in your products, your prices, or even your competitors. It's the trust and confidence that your new potential customer doesn't have yet.

In other words, it's hard for them to know whether you are going to do everything your website promises you will, and whether or not they will still feel good about their decision to buy from you later. If there were some way that you could ease their minds and reduce these fears, your online leads and sales would dramatically go up.

Luckily, there is something you can do to give customers more confidence in your business – you can let other buyers post online reviews of their purchases.

Having reviews on your site works wonders because customers trust each other more than they do you or the manufacturers, at least when they are first deciding whether or not to place an order. And so, if they see lots of four and five star reviews all over your site, they feel confident that they are dealing with a reputable company and are much more likely to do business with you.

In addition, there are other benefits to having online reviews:

Adding online reviews to your website could help your search engine positioning. Google and the other major search engines love customer-generated content like online reviews, and tend to index quickly. That means that your great reviews help you show up on search engines more often, and may even appear in search results themselves, leading to more sales.

Online reviews are great for Facebook fan pages and other social media marketing. Since the essence of social media marketing is getting other people to tell their friends and colleagues about what you do, it only makes sense to integrate your online reviews into your Facebook business fan page and other profiles. If customers love you, why not let everyone see it?

Online reviews lead to more sales and faster sales. When a potential buyer sees that so many other people are happy with your work, or your products, they generally do less comparison-shopping, make quicker buying decisions, and decide to place larger orders. For that reason, encouraging satisfied buyers to leave their impressions on your website doesn't just build your credibility – it directly increases the profits you can make from your business website.

If you haven't tried a review system on your business website yet, get in touch with us today to find out how easy it is to use one to grow your sales.

Owners of all size businesses should have an internet marketing plan that takes advantage of the tremendous opportunities available in the digital marketing environment. If you would like to sit down and discuss these opportunities, you should contact WSI since we have been helping small and medium size businesses grow through professionally developed online strategies since the mid-90's.

If you're in the Madison Wisconsin area, give us a call today at (608) 523-4255 and let's discuss these opportunities right away!

Best Regards,

Thomas J. Holzkopf
Certified Internet & Digital Marketing Consultant
Tom@WSIPrositebuilder.com
www.WSIPrositebuilder.com
Office: 608-523-4255

One of the debates we hear most frequently is whether search engine marketing – both in terms of organic search engine optimization and paid search advertising – are truly more effective and efficient than other forms of marketing are. In other words, do they really give you your money's worth, or is a good ranking on Google similar to a decent ad in the Yellow Pages?

Our answer would be that search engine marketing isn't just more efficient… it's a lot more efficient. In fact, it can bring you better customers, at a lower cost, than just about any other marketing or promotional medium.

Here are just a few of the quick reasons why:

Search engine marketing allows you to catch the right people. Some types of media, like television advertisements, can reach hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of people once. But how many of those are interested in what you sell, and how much of that advertising is wasted? By limiting your messages to the people who are actively looking for them, and costing you money only when they click on your ads, the major search engines allow you to market much more efficiently than would be possible elsewhere.

Search engine marketing lets you catch them at the right time. Not only do search engines put you in front of potential customers, they only do it at a moment when they are actively looking for your solutions. No other advertising or promotional platform can help you reach buyers with such precision, which is why the return on investment you get from search engine marketing is hard to match.

Search engine marketing lets you target your message... and change it in an instant. Likewise, when you're trying to find customers through search engines, you have the option of defining customer groups as tightly as you'd like. In some cases, it might make sense to have the same offer for everyone; in others, you want your ads to change along with certain words, phrases, locations, or customer types. Search engine marketing gives you the flexibility for either.

Likewise, if you have ever tried to change your Yellow Pages description, ongoing newspaper ad, or TV spot, then you already know that shifting your message – much less testing different approaches – can be difficult. With search engine marketing, however, you can decide to take your marketing campaigns in a new direction in minutes.

Owners of all size businesses should have a search engine marketing plan that takes advantage of the tremendous opportunities available in the digital marketing environment. If you would like to sit down and discuss these opportunities, you should contact WSI since we have been helping small and medium size businesses grow through professionally developed online strategies since the mid-90's.

If you're in the Madison Wisconsin area, give us a call today at (608) 523-4255 and let's discuss these opportunities right away!

Best Regards,

Thomas J. Holzkopf
Certified Internet & Digital Marketing Consultant
Tom@WSIPrositebuilder.com
www.WSIPrositebuilder.com
Office: 608-523-4255

There are a number of reasons that otherwise successful companies don't invest in a good search engine optimization plan. Some are worried they don't have the budget, or that the market is too competitive; others might've tried it years ago, but didn't get the results they were looking for.

Regardless of the reason, however, if you haven't been actively trying to reach the best spots on Google, Yahoo, and Bing for your most important keywords, the time to get started is right now.

Why? Because having a strong search engine ranking can literally mean the difference between having thousands of new customers find out about your business every week and watching those same buyers go elsewhere. What's more, high-level SEO tools – like optimized web pages, blog posts, article and press releases, photos, videos, and other digital assets – don't just help you improve your search engine ranking, but enhance the rest of your online marketing, too, by expanding your brand visibility across the web. The more assets you optimize for the right keywords, the more virtual real estate your brand takes up across the web, and the more visible your company becomes for those keyword searches.

In order to realize these benefits for your company, though, it's important that you point your search engine optimization efforts in the right direction. Often, that means investing some of your hard-earned money in your future success.

It's understandable that so many business owners want to cut down on search engine optimization costs, but hiring one of those SEO "companies" that spam you from time to time isn't going to get the job done. You need a professional search engine optimization team, not a fly-by-night operation that's more interested in your money than your success. This is especially important when you consider that the questionable tactics that many of the low-end providers use tend to work for a few weeks or months… only to have your site permanently blacklisted by the major search engines later.

So how do you find the right search engine optimization partner? There are several ways to go about it. The first is to look for the right set of qualifications and certifications. For instance, where have they received their training? A professional SEO consultant will have attended training such as that offered by the Search Engine Academy, which teaches professional-grade SEO tactics. In addition, they should be a member of professionally recognized organizations such as SEMPO (the Search Engine Marketing Professionals Organization). Does your search engine specialist necessarily need to have those exact credentials? Maybe not, but it can help you find someone who is serious about their craft, and the future of your business.

Another way you can check out a potential SEO provider is by looking at the feedback they've received from other customers. If dozens of businesses like yours are willing to say they're happy with the service and value they’ve received, then there's a good chance you have found someone who will go the extra mile to help you bring in new business. So ask for testimonials or the address of their online customer review page. It’s not only important to find out if they have the necessary digital marketing skills and experience, it is also important to know how their customers feel about “service after the sale”.

Search engine optimization is too important to your company's online marketing success to ignore, or to trust to a firm that doesn't have the right background or experience. A high-quality search engine marketing campaign can do wonders for your bottom line, so get started with the right partner today.

Owners of all size businesses should have a search engine marketing plan that takes advantage of the tremendous opportunities available in the digital marketing environment. If you would like to sit down and discuss these opportunities, you should contact WSI since we have been helping small and medium size businesses grow through professionally developed online strategies since the mid-90's.

If you're in the Madison Wisconsin area, give us a call today at (608) 523-4255 and let's discuss these opportunities right away!

Best Regards,

Thomas J. Holzkopf
Certified Internet & Digital Marketing Consultant
Tom@WSIPrositebuilder.com
www.WSIPrositebuilder.com
Office: 608-523-4255

One  of the most fun and interesting things about business web design and online marketing is that it's a bit like fashion or art: Every once in a while, something that's been around for a long time comes back in a new form, and more effective than ever. We've already seen it in pay per click advertising, search engine marketing, and social media.

Now, the same thing is happening with barcodes... only this time, they're just a little bit different. Make no mistake, though, marketing through QR codes can be a wonderful way to attract more buyers, and more sales.

If you haven't tried QR codes before, or aren't entirely sure what they are, here's what you need to know: Although they look somewhat like traditional barcodes, QR codes are actually small images that customers can photograph or scan with their smart phones. Once they do, the QR code takes them to a specific Internet destination – one that you have specified.

In that way, QR codes bridge the gap between print advertising, mobile business web design, and online marketing. Where can QR codes be placed? There aren't many limits, since they can work almost anywhere that your customers can take a picture of them or scan them in their smart phones. That could include a billboard, your storefront window, on shelf space, on your business card and pamphlets, or in a print advertisement, to name just a few examples.

What makes QR code so exciting, however, isn't just that they can go almost anywhere, but that they can be used for almost anything. Here are just a few of the ways successful marketers have already put QR codes to use:

To offer shoppers further product info. Let's say your customer is looking around your store, and you would like them to have more information on the featured product. Simply place a QR code next to it, and they can find all the relevant details online in seconds.

To offer a coupon. Likewise, a QR code placed at the front of your retail shop, or in a print ad, could offer users an instant coupon or special web price. That's great for sales, and also allows you to track the QR code's effectiveness.

To take customers straight to online reviews. If you want shoppers to see how popular your products have been with others, simply use a QR code to show them the relevant reviews. Again, it only takes a second, and can make the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity.

To let customers compare prices. If you have the lowest prices, then don't keep it a secret. Your QR code could take visitors to a page showing your prices next to your competitors’.

To download a document. If you have the kind of product or service that can be promoted with a special report, article, flier, or other document, why not use QR code advertising to let customers access it or download it?

To sign up for something. From newsletters to events, QR codes are perfect for bringing customers to registration pages and sign-up sheets, and to your social media pages to get more “like”s, “follows”, network connections, “subscribes”, etc.

These are just a few uses for QR codes, and there are probably thousands more that exist, and thousands of new ideas currently being investigated. Their use is really just beginning to evolve.

Owners of all size businesses should have a mobile marketing plan that takes advantage of the tremendous opportunities available in the mobile technology environment. If you would like to sit down and discuss these opportunities, you should contact WSI since we have been helping small and medium size businesses grow through professionally developed mobile and online strategies for many years.

If you're in the Madison Wisconsin area, give us a call today at (608) 523-4255 and let's discuss these opportunities right away!

Best Regards,

Thomas J. Holzkopf
Certified Internet & Digital Marketing Consultant
Tom@WSIPrositebuilder.com
www.WSIPrositebuilder.com
Office: 608-523-4255

As we wrote recently, the sheer numbers of smart phones being sold – and subsequently, the numbers of people accessing the Internet through them – practically scream for business owners to launch mobile versions of their websites. But at the same time, it isn't enough to simply have a mobile version of your site online; to really profit, you need to conform to the medium.

To help you understand why and how, here are four things that we have noticed in truly great mobile business websites:

They load quickly and consistently. It shouldn't matter whether your customer has an iPhone or a Droid. Either way, they want your mobile business site to load quickly and cleanly, and without putting a huge dent in their data plan.

They have lots of easy to access calls to action. On a mobile business website, don't ask people to download a lengthy white paper or read dozens of product details. Instead, give them the choice to do things like "add to cart”, "click to call us now”, “download coupon”, “subscribe for discounts”, or “scan QR code” (more on this in our next blog post!). These are much easier to manage on a smart phone, and make more sense for customers using one.

They allow users to click through to everything. Speaking of which, the more of these actions that are available through a single click or tap of the screen, the more of them your customers will take advantage of. So, if you really want to boost the profitability of your mobile business website, then make it very easy for users to do what you're asking.

They are reduced to what's necessary. In the vast majority of cases, a mobile business website can easily be squeezed into four or five brief pages. Again, it's important to remember that your mobile customers have a limited amount of time and bandwidth at their disposal, so make sure you aren't asking them to waste either one.

Owners of all size businesses should have a mobile marketing plan that takes advantage of the tremendous opportunities available in the mobile technology environment. If you would like to sit down and discuss these opportunities, you should contact WSI since we have been helping small and medium size businesses grow through professionally developed mobile and online strategies for many years. If you're in the Madison Wisconsin area, give us a call today at (608) 523-4255 and let's discuss these opportunities right away!
Best Regards,




Thomas J. Holzkopf
Certified Internet & Digital Marketing Consultant
Tom@WSIPrositebuilder.com
www.WSIPrositebuilder.com
Office: 608-523-4255