Take Action Against New Google Requirements

Double Your Leads With a Business Listing on Google My Business

Whether you have a brick and mortar business, a home business, or are a consultant, you should take advantage of the benefits of Google My Business. It’s simple and fast and worth it! I have been using Google My Business for a few years and receive a lot of traffic from it!

Just follow the steps in the video as I show you how to start your directory listing as well as some cool hidden treasures!

 

Some benefits of Google My Business:

• it’s a FREE listing!
• improves search engine optimization
• helps local customers find you online and on Google Maps
• you can be found more easily by mobile user since a lot of mobile users are searching primarily for location-based queries

Watch my video to learn why:

• it’s important to CLAIM your Google My Business listing
• consistency and completeness is important across listings
• regular changes help bring you up in search results
• you should collect customer reviews (do you remember that video about social proof?)
• the brand new “Google Posts” feature is a great way to not only improve your search results, but also grab some of that precious real estate on the search results page!

Did you know that Google My Business has a messaging capability? Yes, it does! Turn it on to offer people another way to contact you directly.

Google is a hungry teenager with a appetite for content, so make sure that you reward it with fresh and accurate content.

Want to geek out on more tech tips??  Check out our Let’s Get Nerdy blogs for more!

The post Double Your Leads With a Business Listing on Google My Business appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost https://fingerprintmarketing.com/harness-power-google-business-easy-steps/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

Become an SEO ninja for your new website

The biggest fear any business has when launching a new website is that no one will see it. The whole point of a good website is to help your business stand out. This is why effective search engine optimization (SEO) is absolutely vital to the success of your new website. Whether the search is a traditional type-into-Google one or the increasingly popular voice search,  it’s imperative to be thinking proactively when designing your site. Strategically using keywords, lengthy (but not too lengthy) text on your pages, and meta-descriptions are among the key factors in maximizing SEO. The challenge in this, though, is to keep the SEO process as simple as possible while still paying attention to all the important details involved. I’m here to help you with a head start — consider it a roadmap — to SEO success. So let’s get started!

It can be really easy to get overwhelmed by all the “how to” tips for SEO that you can find online. So let’s hit some basics to keep this manageable.

The most important thing to remember with SEO optimization is that keywords are named that for a reason — they are the key to everything. So, they need to be present on each page of your site in some way, shape, or form. In fact, you should structure your entire website –all of it– around your targeted keywords. Note, though, that having too many mentions of your targeted keywords can get you a slap on the wrist from Google in the form of getting bumped down the search results list (which defeats the purpose of SEO in the first place). The answer is simple and straightforward–as you build your site, make sure your targeted keywords appear in the following ways:

• Make sure your targeted keyword appears in each page URL. This may seem obvious, but you’d be amazed at how many pages don’t do this, mainly because they don’t use keywords as a focus for their pages. Doing this puts your URL right into the crosshairs of the search bots, and they like keywords found in URLs!

• Put the keyword in the first 100 words of the text on each page and strategically use the keyword regularly throughout the text.  You certainly don’t want to force the issue, so just put in the terms where they seem to make sense in your copy. If your page design is focused on the keyword, there should be a natural “flow” to your copy that will show you quality spots for keyword placement.

• Use the keyword in the Title Tags you design. These are the big, bold-faced words that pop up in search results. Product / service specificity in these is key, again another reason why each of your pages should have a particular keyword as its focus. This may be around a specific product line or service or something similar. To narrow this down, try doing searches around combinations of the keywords you want to use and see what phrasings come up in the results. Then…
• …if one of your keywords has massive competition in search results, specify it more to help it stand out. This involves targeting exactly the best ways to describe your offerings, products, etc. Remember that the more straightforward the better.

With these keyword focus points in mind, the next step is to make sure each page of your website has enough written content–but also not too much–to ping the little Google bots that scan for you and your competitors during a word search. This, too, has a simple path to follow:

• Be sure to average about 2000 words per page on your site. Before you frown at that number for too long, remember that this is central to your success online. So give yourself the time and space to put your best into each page. By basing your copy on the keyword that is the focus of the page, you can give all the details–and keyword mentions–that are attractive to Google and will give site visitors the info they need to find you and purchase your services / products. A number of studies have proven the 2000 word threshold, so be part of that wave–this isn’t an area to “go rogue.”
• Include internal and external links in your page copy. This is an often overlooked element of website design, at least as far as SEO goes. Connecting to your own internal content like your blog or contact pages can boost your search profile, as can external links to partners and review / social media sites that have said nice things about you. The wider you cast this net, the more conversations about you that run through the search filters when they scan over you.

Lastly, make sure that the search results page, the all-important “bridge” between the searcher and your website, works to your advantage. The two above points are already vital to making sure you appear high up on the page list, but there are a couple of added points to make sure you hit:

• Give your title tags quality meta-descriptions that give enough specific information to draw the searcher to your site. Make these clear and crisp statements that aren’t too wordy–truncated descriptions on a search page won’t get as many clicks as descriptions that can be seen in their entirety. Clarity and directness are attractive to the searcher and show that you know what you are doing. Here’s an example:

• Utilize the LSI (Latent Semantic Index) at the bottom of the search results page to ensure you are using the best keyword options. This is also an often-overlooked technique to keep your keywords relevant and successful. Scroll down to the bottom of the Google results page to those two columns labeled “searches related to…” and note the keywords and phrasings used. Adjust yours accordingly, if necessary, both in your keywords and your site copy if necessary.

There’s your starter kit! If you follow the guidelines above, you will be well on your way to a successful website launch that will get you attention from the get-go. While there are a number of technical details involved in some of these steps that might frazzle your brain, those can be overcome with a little patience and –most importantly– with proven expertise from professionals in website design and marketing. I’m ready and available to help you navigate SEO and any other website challenges you may be facing, so don’t hesitate to hit me up to set an appointment.

May your business always appear at the top of everyone’s search!

The post Become an SEO ninja for your new website appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost https://fingerprintmarketing.com/become-an-seo-ninja-for-your-new-website/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

10 Tips for Better Presentations

I just got back from Philadelphia where I attended the Heroic Public Speaking Event and took away so many useful speaking tips that I want to share with you.

Even if you don’t need to speak in front of a large audience, you may need to speak in front of or teach a small group in your company. Speaking is a performance. Watch my video and learn how you can perform better and deliver a presentation that will grab your audience’s attention and hold it!

Connect On Facebook Share on Facebook

Connect on Facebook

The post 10 Tips for Better Presentations appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost https://fingerprintmarketing.com/10-tips-better-presentations/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

Website Smackdown #3… Livingupp.com

Stacy Fisher Gunn of www.livingupp.com is in the Hotseat today for Episode 3 of Website Smackdown where we review one website to showcase what’s working and where they may be loosing money on their site.

 

 

Connect On Facebook Share on Facebook

Connect on Facebook

The post Website Smackdown #3… Livingupp.com appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost https://fingerprintmarketing.com/website-smackdown-3-livingupp-com/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

Website Smackdown #2… One Smart Cookie

Website Smackdown Episode TWO…

I reviewed One Smart Cookie’s online presence to see if they are missing opportunities for more leads and clients on their website. I did a live screencast audit of this website to show you what they are doing well and where there may be some holes that are leaking money.

Find out if you suffer from similar marketing mistakes and how we can fix them. Want to have your website reviewed with a fresh set of eyes by a 25 year Marketing and Digital Design veteran? Post your link in the comments below for a chance to be featured and showcased to help you improve your online success system.

Connect On Facebook Share on Facebook

Connect on Facebook

The post Website Smackdown #2… One Smart Cookie appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost https://fingerprintmarketing.com/website-smackdown-episode-two-one-smart-cookie/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

Great Websites: Part 3 – The Services Page

 

Ultimately, your prospects want to know about what you offer and how it can help them… so tell ‘em!

The Home page of your website is just that… it’s “home”. Most of the time, it’s where you drive your website visitor traffic from paid social media ads, organic posts, e-mail series, printed marketing collateral, and even from your business card! That’s why we made such a big deal about the curbside appeal of your Home page in a previous blog post.

Next, we gave you a big blog post about your About page and what it should really be about… and it’s not just about you!

Now, it’s time to hit another highly visited page on your website… the Services page (can also be known as a Product page).

Jump Back

Before we get into specifics, let’s step back in time just a little. Remember when people went door-to-door selling everything from encyclopedias to kitchen gadgets? Well, that salesperson probably didn’t bring their entire line of products with them to the neighborhood, nor did they just sit in someone’s living room and tell about all the cool stuff their company sold.

Nope, they brought a few of their best shiny objects to show off and then opened a beautiful catalog with pictures, descriptions, prices, and a big, long order form.

Though your entire website is your “catalog”, your Services page is where you show off and describe your shiny objects — what you actually sell.

Pages with a Purpose

If your website pages are doing what they’re supposed to do, your site visitors have checked you out, know a little about you, and are ready to discover more about the products and services you offer. They want to see the different packages or options and possibly some pricing info if you choose to include that.

Your Services page takes the concepts, promises, and stories you’ve been sharing with your prospects and brings it down to the details of what THEY can choose from when they CHOOSE to do business with you! Even if you only offer customized services, spell that out on your Services page so the reader can begin to visualize themselves deciding, purchasing, and working with you.

How does this look?

1. One Services Tab with Dedicated Inside Pages If you offer multiple products and services, each needs to have a dedicated “inside” page under the services tab. This is good for your site visitors because they can get just the information they’re looking for without having to search a ridiculously long page. Inside pages are better for your SEO, too, so this strategy is a win-win!
   
2. Strong Headlines We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again — each page of your website needs a strong headline. A headline is the “ad” for the page and it’s what compels the reader to stay on that page to find out more. You will also want a sub-headline to describe your services further. Check out Fingerprint Marketing’s Services page and see for yourself how important the headline and sub-head descriptors are.
3. Sections As you decide on the design of your Services page, make sure that it’s divided into sections and each product or service has a clear title and description. Now, two things can happen in each of these sections, depending on how much you want to say. You can put the title, description, and price right there for all to see or you can make that section link to a more detailed page. This really depends on what you’re offering and how much detail is needed.Again, we’ll refer to our own Services page. What we do (help your business get qualified leads and more clients by building proven money-making websites with kick-ass brand experiences) entails lots of info so each of the sections opens up a new “inside” page with all of the details. This allows the main Services page to stay neat and tidy and allows the prospect to easily click and go right where they want to go.
   
4. Now What? You just warmed up your prospect even more by showing them what you’ve got to offer… now don’t leave them standing there all alone! What should they do next? Assuming the reader knows what action to take next can be a deadly error. Tell them what to do and where to go from here. What’s the ONE (yes, just one!) call to action they should take no matter which product or service they’re now very interested in? Should they book a consultation with you? Push a buy button? Make a phone call?  Here is the question that SHOULDN’T be rattling around in their head at the moment: “What am I supposed to do now?” Our advice: Make it so easy to do business with you that your prospect can’t help but do business with you.
5. Benefits Another thing we can’t say enough… don’t just describe your products and services, tell your reader what all of these wonderful things can do for them and how working with you will help solve the problem or pain they are experiencing. That’s why and how they found you… they’re looking for a solution to a problem, so show them the solution is right in front of them!
6. Bonus Tips
   • Think about your target audience. Are they readers? Would they rather see videos? Do they want a lot of detail or just a little? Is what you do and offer obvious or do you need to explain it a bit more?
   • Start to take notice of the Services page on websites you visit frequently and the sites of businesses you compete with. This will give you a great feel for what works and what doesn’t for your own Services page.
   • Your Services page should provide details, but be careful not to let those details become overwhelming, cumbersome, boring, time-consuming to read, or irrelevant.

Let’s make this a two-way conversation! Contact us and let’s talk more about creating your “catalog” and making it irresistible to your ideal customers and clients.

The post Great Websites: Part 3 – The Services Page appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost https://fingerprintmarketing.com/great-websites-part-3-services-page-catalog-shiny-objects/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

Website Smackdown #1… Acute Injury Care

Watch me take on Acute Injury Care’s online presence to see if they are missing opportunities for more leads and clients on their website: http://www.acuteinjurycare.com/

I’ll do a live screencast audit of this website to show you what they are doing well and where there may be some holes that are leaking money. Find out if you suffer from similar marketing mistakes and how we can fix them.

Want to have your website reviewed with a fresh set of eyes by a 25 year Marketing and Digital Design veteran? Post your link in the comments below for a chance to be featured and showcased to help you improve your online success system.

Connect On Facebook Share on Facebook

Connect on Facebook

The post Website Smackdown #1… Acute Injury Care appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost https://fingerprintmarketing.com/website-smackdown-1-acute-injury-care/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

3 Website Tips to Eclipse Your Competition

Make these three small changes to your website to help you gain an advantage over your competitors.

1. Test your website for conversion. Make sure that visitors to your site are enticed to take that next step that you want them to take: to book a consultation, to opt in for an email newsletter or to contact you for example.
2. Change your copy to shine the light on your audience. Make your website stand out by focusing on your audience. Show them how THEY win by hiring you or by buying your products. Capture their attention by adding concrete results to case studies and by asking questions such as “Are you tired of losing money on your website?”
3. Split out your big offering (break a crescent piece of the full moon!) Provide opportunities to get a foot in a door with a product or service offering at a lower price point that will allow you to build trust with your client and transition to the rest of a more complex project.

Watch the replay right here or on our Facebook page and comment with your questions!

Connect On Facebook Share on Facebook

Connect on Facebook

The post 3 Website Tips to Eclipse Your Competition appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost https://fingerprintmarketing.com/3-website-tips-eclipse-competition/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

Is Your Business Ready for Voice Search? Make It So!

Is your business ready to take full advantage of Voice Search? If not, it’s well past time for you to catch up, because Voice Search has been blowing past text searches for almost four years now! Back in 2014, a groundbreaking study by Thrive Analytics concluded that use of Personal Assistants like Apple’s Siri had doubled over the previous 12 months. This rise in use could be seen in all age demographics, with the largest in the ever-important 18 – 29 and 30 – 43 age ranges. And that was all three years ago! Today, with Cortana, Google Home and Amazon Echo now in the mix for consumers, voice searching has grown exponentially–56% of adults now use Siri, Google Now, or Cortana. This means that every business needs to maximize its ability to take advantage of voice searching in order to stay competitive. Voice-activated technology is changing how your clients find you online.

So let’s get you on board this fast-moving information train, shall we?

First, let’s make clear how voice searching differs from text searching. Believe it or not, voice searching does have distinctive differences from the basic text searches that we’ve all lost precious hours over the years typing into our favorite search engines, hoping we somehow find the results we need. We could get very technical about it all, but others have done that for us already. In short, voice searching leads to more precise and complete results because it uses more precise and complete language.

As a general rule, we speak differently than we write. This is especially true when it comes to voice vs. text searching. Say we want to find a place for excellent seafood in Seattle (and there are many choices there!). A text search into Google or some other search engine will most likely be best seafood restaurants Seattle. But using Siri or Cortana on our phones to state a more natural and complete sentence like, What is the best seafood restaurant in Seattle, will get us better results than the basic text search.

So how can you maximize voice search to work for your business?

Here are three easy changes to make to your website that will help you take advantage of the current voice search revolution (and its continued evolution):.

Write website copy with natural language speech in mind. Again, when someone types a search, they use computer language — “Seattle Lunch Deals,” for example. A voice search says “Which Seattle restaurants have the best deals for lunch?” So, make sure that in your website copy you include sentences that will match up with such spoken searches. For example, using the above spoken search sentence, have copy in your website that says things like, “if you are looking for the Seattle restaurant with the best deals for lunch, look no further than us!”

This greatly increases the possibility that your business will appear much higher on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) than it would with just a basic text search. It is well known that businesses that appear on the first SERP get much more business than those who appear on later pages. After all, we use searches to find answers quickly, so it makes sense that the first answers found will get more attention and be more likely to be used.

Try adding some relevant question keyword phrases to your keyword list, again keeping full sentences that sound natural verbally. Let’s use the generic “Joe’s Diner” for example (no offense to the real Joe’s Diners out there!):

What time does Joe’s Diner open?
Does Joe’s Diner have parking?
Does Joe’s Diner serve seafood?
Does Joe’s Diner have any lunch specials?

These full phrases, not just the obvious keywords like “open” or “parking” or “lunch specials,” will match up well with copy that says things like “we have parking available behind our building,” or “we serve seafood that will bring you back again and again.”

Write your web copy and blog posts with buyer intent in mind. If I searched for “dishwasher,” you’d have no idea whether I wanted to buy one, have one repaired, or was simply looking for images of dishwashers. In this example, we don’t know if the person searching wants to buy or is just doing research. The best way to use keywords to capture those who are looking to buy is to find ways to use what can be called “intent words” into your copy. What are “intent words?” These are ones that tell us what searchers want:

“Where” (as in “where can I find the best dishwasher?”)
“When” (“when does Joe’s Diner open on Sundays?”)
“How” (“How can I get a dishwasher delivered?”)
“What / Who” (“What store sells the best dishwashers” / “Who sells the best dishwashers”)

These are all simple and quick fixes that can help lead to significant boosts in business and in visibility (which go hand-in-hand, don’t they?). Make these changes in your website copy and all you’ll have to do is keep providing the excellent service you already do and watch your business flourish!

Good luck and good (word) hunting!

The post Is Your Business Ready for Voice Search? Make It So! appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost https://fingerprintmarketing.com/business-ready-voice-search-make/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

How Cheap Shoes and Bad Hosting are Sucking the Life Out of Your Business

When you decided to up your game by investing in a professional website that actually works for you, brings in more business (cha-ching!), and that you’re proud to show off, you made one of the most important business decisions you’ll ever make.

Now don’t blow it by using a cheap hosting service!

We could end this blog post right here because that’s the bottom line, but give us just a few more paragraphs and we’ll make our case.

It’s really easy to get sucked in with low, or even free, monthly hosting rates but, just like cheap shoes, you’re gonna get what you pay for: Low quality and no support.

 

Don’t Make it a Great Day for Hackers!

Worst of all, your website will not be secure. Everything you just did (and paid for) to upgrade your virtual space is at risk of security breaches. Trust us when we say that you don’t want to wake up to the nightmare that your site has been hacked by hackers who do nothing but sit around and hack websites that are easy to hack. Those haters love sites that make their “jobs” easy and you don’t want to be on their list of favorites.

 

Downtime = Lost Money

Though it goes without saying, we’re gonna say it… You have better things to do than try to get your website back up after a takedown. Not only is this a waste of your time and energy, you are losing money every single minute that your prospects and customers can’t find you or do business with you online.

Then there’s this: If, and only if, your cheap-o hosting company provides great customer support AND they do very frequent backups of your site AND restoring everything is part of your monthly plan, getting you up and running may only take a few hours… or days. Could be longer. Maybe not ever.

Need a couple of aspirin yet?

 

The Weakest Link

Hosting can come cheap because the hosting company crams as many websites as possible on one server. You’re in shared space. Your website might be the biggest, baddest, deluxe model on the server, but if there’s even one econo-site on that same server that doesn’t employ good security tactics, everyone else is at risk.

Your site is only as secure as the weakest site on the server. You have no control.

Let’s face it, you’re just another customer to that hosting company. They didn’t invest their time and talent in you and your business by designing, building, and implementing your new website. And you’re only paying them a teeny-weenie amount of money each month so why in the world would they go out of their way to make sure your site is secure and that your business keeps running smoothly? (We’ll stop beating around the bush… they don’t care!)

 

Want a little
one-on-one?

Struggling with how to stand out and market your business to crush your competition? Let’s make a plan.

Get Your Free Consultation

 

That’s Where We Come In

See, when you become (or became!) a client of Fingerprint Marketing, we invest in you just like you invest in us. We get to know you and will work with you to build and launch a website and marketing plan that will help your business grow to be profitable and sustainable.

Our bottom line: We care.

We care about you, we care about your business, and we care about the safety and security of your website because, really, they’re all kind of wrapped up in one another, aren’t they?

When we partner with companies like yours to take your online presence up a few (hundred) notches, we’ll ask you to commit to a minimum of 12 months of web maintenance that includes hosting with a premium hosting company. We know that 12 months may be a longer-term relationship than you’re used to but it’s how we roll. (Hey, it’s not like we’re asking for a big, fat diamond ring on the first date!)

Remember, you make an investment when you hire us, so part of your return on that investment is allowing us to ensure your site is always secure, updated, and isn’t getting hacked by those bleepin’ hackers!

 

Picture This…

You’re sound asleep and, when you wake up, you’re leaving on that well-deserved vacation you’ve been planning for months.

Oh, but no… you wake up to a hacked website. You can’t go on vacation now because you’re in recovery and restoration mode. You call your cheap-o hosting company only to find out that your cheap-o package doesn’t include restoring your site… that’s a separate fee and you haven’t been paying it. But wait… for today only, they’ll see what they can do for the low price of just $(insert the price of your vacation here)!

We don’t say this to scare you (okay, we wanna scare you just a little), but the extra few bucks you’ll spend on quality hosting each month is a nothing compared to the headache of trying to get your low-cost hosting company to get your site back up, running, and safely secured after a hack. There is no dollar amount that can be attached to the stress, strain, and a missed vacation!

 

Take Our Advice

If you’re going to subscribe to a hosting service, find out everything you can and don’t just look at the monthly price:

• Exactly what’s included in the monthly fee?
• Backups: How often are they done? How quickly can your site be recovered and restored?
• How will you be notified if there is a security breach?
• Do they have 24-hour live customer service?
• Can other websites on the shared server drag your website’s performance down? (You know how we all detest slow load times!)

We get it, you have to save a little dough wherever you can, but website hosting is NOT the place to cut corners.

Our advice? Don’t go cheap on hosting services.

And don’t tolerate cheap shoes, you’re worth so much more than that!

Chat with us — we’d love to talk more about your website security… Really. We love this stuff.

 

The post How Cheap Shoes and Bad Hosting are Sucking the Life Out of Your Business appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost https://fingerprintmarketing.com/cheap-shoes-bad-hosting-sucking-life-business/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

How Social Proof Turns Leads into Prospects on Your Website

What’s social proof?

And how can I use it on my website to increase leads and close business?

In this video, I share some tactics using the “herd mentality” to help convert visitors to your site into customers!

The herd mentality stems from the inclination that people have to follow the crowd, trends, and to generally want what other people have.

I will show you how to use testimonials, trust badges, pull quotes, endorsements and more to close more business right from your website!

Here are just some examples of social proof items that we use on our website:

Trust Badges: 

Pull quotes and testimonials:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Awards:

 

 

 

 

 

Need help integrating social proof on your website? Contact us!

 

The post How Social Proof Turns Leads into Prospects on Your Website appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost https://fingerprintmarketing.com/social-proof-turns-leads-prospects-website/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

Web design tips to stand out online!

Watch the replay of my Facebook Live session with Molly Mahoney of The Prepared Performer. We talk about how to make sure that your website stands out online, generates more leads and closes more business! Lots of great tips to help grow your business!

Learn the importance of:

• Social proof: testimonials, badges, quotes, published works, “as seen in”

 

Connect On Facebook Share on Facebook

Connect on Facebook

a

The post Web design tips to stand out online! appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost http://fingerprintmarketing.com/7409-2/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

Who’s Watching Your Website?

A new website is like a brand-new car… sexy, fast and shiny. But without regular maintenance and occasional replacement parts, it will lose its appeal and won’t work as well as it should. Your website needs maintenance too to keep working efficiently.

Here are some of the things that you need to watch out for to make sure that your website runs smoothly and looks its best:

• your website should be backed up FULLY daily. Imagine the time it would take if your website got hacked and you lost all your files.
• security updates should be kept up-to-date and tested to make sure they are working well.
• 24/7 monitoring: how will you know if your website is down?
• your website should be updated to keep up with search engine changes.
• broken links, plugins that stop working.. those are glitches that reflect badly on your business when potential clients peruse your site.

It pays off to look after your online presence. Watch my video to find out how a monthly maintenance plan package can save you TIME AND MONEY!

Have questions? Message me on Facebook! It’s the Fastest Way to Reach Me

 

The post Who’s Watching Your Website? appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost http://fingerprintmarketing.com/whos-watching-website/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

The Big Deal About ‘About’ Pages

Don’t be fooled… your About page is critical to your business. Skimp on it or skip it altogether and you’ll be handing your customers right over to your competitors!

If you look at a 100 different About pages, you’ll find 100 different designs and writing styles. Some companies use the About page to tell the very formal story of when and how the company got started, what has happened each year since, and throw around some big client names. Here’s a couple of descriptive words for that: Boring and ineffective!!

Other companies, especially start-ups who aren’t sure they make the grade yet, turn their entire life story into a sad-sack saga that reads like they’re desperate, begging for business, and can come off as a bunch of smoke and mirrors to hide their inexperience.

You also see some confused businesses use the About page of their website like it’s the “About Us”, or biography-style page – flat and unflattering design, cookie-cutter headshots, and bios that read like a bunch of blah, blah, blah. (Note: biography pages have many names: “About Us”, “Our Team”, “Who We Are” – we’ll cover this important page in the near future!)

So just what do you need to know for a well-crafted About page that will actually bring you business?

 

It’s not just “About” you!

First and foremost, you need to know what your readers want and need to know. The About page should still focus on connecting with your prospect and it’s not a place for you to be the ONLY star of the show!

 

Your About page craves attention

Your About page wants frequent attention from you – it’s not meant to be written once and then to last forever. This page should be updated often, new information added, and big wins noted.

 

Talk TO your reader… not AT them

Use a conversational writing style. This is your chance to talk to your prospects as if you were sitting in a comfy coffee shop with them. Tell them a bit about who you are, what you do, who you do it for, and how it will help them. Yes, some of this information may be scattered throughout other pages, but this is where you get to round it all up in one place.

By starting the About page with some familiar copy, it will continue to TELL and to SELL. It carries your message forward and becomes captivating because it’s humanizing your product or service. Describe to your readers WHAT great stuff you can do and how it’s going to help them.

 

Get Creative

Tell Your Unique Story: The About page is probably NOT the first page of your website that visitors will look at, but it is one of the most frequently visited pages once you’ve compelled them to spend some time on your site. When you use links to the About page from other pages on your site (and you should!), the page should continue to tell the story that you’ve already been building. (Don’t know what your unique story is? We can help!)

 

Don’t make your readers yawn

It’s a major thought disruptor for readers to go from pages that are beautifully descriptive and designed to an About page that is stale, sounds like a corporate annual report, and says nothing real about you and says nothing at all about them! This page is where you get to shine and set yourself apart from your competitors so don’t ever underestimate the power of your About page.

 

Hello, my name is ________

Tell them who you are… your actual name. You may not have mentioned it anywhere else on your site but it needs to be here. You wouldn’t introduce yourself and shake hands at a live networking event and not give your name, would you?

Don’t just tell ‘em, show ‘em
Do include photos. Let your prospects see you as human and allow them to match up the face and the name. This is not the time for corporate headshots and selfies are an absolute no-no! Be super cautious about using stock photos – your competitors may have used the same ones! Do invest in professional photography, it’s worth it!

 

Get Real

Use a little humor if it fits and will be clearly understood (i.e., no private jokes). Never ever talk politics, religion, use sexual innuendo, or include other controversial topics unless that’s your line of business or you’re okay with losing business because of it (some people are okay with it and hey, if it works for them, no problem).

 

Lead them on

Include links to your social media and blogs. Make your contact details clear. Lead them where you want them to go next and make it very easy for them to get there.

 

They’re just not THAT into you

Remember, as important as the About page is, it’s only kind of about you. It still needs to be directed to your prospect. Yes, they want to get to know you, but what they really want is to get to know if you’re the right one to solve their problem by delivering on what you’re promising.

Let’s connect and chat more about About pages. This is the stuff we dream about at night!

 
 

The post The Big Deal About ‘About’ Pages appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost http://fingerprintmarketing.com/big-deal-pages/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

What are Google Ranking Signals and Why Should I Care?

Find Out the Top 4 Google Ranking Signals to Focus on for Increasing your Organic Search Results for your Website…

…o​​​ut of 200 signals!

In this short video you will discover the 4 signals that I recommend you focus on to maximise how you and your business can be found in search engines.​

It’s sunny outside. There are BEACHES out there! Save yourself hours of research and watch my video!

 

Have questions? Message me on Facebook! It’s the Fastest Way to Reach Me

 

The post What are Google Ranking Signals and Why Should I Care? appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost http://fingerprintmarketing.com/google-ranking-signals-care/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

Find out what you can discover with our FREE SEO Audit

 

Search Engine Optimization is a great method to reach out to your ideal clients, and meet them in the purchase process whilst they’re on the search engine looking for the business who will be able to fulfill their needs. 

Get your marketing message in front of those consumers and in return get a great conversion rate!

If potential clients cannot find you, they cannot do business with you!

Instead, they will buy from your competition who made it on the first page of Google search results.

Request your FREE SEO audit by filling out our Discovery form and we’ll deliver your 10 minute video screencast within 48 hours. Find out how YOUR business could benefit from SEO analysis.

Watch the video that we prepared for Tempress Technologies, and see the benefits of the Search Engine Optimization service we offer.
 

The post Find out what you can discover with our FREE SEO Audit appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost http://fingerprintmarketing.com/help-potential-clients-find/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

Is it important for my business to engage in a Facebook Messenger campaign?

Curious about Facebook Messenger and Chatbots?

Is it really important for my business to engage in a Messenger campaign?

What’s the best way?

I answer these questions and more….

 

Have questions? Message me on Facebook! It’s the Fastest Way to Reach Me

 

The post Is it important for my business to engage in a Facebook Messenger campaign? appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost http://fingerprintmarketing.com/important-business-engage-facebook-messenger-campaign/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

How Much Does a Website REALLY Cost?

Being masters at building incredible websites that catapult businesses into the stratosphere, we are often asked “How much does a website cost?”

This question is also one of the most highly searched on the internet. From the solopreneur to major, worldwide companies — everyone wants to know what they’re going to have to pay for a good website.

This seemingly simple question isn’t always answered easily.

There’s so much more we need to know about your business before we can provide an accurate quote to design, create, and launch a website that will be one of the best investments you ever make and one of your greatest assets.

Because we get that question so often and we know there’s no one simple answer, a few weeks ago we posted a fun little blog post about it. You can link to it at the bottom of this post.

In that blog, we talked all about the value of a good website and what it can do for your business. We mentioned the fact that anywhere from 50 to 90% of potential customers will check you out online BEFORE they visit your business. We also made an obvious point that if you do business online, the power of a powerful website is well, powerfully obvious…!

We did quote a price range in actual dollars, albeit very vaguely. We didn’t want to scare anyone away with numbers like $5,000-$50,000.

Most importantly, we spelled out WHY a website costs what it costs. Many people don’t understand this. WIth so many “do it yourself” website builders out there, a lot of folks think that a professional just uses one of those applications and charges more for it. (Cringe)

 

What does it take to develop a quality website that makes you money?

There is so much that goes into a website and every detail must be considered in advance. From the initial plan to the launch and beyond, a website that is going to help you attract more customers, grow your business, and make you more money needs highly knowledgeable people and cutting-edge technology.

Here is just a short list to help you see what happens here at Fingerprint Marketing when we start doing what we do for a new client:

• Get to know the business
• Research, research, research
• Who is this for?
• What’s to be included?
• Content inventory
• Migration
• Preliminary design
• Content strategy
• Site mapping
• SEO research
• Wireframing
• Prototyping
• Visual inventories
• User interface design
• CMS development
• Database setup
• Website development
• Copywriting
• Content strategy
• QA testing
• Device testing
• Site optimization
• Site maintenance
• Digital analytics
• Analysis and testing
• Social media strategy and marketing
• Email marketing
  

 

In addition, all of our websites are mobile-friendly (responsive) and come with a content management system (CMS) so that you can update content yourself after the launch.

Now, this list excites us beyond belief but if it causes you to have a panic attack, contact us!

 

Oh, so you really DO want to know how much a website costs!

As it turns out, our readers really do want to know how much a website costs… so, here we are with another blog post on the topic and, this time, you’re going to see some more defined price ranges and the incredible results for two actual, bona fide clients that Fingerprint Marketing works with.

• Professional Brochure Style – $8-10K
• Informational (medium sized) – $8-10K
• Larger sites with robust features such as large ecommerce or private membership management/sign-ups – $15K-25K

Our prices include strategy, three original design concepts, programming, testing, and client training

The size of the site and the add-ons are what determines the cost so your new website can be just as flexible as you are. The customizations are endless so it all depends on what your business needs and wants.

A good agency will spell out each feature as a line item in the quote so that you can make the final decision of what to keep and what ideas to scrap.

 

Client Success

Check out these clients and discover what happened when they decided a new website was no longer an option for their business.

 

GFS Events

Before launching a completely rebuilt and redesigned website, this amazing company was losing out on some HUGE events because of how they looked online — their business looked small and big clients didn’t think they could handle events for hundreds of people.

Once their new “we can handle the big stuff” website launched, they contracted their biggest client ever — an event with 1700 attendees!

(This is where we should mention again that a website is an investment. You can expect to get a return on that investment when it’s done right!)

 

Kenmore Aero Services

Newly established at Boeing Field, Kenmore wasn’t getting the business their competitors were. Their website looked outdated and like they weren’t keeping up with technology. They knew what they needed and this go-get-’em company went out to find it (and they found us!)

Fast forward to a fresh, modern new site with high curb appeal and real-time information and Kenmore is killin’ it!

Not only have they kicked their competitors off the block, they’re enjoying rave reviews and are now positioned to win a huge contract this year.

 

Music to our ears

Seeing companies like GFS Events and Kenmore Aero Services gain an immediate competitive advantage just by taking the leap to a new and improved website is music to this digital design studio’s ears!

See, these companies get it. They understand the cost, value, opportunity cost, and ROI of a powerful website and they knew this is exactly what they needed in order to excel.

We love to work with clients who get it. Let’s work together and see what we can do to help you achieve great things!

P.S. Pia here… should you want to humor me and read the first goofy post I wrote about website costs, you can find it here. Oh and hey, if you like our posts, leave me a comment below. Thanks!

The post How Much Does a Website REALLY Cost? appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost http://fingerprintmarketing.com/much-website-really-cost/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

Want to rank better on Google? Watch this.

Watch the SEO Audit that we did for PT Pro, and see the benefits of the Search Engine Optimization service we offer.

Our FREE SEO audit of your website will show you how you currently rank on Google, how your competition ranks, AND identify where there are missed opportunities to rank better with the keywords that you want to be found for.

To request your FREE SEO Audit, fill out our Discovery form and we’ll deliver your 10 minute video screencast within 48 hours.

The post Want to rank better on Google? Watch this. appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost http://fingerprintmarketing.com/want-rank-better-google-watch/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

Pia’s 5 BIGGEST Takeaways from Social Media Marketing World 2017

Watch the slideshow for even more nuggets of information that you should know about social media in 2017!

In the meantime, the 5 main takeaways are:

1. Stop focusing on creating social media experiences, and start focusing on creating the real life experiences that are so remarkable that your clients HAVE to share them on social media.
2. Facebook Messenger is the new frontier.
3. Facebook Live helps you break through the algorithm with engagement
4. Email is NOT dead… I repeat…NOT dead.
5. When you shine the light on others, the light shines on you.

The post Pia’s 5 BIGGEST Takeaways from Social Media Marketing World 2017 appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost http://fingerprintmarketing.com/pias-5-biggest-takeaways-social-media-marketing-world-2017/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

Can You Put a Price on Privacy?

Do you mind if your Internet Service Provider sells your search history so that advertisers can see what you do on your computer and then target you with specific ads?

If you do mind, keep reading!

Can You Put a Price on Privacy?

Internet users have always had to carefully balance access and privacy. Websites like Facebook, for instance, gather data about their users and sell this to companies who wish to perform highly targeted advertising. It’s why, after you’ve been discussing vacation plans with your Facebook friends, you’ll begin seeing ads for getaways in your Facebook feed. Most people have at least grudgingly agreed to this arrangement — you get free use of these sites in exchange for the data that you share.

Different sites have different guidelines and if you take the time to read the very small print before you hit the “I agree with these terms and conditions” button, you get to have some control over who sees what you do online.

However, a new vote from Congress will mean far less choice in how much of your data is shared and where. Under a recently approved bill, internet service providers (ISPs) will be able to sell your personalized browsing history without your permission or knowledge.

 

 

Historically, the FCC has been very protective of consumer data. Information shared over telephone calls, for instance, was considered the property of the consumer and not the carrier.

Under the Obama administration, work was done to extend this sort of protection to consumers’ internet browsing data. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) drafted rules that would give consumers control over how much of their data ISPs could share.

ISPs would have to ask for explicit permission to share sensitive information such as health or financial details before it could be shared or sold. These protections, passed in October 2016, had not yet gone into effect.

The House, however, quietly passed a bill that would roll back those protections. Under the new law, ISPs would be able to gather information about your browsing habits and sell it. Additionally, the FCC would be banned from making new rules in the future about consumers’ internet privacy.

The Senate approved the bill in mid-March and votes were divided on party lines. Now that the bill has also moved through the House, the only thing standing between us and that new bill is a signature from President Trump. Experts expect that Trump will sign this bill into law.

The bill is a major gift to ISPs who have argued that current rules put them at a disadvantage compared to providers like Google or Facebook. Unlike ISPs, which are regulated by the FCC, companies like Google and Facebook are regulated by the Federal Trade Commission and have looser requirements.

 

What Changes Under the New Law?

ISPs will now be able to gather and share or sell information about you and your browsing habits. These, in turn, can be used by advertisers to put more targeted ads in front of you during your surfing sessions. Third party networks that currently collect your data also have rules about how it can be used. Facebook, for instance, collects a great deal of data that is made available to those who advertise on their network. However, since they want those advertisers to buy ads on Facebook, they may limit how the data that they sell can be used.

ISPs may use data in the same way. They will offer this browsing info to businesses who want to use it to target ads to you based on your interests as expressed in your search history. ISPs gather huge amounts of information about their users; individuals use the internet to look at their banking and investment statements, results from medical tests and more.

This information will no longer be safeguarded.

Additionally, the FCC, under Trump, has rolled back a requirement that ISPs put “reasonable measures” into place to protect confidential data obtained from their clients. After AT&T was fined for loose security that allowed their employees to steal and sell private information about hundreds of thousands of clients, this is a real risk.

 

How Can You Safeguard Your Data?

In most cases, you will not be able to opt out unless you choose an ISP that chooses not to gather and sell data. Most areas have monopolies, which means finding another ISP will not be an option for most consumers.

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are an option in some cases. These tools mask your IP address, which can help cut down tracking on the part of your ISP. However, some websites may not work correctly when a VPN is in place.

You can choose financial and medical services that encrypt your information. You can also use encryption tools on email to allow less information to be plainly shared.

To protect yourself from the behavioral advertising that currently tracks your moves on third-party websites, look for indications that you are seeing behavioral ads; most, for instance, will have a small “i” in a triangle at the corner when they are served up. Click the icon to opt out.

Finally, let your representatives know how you feel about your online privacy and your browsing data being sold by your ISP. By making your voice heard, you can change minds and affect laws and continue to enjoy the privacy you expect online.

The post Can You Put a Price on Privacy? appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost http://fingerprintmarketing.com/can-put-price-privacy/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/

What Your Website MUST Have to be a Valuable Asset to Your Business [Part 1: The Homepage]

If you’ve ever visited a website that was so visually overstimulating that you instantly felt the need to escape it, you’re not alone… and if you’re a business owner with a website, it’s time to take a hard look at your own piece of virtual real estate and make sure you’re not serving up a dish of hot mess to your site visitors.

Welcome to the first in a series of posts where we’re going to share some of our biggest secrets to getting your website found, keeping your visitors interested, and turning looky-loos into loyal customers.

 

 

The Good Ol’ Days

We all know that the internet has changed the way we do business. We can no longer expect that our customers are so loyal to us that they would never even think of doing business anywhere else.

Also gone is the decade where a one-page website with a little info meant you were solid in cyberspace.

Times have changed — have you changed with the times?

 

What We Want

It’s common knowledge that IF a potential customer can find your website, that you only have a few seconds to “wow” them or they’re outta there.

We want so badly to make a good impression and to let our website viewers know everything we do, how we do it, why we do it, how much we want to do it for them, why they need to hire us to do it, and how to contact us so we can start doing it, that we might just be giving them too much information. Worse yet — giving them the WRONG information.

And that’s just the homepage!

 

What Our Customers Want

Neat, tidy, attractive, informative, secure, easy to read, simple to navigate.

That’s a pretty short list — sounds manageable, doesn’t it?

True – the list is pretty short. And yes, very manageable — IF you know what your homepage needs to keep your site visitors interested and interactive.

 

Fashion Faux-Pas

There are fads in website design just like there are in fashion, furniture, and facial hair. If your website is stuck in the 2000s, your competitors are going to eat you alive.

And in this day and age, it’s about so much more than just design — you must consider the content. What is on each page of your website and is it serving its intended purpose?

Let’s take a look at what should be on your homepage so that you can attract your ideal customers who want to come back to do business with you again and again — all while ignoring your competition.

 

Homepage Essentials

Just like the importance of curbside appeal when selling a house, your homepage is where your visitors are going to decide to stop and look inside or just keep driving by.

 

Who You Are, What You Do, and Who You Do it For

The best way to capture the undivided attention of a website visitor is to quickly speak directly to them about what is already on their mind.

Your company name, logo, what you do, and who you serve should be the first thing they see so they instantly connect your business to what they are looking for. Let them know they are in the right place to get their problem solved, their needs met, or their desires satisfied.

 

 

 

The top of your homepage should be a LITTLE about you and a LOT about them.

Design matters here: Make sure your colors, style, branding elements, and info is clear and what will be used consistently throughout the site. They see it here, they’ll see it there, they will see it everywhere… so make it good.

Words are important, too. Remember, this is critical curb appeal so keep the word count low, the value high, and the read easy. PRO TIP: Even your most educated, affluent, or sophisticated site visitors appreciate a quick and easy read.

 

Let Them Get More Info

Invite your viewers to opt in (sign up) for something that is very valuable to them in exchange for sharing their e-mail address. Then, keep your promise — send them good stuff: reports, videos, e-mails… whatever. Capturing these leads gives you the opportunity to continue to communicate with them so they will come to know, like, and trust you.

 

 

Video and Images

Some like it, some don’t. There are people who prefer to watch and listen while others would much rather read it for themselves.

Video is a powerful way to deliver information and compel people to take action. If you use it (and we encourage you to!), be sure to include good copy (words) to describe what the video is about and then some highlights from the video (not a full transcript). Adding the copy will keep the attention of someone even if they choose not to watch the video.

Select your images very carefully. Avoid stock photos — you never know where else your site visitors have seen them (and what they were representing). Even a couple of high-quality images will go much further for your business that dull, boring stock images.

Remember that people process information differently so include a little of everything so you can appeal to a wider audience.

 

Your Story

Consumers aren’t just looking for the lowest price on a product or service. They might think they are at first, but what will really get them to connect is to form a relationship with YOU and your business. They will buy into WHY you do what you do, not just the “thing” that you sell.

It’s this simple: Details tell, stories sell.

Even if you have an “About” page on your site, tell a bit of your story on the homepage to let your site visitors get to know you. It’s important to them… and it’s important to your business.

No, you don’t have to tell everything about you and your life — this is about how and why you do what you do. What got you into this business. What is your own story of transformation?

This part of your story can be mixed with your credibility builders.

 

Make It Easy For Them

Make it so easy for this person to do business with you, that they’ll take immediate action. Be clear about what your site viewer needs to do to call you, come in, order, find out more, get questions answered, etc. Answer the questions before they even pop into the viewer’s mind. This will keep things simple for them and also hold their objections down. Don’t depend on a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page to answer all of their questions — the most pressing info and questions should be provided or pre-answered on your homepage.

 

Content and Copywriting

There’s a difference between content and copywriting (check out this blog post on the subject) but for now, we’ll just say this about that… Content serves to inform, educate, entertain, and build relationships. The purpose of genuine copy (copywriting) is to compel someone to take action. That action might be to sign up to get your free newsletter or it could be for them to press a button and spend thousands of dollars.

On your homepage, be sure to use some of both. Provide value and build relationships with good content (something that will really help the site visitor) and also use great copywriting that will compel them to do the next thing, whatever that is, so that they are taking a step in the right direction to get their problem or pain point solved.

If you have a blog page (and you should!), you can have starter content for a new blog on your homepage and then link to the blog page to access the rest of the article and see other blog posts. Post blogs regularly — don’t let your readers see that the latest post is from 2013, this makes you very out-of-style! PRO TIP: Don’t add dates to your blogs.

 

Build Your Credibility and Social Proof

Tell your visitors why you are the expert. What is your education, training, and experience? Why should they listen to you? How have you helped other people? Remember, this is the homepage, though, and you want to keep it brief and relevant. You can add these credibility points in with the homepage portion of your story and put more details on your “About” page.

People are inherently skeptical and will believe what other people say about you before they will believe what you say about yourself (you are trying to sell them something!)

Having a couple of testimonials on your homepage is a great way to have satisfied customers speak on your behalf. If you don’t have testimonials yet, start gathering them and use them throughout your site. Even if you have a dedicated testimonials page, it’s good to have them sprinkled around so your visitors see them even without visiting that specific page.

 

 

Navigation

We can’t say it enough. Your website should be clean and simple, even if you go with high design and even if you run a very complex business. Clutter is just that… clutter.

Be sure to include a menu on your homepage where your website viewers can easily click to get to other pages and information. Make it easy for them to get back to another page.

Include your social media links and invite them to meet you there. Don’t worry if you don’t have 10 social media networks going — whatever you do, do it well and post on it frequently.

 

You May Only Have One Chance

Overall, keep in mind that your homepage may be the ONLY chance you have to connect with a website visitor. It’s always good to gather feedback on your website from your customers so don’t be afraid to ask them to fill out a quick survey or provide comments. You may have looked at your own site so many times that you’re no longer seeing the clutter so you MUST look at it through the eyes of your ideal customers.

Need a little help with your homepage? Contact us — we would love to meet you and show you how we can help you do better business with a better website!

 

The post What Your Website MUST Have to be a Valuable Asset to Your Business [Part 1: The Homepage] appeared first on Fingerprint Marketing.

Repost http://fingerprintmarketing.com/website-must-valuable-asset-business-part-1-homepage/ fingerprintmarketing</>http://fingerprintmarketing.com/