Throw out out-dated information and add fresh content.
Have email addresses or staff bios changed? Do you offer more services and products or have you discontinued any?
Look over your site and save only what still supports your value to your clients, and add new content that visitors will find relevant. A blog or a “News” page is a great way to add new content on a regular basis. Not only your visitors, but search engines, will love your site for it!
Spring is right around the corner, although it seems like it’s been here for a while already in the Northeast! In anticipation of warm breezes through open windows, here is one tip to clean the cobwebs out of your web site:
Take the Blink Test. Look at a page of your web site for 5 seconds, then close your eyes. (No fair peeking!) Do you remember clearly seeing and understanding what your value proposition to your customers is? No?
People’s attention span when scaning a web page is about 5 seconds to find if there is anything of interest to them. If your business’ value is not immediately apparent to your visitors, they will move right along to another site. it’s time to clear out the “junk,” and focus on making your message focused and memorable.
I just wanted to share a link here to the Marketing Mix Blog, which this week included my February newsletter, “Go on a Date With Your Clients and Prospects” on their list of five creative Valentine’s Day newsletters. Thanks Ilise Benum and Marketing Mentor!
If you were getting ready for a first date, you would probably take a shower, splash on some cologne or spritz on perfume, brush your teeth, fix your hair and dress attractively. (If you wouldn’t do these things, you can stop reading right here, because what follows won’t help you!)
That’s great – you want to make a good first impression. But if you follow that with conversation that is all about YOU, the warm and fuzzy feeling will vanish pretty quickly. Your companion will leave feeling that you’re nothing but a conceited, egotistical person, and there will be no second date.
Last summer my mother moved from her home into an assisted living community. Since her house would be empty while it was being renovated and on the market, I needed to get vacant property insurance, plus renter’s insurance for the assisted living apartment into which my mother had moved.
I called the local insurance agency she had done business with for 18 YEARS for her home and auto, and left a message for her agent to call me back. And then I waited. And waited. And waited some more. (more…)
In early July, my mother moved from her 55+ community condo into assisted living. And since July, I’ve been preparing her condo for sale. (Do I know how to have a fun summer or what?) It was entirely re-painted, with new carpeting, all new Energy Star appliances, and shiny new plumbing fixtures installed, among other things. Finally, the condo was staged so that it looked great and was ready for it’s debut in the real estate market.
Now, what would happen if that’s where I stopped? If I didn’t let anyone know that it was for sale, didn’t market and show it? If I assumed that buyers looking for a condo for sale would just somehow find out about it? After all of the preparation and money spent making it ready, that wouldn’t make much sense, would it?
A few months ago I was reading the paper when I saw an ad for my bank offering a free iPad to any new customer who opened a checking account with them. “Wait a minute!” I thought, “I’ve been a loyal customer of this bank for years!” I’ve dutifully upped my minimum balance or signed up for direct deposit whenever their parameters for “free” checking changed. I pay bills and transfer money on-line- I’m practically an unpaid employee of theirs, doing all of the work that in-real-life tellers used to routinely handle. For all of this, I’ve been rewarded by my bank with…nothing. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Certainly never an iPad. (more…)
My husband and I recently returned from a wonderful trip to France! Neither of us is fluent in French, but as you can see from these photos, you hardly need to understand the language to comprehend the beautifully designed storefronts and displays. They show you all you need to know about what’s going on inside! However, there were times when reading and understanding French stumped us, which brings me to chicken dancing in Paris… (more…)
I was reading an article recently about managing your personal brand on-line and it referenced the Online ID Calculator. The free calculator at onlineidcalculator.com measures your “Google quotient” based on how many relevant hits your name receives in a Google search. While I have Googled myself before, I never compared how I stacked up to what would be considered “digitally distinct.”
In my previous post, I highlighted five signs it may be time to rebrand your business. However, there are times when staying the course might be the best course of all.
When might a brand makeover NOT be advisable?
Imagine the impact a compelling and powerful visual brand has on your customers. Now picture it used with your marketing collateral and your web site—all created specifically to attract and motivate your ideal clients.
I help professional service firms like yours (insurance agencies, law, accounting and engineering) bring your brand and message to life. Looking beyond the obvious for the custom solutions your business needs, I work with you to create marketing communications that resonate with your clients, prospects and partners, and support you in achieving your marketing goals.
