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Successful websites don't set out to sell

29/10/2021

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What are websites? Are they sales tools for vendors and service providers, or are they electronic guidance for potential customers? Put simply, are you selling or are you helping?

Your answer to this question may determine the success of your website. So think carefully.

How we define what a website is all depends on which side of the fence we're on. I suspect that most - if not all - vendors and service providers would say their website is a sales tool. But this is a fundamentally flawed perspective. Adopt this position, and sooner or later you'll pay for it.
​To really understand what a website is for, we need to think about who the Internet serves. It's tempting to think cynically and argue that it serves commercial interests, but that's getting the cart before the horse. The Internet serves buyers and information seekers. That's what most people use it for.

What your visitors are really looking for is a website that helps them. 
laptop, notepad and smartphone on table
A website that helps them buy when they want to buy. Helps them understand when they want to understand. And - most importantly - a website that helps them decide when they want to decide.

If you really want to build trust, credibility, authority, and site loyalty, helping visitors is the way to go. Of course, that's not to say you have to do it for free. We're all in business to make money after all. In fact, the main aim of many of your visitors will be to buy something. But it's important that you focus on them, not on you. For example, your visitors don't want to know what you have to sell. They want to know what they can choose to buy. If your primary focus is sales, your visitors will pick up on it.
To generate revenue from our websites - either directly or indirectly - we need to build them to help our readers. Don't start by asking, 'How can I sell?'  Instead, start by asking 'How can I help?' (Even 'How can I help them buy?' is a step in the right direction.)

We need to build our websites from the ground up to be a form of online help. Think of your website as a cousin of the online help provided by Microsoft Office. (If you think of Microsoft's help as the slow-witted cousin, you're on the right track) 
woman browsing on smartphone
The key to successful online help is to always try to answer one simple question: What does the reader want to know? Do they want reference information or how-to information? Do they want to know how to get started or how to get out of trouble? 

​Sure, when you're writing for a website, the subject material is different, but the question is still the same. What does your reader want to know?

Obviously, the answer to this question will be different for everyone, but there are some common questions you can ask yourself which might help you decide:
  • Who is your audience?
  • What time of day are they most likely to be searching?
  • Are they searching from home or their workplace?
  • Are they the business owner or do they have a boss looking over their shoulder?
  • Are they relaxed or in a hurry?
  • Are they spending their money or someone else's?
  • Are they looking for something which will make their job easier?
  • Or are they looking for something which will make their job possible?
  • Are they trying to solve a problem or avoid a problem?
  • Are they looking for a budget solution or a 'best of breed' solution?
  • Are they looking for something with all the bells and whistles or something which focuses on one thing only?
  • Are they looking to buy immediately (just as soon as they know they've found what they want)?
  • Are they comfortable with internet purchases?
  • Are they the final decision makers or do they need to convince someone else as well?
  • How much do they already know about your subject material?
  • How much do they want to know?
​Whether you do some real research or just make some educated guesses, it's important that you know your visitor very well. Then, and only then, can you help them. And only when you help them will you start to realize the true sales potential of your website.

Happy writing!
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Target Practice Pro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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Stop and Go Marketing

22/10/2021

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​Stop and Go marketing and ENERGY go hand in hand. Stop and Go marketing says what it is. We go out to market for time periods and then we get busy with our work and stop marketing. Here is the problem with that. Using the example of a funnel filled with clients and business contacts, when we stop marketing the funnel becomes empty over a time period. When the clients dry up we go back to our funnel, which is empty and once again, we panic and rush out to market.
Are you familiar with the word and concept of retention? It means keeping your current clients rather than losing them and having to find new ones. It costs a company quite a bit less to keep a customer than it does to go get a new one. By marketing your business, it takes quite a bit less energy to keep the flow of contacts and clients coming through the funnel than it does to have the funnel empty only to begin again.
conversion funnel
Here is a great example of a metaphor that we experience everyday. "I was on the way to my hair appointment this month. I chose to take the side roads rather than the freeway.  I noticed with each block I had to either take my foot off the gas and slow down to yield or I had to come to a complete stop. In any case, I was using more gas to get moving again. At each stop I noticed two types of moving forward. I could either push on the gas slowly to continue or I had to peel out to beat the traffic. Either way I had to start again from a stop. Had I taken the freeway (after rush hour) my drive would have been consistent and I would have used less gas. Or, in marketing terms, less energy.

Are you marketing...
  • on the side roads or
  • the freeway?
Consistency will keep your marketing funnel filled and you will have more energy to put into your business.

​There is a perspective and a truth to a statement I heard from a successful business owner. Marketing is your job.  What you "do" is the cherry on top. What he's saying is this. When you are not out "doing" your business, you should be marketing. Keeping that focus, your funnel will be filled and you will not experience Stop and Go Marketing.
There are many other reasons we stop our marketing. Here are a few from entrepreneurs like yourself.
  • I don't know how. We can stop marketing for a while and then we think we don't know how. This reaction can stem from the next bullet point.
  • Fear. If it's been a while since we have marketed that "freezing up" syndrome can creep back in. TRUST yourself - you DO know how!
e-commerce
  • Frustration. It's not working. Have you tried something for a while and it doesn't seem to be working? That's what marketing can be - a trial and error with our services and products. After a while you will learn what works and what doesn't with each piece you offer. Once you find out what works...STICK TO IT!
  • No Time. We're working so hard and with such long hours, there is no time to get out and meet new contacts. Suggestion: Create a short block of time to address envelopes for previous clients. Put stamps on them with your return address label. Have your note cards next to your envelopes. Take a break and jot a quick handwritten note to say hello and send it off. You have continued your marketing and keeping your funnel filled.
  • I don't have a plan. Part of planning is having a plan that fits your style. Not everyone works well from Structured Plan A. You might need a more creative plan. Something fun that will keep you motivated and focused. That is the key, motivation and focus along with a plan that fits your style.
Let's summarize:
Stop and Go Marketing...
  • Drains our funnel of contacts as well as our energy.
  • Creates reactions of: I don't know, Fear, Frustration, No time, No plan

Consistent Marketing...
  • Keeps our contact funnel filled which gives us a nice flow of customers and income
  • Keeps the negative reactions away and promotes energy

Remember, we all need to market in order to have a financially successful business. It's your choice on how you want to market and what type of approach and plan will help you succeed with ease, energy and excitement.
dartboard with darts
Target Practice Pro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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7 Internet Marketing Mistakes and How To Fix Them

8/10/2021

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Here are seven simple yet POWERFUL ideas for you to reflect on. This will assist you adjust your marketing strategies...which can provide STRONG results on everything you sell.
1. You don't let people know anything about your business. They will feel more comfortable if they know who they are buying from. Publish a section called "About Us" on your website. Include your business history, profile of employees, contact information, etc.

2. You don't make people feel secure when they order. Remind people that they are ordering through a secure server. Tell them you won't sell their email address and all their information will be kept confidential.
marketing meeting
3. You don't tell people to come back and visit. Customers may not purchase the first time they visit your website. The more times they show up, the greater the chance they will buy.
​4. You don't invest in online advertising. Follow the ìFirst impression is the last impressionî rule. Your advertiser is the one who will be marketing from your side even while you are sleeping in a bed or out of vacation! Always go for economical, tested advertiser. 

5. You don't make your ad copy attractive. Your ads are not watchful. The ad does not attract your target audience. You don't list any testimonials or guarantees.
man writing on transparent board
6. You don't make your website appear professional. It should be easy to navigate through. The graphics should be related to your main theme.

7. You don't test and improve your ads before going online. You have to continually test and improve your ad copy to get the highest possible response rate.
dartboard with darts
Target Practice Pro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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SEO Tips and Strategies

1/10/2021

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Here's a list of quick, rapid-fire tips and strategies to boost your online business:
1. Choosing a Domain Name
When choosing a domain name, keep in mind to include your main keyword in the name.
If your main keyword is "Replica Watches"; then you would want a domain name like www.swiss-replica-watches.com.

2. Using the Right Keywords
Using longer keyword phrases is generally a lot easier to rank with and usually convert better. 
When performing SEO, try to optimize each page for a maximum of 5 keywords.
Search Engine Optimization
3. Title Tags
Many search engines overlook most meta-tags, but a lot still recognize the title tag. Include your most important keywords at the beginning of the title, this will increase its prominence. When optimizing the title tag, get straight to the point. Don't include stop words like "to, a, an, as, in". Search Engine Spiders overlook these words and including them really just decreases your keyword weight in the tag.

4. Description Tag
The description-tag is still in use by some search engines. Explain the page's content in one sentence. This tag still shows up in some engines, so try to make the tag read good and catch someone's eyes.
5. Keyword Tag
Many engines overlook this tag, place your 3-4 main keywords here.

6. H1, H2, H3 Tags
Break your pages up into paragraphs, using one keyword-rich H1 tag on the page preferably in the most important area of the page. Minor paragraphs should be broken up with descriptive keyword-rich H2 tags. Include some H3 tags when possible.
Internet Social Media Network
7. Internal Links
Interlink your pages using keyword-rich anchor text. To make it easy and without much sacrifice to the look of your page, you can use bread crumb navigation, like placing a link behind the keywords "SEO Services" if your website delivers digital marketing and repeating the process within the website interlinking relevant areas.

8. IMG Alt Tags
Include descriptive IMG Alt Tags whenever possible. This allows search engines to "read images" and categorize them. Please remember when someone hovers over the image this text will be displayed, so make it readable.

9. Body Area
It's a very good idea when SEO Optimizing a page to include your main keywords at the beginning and end of the body text. Try to include your keywords in this area without sounding robotic. A good SEO Strategy is to break up body text with header tags (H1, H2, H3) as explained above. The body area should contain 300- 1300 words Try to include variations of your main keyword or keyword phrases also. Writing in a natural sounding way is very important.
Dartboard with darts
Target Practice Pro is your go-to digital marketing solution for planting marketing seeds and boosting your business. Call us now or schedule a talk.
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