Posted by Michael Guerin on February 16, 2010 · Leave a Comment
Do you have a blog? Is blog marketing a key component to your online marketing?
If you answered yes to one (or both) of these questions, then you need to watch this video to discover some common (and costly) mistakes you might be making using your blog…
Blog Marketing Strategies
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Are You Ready to Kick-Start Your Blog Marketing Program?
Perhaps the best way to get started is to register for one of our complimentary internet marketing coaching calls.
To learn more and to sign up to claim your free 30 minute session with us, click on the link (or fill out the form in the sidebar >>>) and read the brief overview.
You can also share your thoughts here. For example…
- Do you like the new format?
- Do you prefer audio or video?
- Are these “marketing minutes” too long… too short… or just about right.
Blogs and blog websites ARE the most effective way to market your business online today.
If you don’t have a blog website set up, we can install your new blog for you. Simply follow the link to get started.
Posted by Michael Guerin on February 12, 2010 · Leave a Comment
The Most Valuable Real-Estate On Your Website Is…
Whatever is Visible Above the FOLD!
So what does “above the fold” mean?
And how will knowing this term improve your website’s “bounce rate?”
The term comes from direct response marketing when folks would send out sales letters.
As you might imagine, the “fold” referred to that part of the sales letter visible when someone opened their mail.
The point? To get your reader’s (or web visitor’s) attention.
Now, for internet marketers, the term refers to…
That part of your website visible to your web-visitor
without them scrolling down the page.
Meaning, what people immediately see on your website is the parts that CAN be seen without more effort. If you don’t get them to stop and look further you lost them.
Possible for good!
If someone has to scroll down to look at your site in order to see what you are selling, asking them to do (your call to action), or what they came to your site looking for (the reason they are at your site in the first place), then you have some work ahead of you.
We have seen many websites that have missed this point. Big-time!
Websites with HUGE Banners or Title Images.
Come on people, let’s get real here.
Your huge banner may impress the heck out of you.
It may even look real professional and good to you. And it may even deserve a few more seconds looking of attention… but if that is all you have going for you your site won’t last very long.
For example, check this out…
I had to keep the image small, but literally 70% of this website’s “above the fold” space is wasted on the header.
Let me say that again… WASTED.
Another point you want to consider is whether or not your website passes the “3 second rule.”
So what is the 3 second rule (and we don’t mean food falling on the floor)?
Which if you read about it you will come to understand what is most important to you is NOT what is important to your visitors in most cases.
Think about it. Just ask yourself these questions:
- When YOU visit a website, why did you go there?
- What are you looking for?
- What keeps you there?
- What grabs your attention
- And why?
Now apply that insight to your own website. Except, instead of being “in love” with your site, view your site AS IF you were a potential customer or client.
Be brutally honest here.
Owning a website is NOT about having a huge ego (unless you are a closet blogger, basically “blogging in the dark.”
If you are like most people we know, you are using your site to generate more leads and/or sales for your business. At least, that’s the goal, right?
Now, if you don’t think you are capable of viewing your website objectively, then have someone visit your site and answer those questions for you.
Getting honest answers will give you a better understanding of what you website is really doing for you.
Remember your website is not just there to look pretty, it has to do something for the people visiting.
Give them what they want by NOT distracting or hiding what makes your website worth the time they spent to find you. And if you do this, they will keep coming back for more…
Are You Ready for a Website X-Ray?
Perhaps the best way to get started is to register for one of our complimentary internet marketing coaching calls. To learn more and to sign up to claim your free 30 minute session with us, click on the link and read the brief overview.
Sign up instructions will be listed on the page as well.
Or you can leave a comment here with your URL and we’ll do a quick “spotlight” checking to see if you are using your “prime real estate” in the best manner possible.
And this includes…
- Using a headline
- Giving the web visitor something “actionable” to do above the fold
Let us know what you think is important on your website, leave your comments and tell us what you know is the most valuable real-estate on your home page.
And be sure to get your 30 minute consultation now because slots are filling up fast!
Posted by Robert Bronson on February 2, 2010 · Leave a Comment
You might think that it is easy to sell on the internet. Just build
your website, add some stuff and BAM… now you’re selling stuff online, right?
Wrong.
And depending on how you set up your site, you are not only wrong… you are flat broke to boot.
Ask anybody who has sold online and they will tell you that they did it on Ebay or that they just setup their website and made sales.
But I can tell you now that those are the two most unhelpful answers to selling online you will ever hear.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
What is the Difference Between a “Traditional Website” and a Blog Website?
And does it matter?
Anybody now a days can have their own website, from a 5 year old to a 95 year old. And they can all have an equal stake in the new real estate rush that started back in the 90’s.
The DOT.com Boom.
So maybe you’re asking yourself, what’s the difference between a “blog” and “traditional” website?
After all, a website is better than a blog, isn’t it?
Let me tell you something, there is a BIG difference between a “traditional” website with individual pages all hand crafted and made to order.
Then there is the Blog website platform that does most of the heavy lifting for you.
When it comes to traditional websites they take very long to make, only highly skilled individuals are capable of creating a truly marvelous website just for you.
And the price tag? Starting at $500 up to Thousands of dollars just to get your site off the ground.
It’s enough to give you sticker shock at shelling that much money for something on a computer screen. Not to mention the “time to build” factor.
To create one of these glorious hand made websites takes weeks of effort and creative sweat to concoct a vision of beauty that justifies the time and expense to give birth to such a thing.
And guess what?
You still don’t know what you can or CAN’T do, add, or modify it without it costing you an arm or a leg. That’s after its paid for in the first place.
However, there is an alternative…
It all Starts with Your Own Blog.
One website option that is easier to use, much more affordable, and ready to go right out of the box.
It’s called a Blog Site Setup.
With a Blog you have the ability to do things that a regular website struggles with, like adding new copy to your website.
Keeping track of changes so you can UNDO what went wrong. And making your website look like a whole new website in under 10 minutes flat! Just by changing the Theme.
When have you heard of someone changing their website look and feel, 10 minutes after they decided it needed to change? Hmm… Anybody?
Well I can tell you that it IS possible if your website was built on a blog setup.
You see the HARD work has already been done.
All those dynamic programs, all the features, utilities and other stuff you never want to hear about let alone learn the hard way that your website can’t even change its copy without taking days for your web developer to getting around to it.
With a Blog you can Do More in Less Time with Less Cost.
A Blog Site Setup gives you:
- A REAL website that works right out of the box, just add your domain and a hosting account [we can even do that for you!]
- A ready to go, SEO and SEM system that makes the Search Engines take notice of your site from Day 1.
- Multi-media [video, audio, etc.] friendly website, create it yourself or we can show you how.
- Unlimited Free upgrades, the blog system keeps up with changes in Internet, No more Costly code changes
- Website Traffic and Analytics installed from the start, so you know who’s looking at your site and where you can optimize for sales or attract even more visitors.
- 2 Free 60 minute Marketing Coaching Calls [a $300 value], to help you narrow down your target market and give you action steps that give you focus for long term success online.
All you need to do to get started is to sign up below.

You can read more about our blog site set up services by following the text link for more information.