By Bob Speyer and Justin Delos Reyes – Web Success Team
Blogging achieved its claim to fame years ago because it gave individuals an outlet to share their personal thoughts on the web. Since then it has evolved into a valuable online marketing tool for brands in every industry. To achieve social media or web success, companies need to provide content that can be found not just by people, but by search engines as well.
The benefits of a helpful, keyword rich blog are numerous. Below are the top reasons why your business should implement a blog into its online marketing strategy.
Continue reading “Top 3 Reasons Why Your Business Should Blog” »
By Web Success Team
There are arguably three components that make up the lifeblood of a website: content, SEO, and the SEO value you get from linking, aka: link juice. Link juice is becoming more important for brands as people flock to social media to share links and other information they find. The benefit of exposing your brand through social media outlets will enable you to become more visible on search and increase your rankings on Google and the like.
Continue reading “Getting Link Juice Out of Social Media” »
By Justin Delos Reyes – Web Success Team
According to Digital Buzz Blog, over 70% of the world’s population has a mobile phone – which suggests that mobile web browsing is becoming the norm for consumers around the globe.
Have you created a mobile website that can accomplish the same goals as your traditional website? If not, or if your current mobile website isn’t helping you achieve web success, your mobile marketing strategy might need some re-tweaking. Read on to discover how to create an effective mobile website.
Continue reading “Guidelines for Creating an Effective Mobile Website” »
April 26, 2011 at 4:06 pm
By Justin Delos Reyes, Web Success Team
Facebook launched its new Send button on Monday – giving users an alternative to the popular Like button. Users who want to share content they find on the web privately with specific individuals or a select group of people, can hit the Send button instead of the Like button (which broadcasts content to all of a user’s Facebook friends).
Also this week, Facebook launched its Deals program and has positioned itself to compete with Groupon and LivingSocial. Facebook Deals is currently available in five U.S. cities (Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, San Diego, and San Francisco) and 11 companies have signed on as partners for the trial stage. The program is likely to expand to more cities and companies if users latch onto it. Both the Send button and Facebook Deals can serve as valuable marketing tools for your business. Below is information on what the Send button can do for you and a rundown of the new deals program.
Photo credit: The Cove - A Place for Imaginative Learning
Continue reading “Increase Engagement with Facebook’s New Send Button and Deals” »
April 20, 2011 at 10:10 am
By Justin Delos Reyes, Web Success Team
Day One of eMarketing Association’s “The Power of eMarketing” conference in San Francisco is in the books! There was a great turn out and we learned a lot of new things. We also met some innovative Online Marketers and made new Twitter connections. Tina Stewart, SVP of Marketing at LYRIS kicked off the event with a very informative keynote presentation. She said Washington, D.C. has the highest concentration of Twitter usage and that spending in the social media sector has grown by 53%. How amazing is that?
Panel - Managing social media at your company, policies and best practices. Moderated by J.D. Gershbein. Panelists: Bill Balderaz, Mike Lewis, Clara Shih, Stephanie Critchfield.
Continue reading “#eMSF “The Power of eMarketing” Conference Re-cap: Day 1” »
October 19, 2010 at 3:43 pm
By Alyse Speyer, Web Success Team
While the Internet is always changing, so should both your marketing and your website. That’s not to say that you should have a new website every week or month, but rather to bare in mind the need for your online business to monitor the changes within the online space and adapt accordingly. Still, redesigning or upgrading your site can be both stressful and confusing. We so badly want to do it right and to not lose whatever fan base and SEO that’s already in place. Here are a few things to consider when upgrading your website:
Continue reading “Website Redesign Tips for Maximized Results” »
September 30, 2010 at 1:12 pm
By Janette Speyer, Web Success Team
As always we are the pursuit of success for our clients. I want to share this conversation I had with my colleague Marci Rosenblum regarding the use and abuse of Social Media Platforms for branding and selling services on the web.
Janette: Is Social Media really dead? How come it’s so hard to get results.
Marci: Social Media is not good enough on it’s own. That’s why I always recommend a good website with sound SEO.
Continue reading “A conversation about the REAL WORLD of Social Media” »
By Janette Leon-Speyer, Web Success Team
When I was growing up I did not play Pac Man and I am far from being part of the “D” generation. However, working at Web Success Team has enabled me to discover all the sharing and social media platforms and among them is Foursquare.
I discovered Foursquare, last year. My colleague, Marci Rosenblum shared the link and asked me to try it out. I immediately signed up and linked it to my Twitter and Facebook accounts. I played around, added my Web Success Team as a location and forgot about it and got on with my busy life. Little did I know, I was becoming hooked on Foursquare.
Continue reading “The Politics of Social Media: Being Elected Mayor of Starbucks!” »
By Janette Leon-Speyer
Traditional ways of finding new business aren’t as effective as they use to be. In today’s business climate, being a little web savvy goes a long way. LinkedIn is the social media platform of choice for businesses and professionals and enables you to target and connect with new business prospects.
First a few facts about LinkedIn users according to Lewis Howes, author of LinkedWorking: Generating Success on the World’s Largest Professional Networking Website:
* 65 million business professionals use LinkedIn.
* It is the #1 social media marketing tool to target business professionals.
* LinkedIn allows you to export your database. You can then add your connections to your email list.
Continue reading “LinkedIn Action Plan to Reach New Business Prospects” »
March 30, 2010 at 12:09 pm
By Bob Speyer and Kristin Tomlinson, Web Success Team
Competition for donation dollars is fierce. One of the biggest dilemmas facing non-profits organizations is how to improve their charitable donations. Donating is personal and emotional. People want to give, but at the same time make sure the bulk of their funds are going to the intended recipients and not to the organization itself.
Non-profit websites need to connect with the potential donor, personalize their recipients, show how funds are being used to improve the lives of the less fortunate, and make it simple to donate money and get involved. Most importantly, the site must combine all these things in a way that’s welcoming to the organization’s potential donors and volunteers.
Here are a few effective strategies to spark involvement, educate your donors and increase donations:
Build Confidence and Trust
People are not going to want to donate if a page appears confusing and unprofessional. Building a well-designed page is key to building a trustworthy brand. When developing your page, keep it clean, to the point and design with purpose. A heavy emphasis on the visual aesthetic of your website will build legitimacy for your organization. Also a media room or “in the news” page depicting current events and media exposure builds credibility.
Protect Your Donors – Offer Security
Post a secure form of payment method so that people can donate their money with trust and reassurance. Sites that make it difficult for users to find where to make a donation or how to make a donation will not get a good response. Donors should be able to move to the actual transaction easily and securely and make a donation hassle-free.
Create a Relationship between Donor and Recipient
Establish a relationship between those giving and those in need. People will be more motivated to donate when they can feel for a person that is living without the things we take advantage of everyday. Adding a blog forms a connection, where potential donors can relate to the organization on a more intimate level. Blogs have the ability to communicate with people in a more personal way and reach a bigger market because they’re circulated within networks. Having recipients contribute their own stories is empowering.
Set a Goal to Make a Difference
Set a goal for your organization that is reachable and believable. In order to get people passionate about a cause, they have to feel as though their contribution will make an impact and get something accomplished. Donors want to know how an organization plans on helping. By establishing a mission statement with information about goals, objectives and work, donors can get a better feel for the impact an the organization can make to improve the lives of the recipients.
A Web “Success” Story
The Web Success Team is a major supporter of the Save Poor Children in Asia Organization (SCAO), which is an organization that supports orphaned children in poverty stricken Cambodia. We took on the pro bono task of redesigning their website, utilizing the strategies depicted in this article. Ever since taking over their website, we are happy to report more donors have been visiting the site and making generous donations. Donors are then thanked personally by email from Mr. Samith, the center’s director, who tells him or her how their contribution is working to improve the lives of the children.
Please feel free to visit the SCAO website to see how we structured their site. Your comments are always welcome as well as your donations!
The Web Success Team specializes in developing and marketing direct response websites that take full advantage of the latest developments on the Internet. The Team has an arsenal of effective web strategies, online marketing tools and proven customized social media techniques to promote your products and services. And we’ll show you ways to increase the amount of qualified traffic to your site.
For more tips, tools and articles of interest, become a fan of the WebSuccessTeam Facebook page and learn more about online marketing, SEO and social media. Visit us at http://www.facebook.com/WebSuccessTeam. Contact the Team today for a complimentary consultation to your web success.
