Tips and Tricks related to marketing your business.

Your Website Could Use a Refresher

Websites are like gardens – you need to keep watering them or they wilt. Something as simple as updating the call to actions can improve conversions by as much as 90%, and most sites that are a year or more old have elements that could be improved.

If you’re not frequently checking in with your website, it could be going stale. Here’s some typical changes our clients ask for that make a huge difference in the performance of their sites…

Update your software.

1Technology moves quickly, and just like ‘dog years’, a year in internet time is a big deal. If your software is out of date, you could be a prime target for spam attacks and costly site damage. Think you have nothing to steal? You’re still at risk. Hackers are not just looking to take – they’re wanting to use. You’re currently a prime target to those looking to use your site for spam, illegal file serving, and other nasty activities. hurting your reputation and taking months to repair the damage.

A quick software update could be all you need to have a faster, safer site, free from spam attacks and malware. Let us work our magic to keep your site safe and secure.

Freshen your SEO copy.

2Google updates its algorithms more often than I have a cup of tea – in the last few years we’ve seen the birth of Google Updates ‘Panda’, ‘Penguin’, and even a scary sounding ‘Payday Loan’, to name a few. These Google changes will have affected how your site shows up when people search. If your site has not been prepped for these changes, it’s a good bet that you’ve sunk down the rankings and slipped out of sight.

If your copy is earmarked as ‘spammy’ or ‘impersonal’, you could be losing your place in the Search Engine Results Pages. Let our Content Goddess Starr spring clean your content and boost your online reputation.

Make your site responsive.

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You aren’t using the same technology that you were when your site originally launched. Internet Explorer has released 5 new versions in the last 5 years, and since 2009, mobile web browsing has grown from 1% to a third of all internet traffic. Is your site responsive and compatible with current browsers? If not, say goodbye to a large chunk of your potential leads. With a growing portion of web traffic now coming from mobile devices, it’s important to be ready.

If your site is not yet responsive, speak to us – we can do this for you.

Simplify your menu structure.

7bLong, confusing menus are so 2012. Web users are quick, and far too fickle to sift through complex menus to find what they want. We recommend 5 items or less on your main menu.

If your menu leaves visitors in a muddle, lets work together and streamline things.

Is it time for a total redesign?

3Does your website work as hard as your best employee? Could you pay someone to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to adequately and consistently sell your product? Would you rather just have more leads, more income, and less to worry about? A redesign helps you to spend less and earn more.

We work with different budgets to achieve exactly what you’re looking for. Get in touch to find out how we can help you make more sales.

Refresh and update for less.

Websites should grow with your business. Our monthly support plans allow them to do just that, at a price that works for you.

On our Silver plan ($89 a month), you not only get government-grade security and fabulous 24/7 support, but you also get an included design hour every month (this alone is worth $129). You can use this to make gradual updates as and when they’re needed.

For more included design hours, or multiple sites, try our Gold or Platinum plans. Our customers love them!

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Do you have lackluster Yelp reviews?

Your online reputation hangs in the balance.

In a recent study, 90% of frequent Yelp users said that a positive review affected their buying choices. In addition, nearly three quarters of online buyers reported that they trust online reviews ‘completely’. Your customers’ opinions control the success of your business. You no longer build the reputation of your business – your customers do.

With complex algorithms and intricate quality control, sites such as Yelp and Google are near impossible to control, so how do you make sure your business is only getting constructive reviews that boost your business? How do you turn review sites into awesome lead-generating machines?

What triggers the Yelp review filter?

Yelp HATES businesses asking for good reviews. In fact, they hate a lot of things. Here’s just some of the things that bother the Yelp filter gremlins…

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How do you keep reviews visible?

More people will complain when things go wrong than people praising when things go right. Think about it, have you ever called a waiter over to tell him the food was okay? No, but you’d let them know in a heartbeat if there was a hair on the plate. So how do you turn that customer frown upside down?

The answer

1) Proactively invite feedback.

“Feedback” is a wonderful word, as it literally means “Information about a reaction”. When used for improvement, there is no such thing as bad feedback, just constructive criticism. The real skill is to build feedback gathering into the overall process, and use it to improve, not to drive others away.

2) Make it a long term work in progress.

Set aside a few hours every month to gather feedback from customers. This could be a mailshot that is sent to a small portion of your customers every week, or a few minutes spent calling customers and catching up with them. Break it down into a long-term task, make your communications with them personal and responsive, and be ready to react.

3) Put your feet up – let OpenPotion handle it.

If you’re not making it really easy for customers to leave positive reviews, you’ll get bad ones. Instead of messing with mailing lists, phone calls, and spreadsheets of data, make it easy on yourself.

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One simple page. $29. Lots of kudos.

We’ll set up the page with your branding, and get it looking spiffing and ready for an influx of visitors. Customers who have had a positive experience get pointed to the right review platform for them, while those with more colorful things to say are encouraged to share their grievances privately and find a resolution, before it has chance to negatively impact your resolution.

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Dealing with Bad or Negative Yelp Reviews


Adam Zetterlund

 

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From large, multi-national chains to mom-and-pop storefronts on Main Street, Yelp reviews have a powerful impact on a business’ bottom line. Modern consumers rely on Yelp reviews to learn about merchants in their local area, make purchasing decisions, and choose between competing businesses. While 5-star reviews help a company stand out and build online clout, negative feedback can send a company’s online marketing efforts into a dangerous tailspin. Unfortunately, there is no magic formula to make negative reviews disappear, but business owners have several tools available to them to reduce the backlash these reviews create.

Responding to Complaints Directly

In spite of a business owner’s best intentions, customers will occasionally feel unsatisfied with the service they receive. Many customers choose to vent their frustrations on Yelp, rather than giving a business the opportunity to right the wrong. A highly-inflammatory review reflects poorly on a company’s online reputation, and it sends overall satisfaction ratings plummeting. Whenever a business owner notices a negative review on Yelp, it’s essential to launch into damage control mode.

A public response to a negative review serves two distinct purposes. Firstly, the response demonstrates a company’s commitment to customer service and proactivity. Other Yelp visitors appreciate companies who take the time to address problems and resolve customer issues. Secondly, a response helps to clarify how the customer relationship went downhill. Business owners may choose to explain themselves politely, but it’s important to keep things professional and courteous. Tossing sour grapes at negative reviewers rarely proves beneficial to companies.

Flagging Negative Reviews

While it might be tempting to immediately flag all negative reviews, the Yelp system is intended to help curb biased responses. Abusive Yelp reviews from previous employees and competitors are two prime examples of content that should be flagged. These reviews are posted exclusively with the intention of hurting the business in question. The same principle applies to purchased reviews, which are strictly forbidden by the Yelp Terms of Use. Business owners should keep an eye out for reviews of this nature, but keep flagged content to a minimum. If Yelp feels that a company is flagging too many reviews, the system may flag the company for inappropriate conduct.

Preventing Bad Reviews 

Damage control can greatly reduce the impact of a nasty review, but savvy business owners need to minimize the chances of such reviews cropping up in the first place. One simple way to maintain customer satisfaction is to immediately follow up  with clients. If the customer is unhappy, it’s much better to receive an email full of vitriol, rather than see an angry review on Yelp. To further simplify this process, consider using a tool such as GatherKudos. This powerful resource makes it possible to intercept negative reviews before they reach a service like Yelp, potentially causing massive damage to your online marketing strategy.

The importance of Yelp reviews cannot be overstated. Feedback from previous customers gives other consumers confidence in the services and products that a company has to offer. While negative reviews are an unpleasant occurrence, nearly every business owner will need to confront this challenge at some point. By developing a thoughtful strategy for resolving customer disputes via Yelp, business owners can protect their company from further damage, while simultaneously strengthening the brand’s appeal to other consumers.

The Call to Action: Why one little tweak might be all you need

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A single change, 90% more clicks.

Getting the call-to-action right is a fine art. Unbounce.com recently ran a test on one of their landing pages that offered a free 30-day trial to new users. All they did was change “You” to “My”, making the new call-to-action read “Start my free 30 day trial”. Within three weeks, they had raised their click-through rate by 90%. In another example of excellent CTA optimization, MatchOffice.com reworded the text of one of their buttons from “Order Information” to “Get Information”, and saw nearly 15% more people click it.

Easily do it on your own website.

All it takes is one simple tweak to a button, and you have a recipe for success. People respond better when they a required to put in minimal effort. Single words carry many connotations, so you need to make sure you are picking the right ones that say the right things about you.

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Get us to do it for you.

OpenPotion has been advising companies on conversion optimization techniques like this for years, and we can help you. Changes like this are quick and easy to do, and it will surprise you just how effective they are. Simply click the button below and we’ll be in contact shortly to get started.

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Pssst, a little sneaky discount for our clients.

Cut some corners and get a pretty great deal. Should you subscribe to our Silver Plan, you will benefit from an included hour of website development every month (a value of $129!) to make tweaks and touches to your website. Amazing! Here’s just some of the things you could do with that time…

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Click here to see more of our Plans and Pricing.

How to Make a Rock Star Hero Image

Starr Bryson

What is a Hero Image?

The hero image is a banner that is displayed prominently across the top of a webpage- typically the landing, or home, page- front and center. Its purpose is to present a visual overview of what your website is about and attract visitors to stay awhile. The hero image gives you a chance to show just how awesome you are.

Why is it important to have a Hero Image?

A picture is worth a thousand words. In today’s world of instant gratification and short attention spans, you want to quickly and visually give visitors an idea of what your website is all about- a sort of preview of your content.

A well made Hero Image- such as we do here at OpenPotion- will demonstrate several things in only seconds. A headline, describing your business and what you do, a sub headline telling them what they’ll get, a short video showcasing your business, and finally, a photo of a real person with an actual quote about the business.

Why is it important to use a Real Person?

Stock photos are lame. It doesn’t make your company look very honest if the same person from your hero image shows up all over the internet selling other brands.

You want to be transparent. By using a real person from y our company with the accompanying quote, you’re painting a picture of a company with real people who are approachable and down to earth. Not to mention honest.

Do I have to?

The short answer is yes, you do. The other answer is, no you don’t really have to. We can do it for you. You just provide the photos you wish to use and we’ll do the rest (for a small fee).

If you want to rock out your own hero image, please follow the guidelines below on our handy visual aid.   You’ll be a pro in no time.

 

How to Make a Hero Image Look Awesome

How to Make a Hero Image Look Awesome