Jumping in to Social Media

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Have you thought about venturing into social media but don't know how to begin?  Or, are you knee-deep in social media but wondering if it's working?

Here's a refresher to set your social media in 2013 off right!

1.  Set your goals.

What are your goals for social media success?  As with any off-line marketing effort you'll want to know what you're looking to achieve in order to call the social media campaign a "success."

A great first goal is simply increased traffic to your website.  Increasing time spent on your website per visitor, blog posts read and comments on them as well as increasing social media connections are all great markers to track.

Then, decide how often you'll check in on these metrics.  When any new campaign begins, it's easy to check in daily, even hourly to see how it's progressing.  Increasing your brand's presence online is not something that is accomplished overnight.  Have fun checking in on the statistics, but don't micro-manage.  Quarterly is a great bet here.

2.  Where to?

Decide which social media platforms you'd like to utilize.  Do you know where your current customers hang out online?  Or, is there a group of prospects you'd like to approach?  If so, where can you find them online?  The answers to those questions will define the social media sites for you to spend the most time on.

Once you've decided which sites you'll be using, be sure to create a well-rounded profile.  Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Marketing should match marketing on your website
• Fill out as much "about" info as possible
• Make your brand as "personal" as you can- there are people who work there, right?

3.  Get Schooled

If a social media website is new to you, don't let that stop you.  Allow your search engine to be your guide!  Simply type in any question you have such as, "What size are profile pictures on Facebook?" or "What does # mean on Twitter?"

There are many free resources out there to get you up and running in no time!  Don't be afraid simply because something is new.

4.  Connect!

Begin making connections with friends, customers and prospects.  Ultimately, social media is social; so, post responses, interact and BE social.  Here are a few tips we've picked up along the way:

• Remember to build KLT - Know, Like, and Trust- of your brand
• Interact with others--don't simply use SM as a megaphone
• Post content your customers would find helpful most of the time
• Post content that is *sales* oriented only once a week or so
• Post a bit of lighthearted content as well (remember, to be social)

We hope 2013 will be a social media success for you!

Gift Your Website - Content is King

With all of the talk about gifts for friends and loved ones this holiday season, we'd like to remind you to spread the love to your website as well.  Each day up until Christmas we'll give you a simple idea you can implement to spread the love to your website.

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Content editing on a website is a big job.  But, if taken a small task at a time, it becomes manageable. Many of the tasks below are site-wide and will easily be changed in the CSS code of your website.  One change will modify all of the content on your website.

Colors

Be sure you're using font/background colors that are easy-to-read.  This seems obvious, but there are certainly a few offenders out there still.

Having trouble reading this text?

Don't do this to your audience.

Content 

The text on your website should not be too small that it's difficult to read.  Also, the paragraphs on the site should not be too lengthly.  A good rule of thumb is no more than 6 sentences per paragraph.  Of course there are exceptions, but it's a good general guide.

Use bulleted lists or numbered lists help to keep the content skim-able.  Content that is easy to scan is  more likely to be read in its entirety.  

Finally, be sure to add sub-headings where appropriate.  

Call to Action

Compelling content is content that asks your audience to act.  A call to action is essential to help your audience perform your desired action; whether it's subscribing to your blog, downloading a white paper, or signing up for your newsletter.

Remember that the Calls to Action that are the smallest steps forward (i.e. subscribing to a newsletter) will have a better chance at success.  Whereas a big leap forward (i.e. contact forms) are more difficult to get a potential customer to do on their first visit.

Links

Links on your website need to be working properly in order to keep your audience happy.  There is nothing worse than a broken website.  As you add links to your website you should test the links to be sure they are actively working.

In addition, many large websites subscribe to a link checking service that periodically follows all of the links on a website to ensure they are still working.  Then, any links that are broken will be sent in an email to the website owner.  This makes managing a bigger website a lot easier.

Spelling

We've all had a spelling error from time to time, but consistent spelling issues are website hangups as well.  Most browsers have a spell check integrated, now.  However, if yours does not, be sure to pass the content through a spell check before going live.

In addition, after writing content, step away from your desk for a moment or so.  Then, come back and read what you're just written once more before publishing.  Remember, your website is an extension of your brand!  Always put your best face forward.

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Stay tuned for more gift your website ideas.

Gift Your Website - Social Media Links

With all of the talk about gifts for friends and loved ones this holiday season, we'd like to remind you to spread the love to your website as well.  Each day up until Christmas we'll give you a simple idea you can implement to spread the love to your website.

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Social Media Boom

You've decided to take the plunge into social media.  Congratulations!  Or, if you're one of the few that has been too afraid to put your toe in the water, go ahead and give it a try in 2013!  

Once you've begun using social media, get the word out!  Put some small buttons with links to your social media haunting grounds.  Or, better yet, put a feed of your Twitter or Facebook updates on the sidebar of your website.  This gives your audience a taste for what they'd be missing out on if they don't follow you on social media.

Social Media Buttons

Quality Content

As a bonus "gift" we'd like to remind you of two social media rules that we try to live by as you're out there swimming in the proverbial social media water cooler:

1. Quality content is always better than quantity content.


2. Social Media is about being a gift to others; the focus shouldn't be on you.

Remember, link up your social media outlets to help your audience connect with you!

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Stay tuned for more gift your website ideas.

Gift Your Website - Size Does Matter

With all of the talk about gifts for friends and loved ones this holiday season, we'd like to remind you to spread the love to your website as well.  Each day up until Christmas we'll give you a simple idea you can implement to spread the love to your website.

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Image Sizes

We are a visual people.  A picture truly is worth a thousand words.  So, don't torture your audience by uploading original photos to your website.

Step 1- Resolution

A picture's resolution is the number of tiny dots (pixels) per inch.  The higher the resolution, the sharper the image.  This matters BIG TIME if you're printing a photo or creating a billboard.  However, computer screens are setup to display 72 pixels per inch.  No more.  

Step 2 - Size

Secondly, most photos for your website can be much smaller than the originals from a digital camera.  If you're not sure of the image size, a great way to find out is to open an existing image from your website.  Right-click the image and select "Open Image In New Window".  In many browsers, the image name and pixel dimensions will be displayed just above the address bar on your browser.

Software

If you're a pro, you may have Adobe Photoshop or Photo Elements.  If not, simply do a search for "image resizing" and you'll find a number of free and paid solutions.

There's no more excusing a website with slow load times.  Image resizing takes just a couple quick minutes when you're uploading a new image to your website.  So, do your audience a favor and take care of those pixel-heavy images.

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Stay tuned for more gift your website ideas.

Gift Your Website - Contact Details

With all of the talk about gifts for friends and loved ones this holiday season, we'd like to remind you to spread the love to your website as well.  Each day up until Christmas we'll give you a simple idea you can implement to spread the love to your website.

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Contact Info

Another quick fix is to ensure your contact information is on every page in addition to the Contact Us page of your website.  An easy way to do that is to include contact info on the footer of your website.

What should you include?

• Street address
• Phone number
• General email contact
• Hours of operation (if applicable)
• Logo 

Another great way for people to connect with you is on social media.  Be sure to include links to the various social media platforms you are active on.

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Stay tuned for more gift your website ideas.

Does My Website Suck, Part 2

At DMI Studios, we love helping people take an honest look at their site to see what, if anything, needs to be improved upon.  And we've decided to share some of the aspects we look at with you, dear reader.  Consider it an early Christmas gift!

Throughout all of these tips you'll see one common theme--the key to a great website is one that builds KLT - Know, Like, and Trust.  

Now, let's begin Part 2:

4.  Web Positioning Checkup

Being found online is key to your website's success.  What search terms are most important to you?  Armed with your list of important "keywords," take the the search engines and see exactly where you end up.  

Then, take to the search engines once more to see if any of your competitors are out-ranking you for your coveted list of keywords.  If so, be sure to add relevant content throughout your website that contains these search terms.

Finally, check out your web analytics (we'll discuss that shortly) and see how customers are actually finding you website.  The terms they are using to find you might be different than what you thought. We've discussed search engine marketing in the past.  Go ahead and get a refresher if you need to. We'll wait.

If your audience is using terms that are a bit different than you thought, it may be time to re-work some of your website's content to rank higher for those search terms.

One final note:  We mentioned Bing's "Bing It On" in the recently as well.  While the tool is used to test drive Bing vs. Google, it would also be a great place to do your keyword research.  Simply type in the term you're interested in and see where your website lands.

5.  Analytics

We mention Analytics in a bit more detail in today's post "Gift Your Website."  Simply digging into your analytics will give you a wealth of information about your current website.  Check out the Analytics blog post for more information.

6.  Local Directories

Potential customers are looking for you.  And, if you have a bricks-and-mortar business that you'd like them to find, claiming your location is essential.  Claiming a local address is easy to do and just takes a bit of your time.

Three of the top venues to check:

google.com/placesforbusinesslocal.yahoo.combing.com/local

For more detailed information on local directories, see our Local Search blog post.

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Stay tuned for more tips as we help you decide, "Does my website suck?" or, view Part 1 in this series. 

Gift Your Website - Analytics

With all of the talk about gifts for friends and loved ones this holiday season, we'd like to remind you to spread the love to your website as well.  Each day up until Christmas we'll give you a simple idea you can implement to spread the love to your website.

Analytics

The first step in improving your website in any way is to see where it's at right now.  Website analytics hold the key to really "knowing" your website.  Things like:

• How many visitors come each month?
• How are they finding my website?
• What websites link to mine?
• What search terms are they using to find me?
• What pages are they visiting most often?

The information here will paint a very clear picture of how your website is doing.  Most websites come standard with an analytics program.  If you don't have one, check out Google Analytics.  It's free and only takes a snippet of code to be added to your site to begin your analytical journey.

Warning:  Once you begin checking out your website stats, you may become addicted to the powerful data therein.

Stay tuned for more gift your website ideas.

Does My Website Suck? - Part 1

It's an honest question.  Does my website need an overhaul?  Maybe just a nip and tuck?  Or, maybe triple bypass surgery?  How do I know if my website sucks?

These are the questions plaguing many website owners and marketing professionals.  At DMI Studios, we love helping people take an honest look at their site to see what. if anything, needs to be improved upon.  And we've decided to share some of the aspects we look at with you, dear reader.  Consider it an early Christmas gift!

Throughout all of these tips you'll see one common theme--the key to a great website is one that builds KLT - Know, Like, and Trust.  Let us begin:

1.  Overall Design

This is the first place to start.  A website has precious few seconds to display trust and like-ability to an Internet user.  Sometimes, these qualitative aspects are difficult to put into words.  How do we know good design?  Here are a few jumping off points:

• Is the logo and branding properly represented here?  
• Is the color scheme pleasant to the eye?  
• Is the important navigation above the fold (no scrolling to find it)?
• Is the content easy to read?
• Could the website benefit from an evolving design (seasonal, etc)?
• Does the website use CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to ensure consistent design throughout?

2.  Usability

This would seem obvious, but a website needs to be user-friendly.  If it is difficult to use it will not be effective in generating leads for your business.  Again, this is more qualitative, but we all know easy-to-use websites versus the sites we hate to use.

• Are all pages easily accessed by navigation?
• Is there a search function?
• Is there an RSS or email signup?
• Is there a mobile version of the website to ease viewing on mobile and tablet devices?
• Do the webpages load quickly?
• If there is a checkout process, is it quick and easy to complete?

3.  Competitive Analysis

That's a fancy way of saying, you should spy on your competitors.  Sign up for their newsletters, follow them on Facebook and Twitter and check out their website!  Then, kick the tires of their website to see if there are any gems you can gain inspiration from.

• Note any pages/sections they have on their website that you don't.  Then, ask yourself why you don't have it on your website (it may not be necessary, but this is a worthy exercise).
• Note how often and how they communicate with their audience/customers.
• See where they land on Bing and Google for shared search terms.
• Investigate which social networks they are on and note their interactions there.
• Check out the Meta Title and Description they use for their website.*

*How do I learn about Metas? Simply do a search on a search engine for the company's name or products they offer.  The results on the search page display their title and description.  For example, say you make apparel for zombie-loving fans, you may want to search "zombie gifts." Then, note your competitor's listing on the search engine:

The Meta Title is the large, blue underlined text.  The Meta Description is the text in black.  Note any keywords your competitors are using that wold work for you as well.  

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Stay tuned for more tips as we help you decide, "Does my website suck?"

Branding Your Website

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If your website was a gourmet hamburger, branding would be all of the deliciousness that goes along with it:  pickles, tomato, onion, cheese, lettuce, bacon (!) and a toasty bun.  The elements are not too much and not too little, and memorable enough to keep customers coming back bite after bite.

A burger lacking these elements is like a bad memory.  The same with your website. The logo, color scheme, tone of voice, imagery and emotion of your brand need to be incorporated on your site.

The problem many clients run into is either, 1) they have very little offline branding and don't know the elements of their brand or, 2) the prior web designer neglected to incorporate these important elements and their site is underperforming.

Why are these branding elements important?  

They:

• let your audience know they're on the right website.
• create continuity between your offline, real life efforts and your web presence.
• build trust in your brand.

Okay, these elements are important.  I can see you get that.  Though I must caution you from the brink of using too much branding on your site. Note that branding is the accompaniment but you can't forget the beef!  Customers are coming to your site to learn more about you, experience your brand and/or buy your product.  A great website helps to build KLT (know, like, trust).   Remember, branding is the too-good-to-pass-up deliciousness that makes your website unique--your audience appreciates all of those elements, but they came for the beef!

What about my logo?

You're proud of your logo.  It's the culmination of blood, sweat, tears and a few hundred (maybe thousand) bucks.  We get that.  Your customers value your logo as well.  But not in the center-of-the-page, no other information is provided kind of a way.  It's more of a  2.5" x 2.5" kind of way.

There are a number of best practices for your logo's placement on your website.  Typically, logos are in the upper-left corner of each page.  Web users know to look there for a logo, and the goal is to build trust in your website.  So, put it in the upper-left; no need to get fancy.

The logo should be click-able back to your homepage--another web standard. And, the logo should be big enough to be noticed within the first few seconds a user is on your website.  You only have a precious few seconds to grab their attention and allow them to trust your site.  Don't blow it!

Remember:  Your logo is like the secret sauce.  Important and tangy, but way-too-much and it's overbearing.  We've all been there.  Don't be that guy!

It's elemental

Pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, cheese, tomato...we could go on and on about a great gourmet burger (we're from Wisconsin after all).   Just like this delectable delight, your website should incorporate all of the elements of your brand--or you may have angry (or confused) customers.  Tone of voice, color scheme, imagery and feel are all important elements of your brand.  A great website will incorporate each of them in addition to a hearty helping of meat (read: important content).

All of life is like a great burger

Alright, that statement may have gone a bit too far.  But your website *is* like a great burger.  Your site should incorporate all of the tasty elements of your brand--logo, color scheme, tone of voice, imagery and emotion, without forgetting the meaty parts.  Customers are hungry to learn more about your brand.  Don't disappoint them!

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If you're lost on the way to a gourmet website, we have affectionados that would be happy to help.  Would you like a free website review?  We'd be happy to oblige you!