In order to get the maximum effect from your website, it needs to be search-engine friendly. So search engine optimization (SEO) is very important. When you type a word or phrase in a search engine, it scours the web to find sites with relevant content. Sites the search engine considers the most relevant – the one’s with content related to the search term – are listed at the top.

Notice how the emphasis in SEO is content and not graphics or flash. If you wanted your site to be an SEO shrine, you’d have a bunch of pages with only relevant phrases and words. Sure, that site would rank high, but the bounce rate would be outrageous. That’s why you need a balance between good design and relevant, keyword-heavy content with SEO writing.

Using keywords and keyword phrases is probably the most effective way to maximize SEO. The more keywords you use, the more search engines will recognize your site as relevant and you’ll be ranked higher. Another thing that increases SEO is link building; this not only builds traffic to your site (inbound links), it helps you make friends (outbound links) with relevant content. If they like your work, they’re most likely to link back to you.

Maximizing activity to your site can seem pretty daunting. Just keep in mind what’s most important – relevant content and links – and you’ll be slowly crawling to the top of those search results.

Do you find yourself or your staff spending large chunks of time developing programs and campaigns, delivering them across an assortment of online marketing platforms and then wondering if they had any impact?  You are not alone.

Your online marketing efforts shouldn’t leave you scratching your head, they in most EVERY case should be measured….regardless of the type.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) -

Determining the return from SEO effort requires setting clear goals at the outset.  For example, let’s you want to get on Page 1 of Google for the terms “Commercial Locks Chicago.”  You’ll need to have a clear idea of how more traffic your targeted search engine position will bring to your website and factor in the conversion rate your site generates to determine if it’s worth the cost.

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) -

Measuring the return on PPC is relatively simple.  Using Google Analytics you can easily set-up conversion tracking which lets you see how many actions such as a online sale or inquiry have come as a direct result of your PPC campaign.

Email Marketing –

Most email marketing platforms such as Constant Contact and MailChimp have a good analytics function to allow you to track your returns, opens, and what information has been passed along.  To determine the ROI you would compare the cost of email service, writing, designing, and sending the email to determine if you’ve made a good return.

Social Media -

A lot depends on the reasons you’re using social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter for your business.  If you’re looking to generate online sales or inquiries then it’s easy to track the ROI.  Using Google Analytics is a good way to help you see the impact your social media presence is having as you can get information on how many visitors have found you via Twitter and Facebook as well as how long they stayed on your website.  Be sure to also factor in the time you spend on writing and monitoring your social community.

Many businesses invest hundreds if not thousands of dollars into their websites, hoping that it will generate sales and leads. Far too often, pros in Search Engine Marketing come across websites that, plain and simple, are not conducive to maximizing their business goals. Here are some quick tips to help enhance your user experience that should result in an increase in conversions.

1. Calls To Action — Sites that lack calls to action tend to receive a lower conversion rate than ones that plaster their website directing searchers to actions. It could be as simple as adding buttons that say, “Sign Up Now,” “Request Info,” etc. From our experience when these simple additions make it on to webpages the conversion rate dramatically increases. Searchers need to be “told” what to do, or you risk losing that sale or lead and your visitor will bounce off your site.
2. Forms — If your goal is to increase leads, it is a good idea to have a simple form on every page. When a form is on every page it increases your chances of capturing your visitor. You want to make it very easy for people to contact you without having to search the whole website.
3. Make your site “sticky” — It is one thing to have an attractive site, but you also need to make sure that your site is sticky. The longer you can keep a visitor on your website, the better your chances of having your visitor complete your goal. When evaluating whether or not your site is sticky, first take a look at your analytics. Analyze the “top content” pages to identify entry and exit pages. Another way to increase site stickiness is to provide a summary of the topic and have the visitor click on a link to “learn more” or to add a call to action at the end of the your summary.
4. Content — Yes, content is still king, but you need to separate content on your main site vs the content you would include on a landing page. Landing pages should provide enough information to get your point across, but shouldn’t be a novel. When people are looking for answers, they want instant answers that they can get from a glance. Bullet points are especially helpful for landing pages. Just make sure you don’t forget your calls to action and forms!
5. Fix Dead Links — You may not be aware of dead links but fix these issues ASAP. Dead links can make your website look unreliable and unprofessional. Regularly check on your website on your own to catch these sandtraps. The last thing you want is a malfunctioning “submit” button.

With a little time and some quick fixes, you should be able to increase sales and leads.