Define your Purpose & Audience

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 18:45:43 +0000

Who is your audience and what do they want/need?

Asking those questions are fundamental to a successful website. Think about who your audience is and design the site for your audience. Determine what your audience would most want and/or need from your Website. The most important thing on your site is the information/content – it should be easy to read and understand – “bells and whistles” should be minimized.

Here is a great example of putting this in action… http://williamscopywriting.ca/

Helen and I met last summer to chat about her website. Her old site was ok, but her message was a little fuzzy, and her audience was… hhhmmm…. well, everyone. Plus, she offered photography services to go along with her copywriting. I told her she would be better off offering one service, and being clear on what exactly those services were. One last touch that I suggested was to strip the site down to just copy. I told her to use text formattting to “design the site”. After defining it’s purpose and audience, she now has a website that hits the mark!

(note: I actually did not build Helen’s website in the end…but happened to stumble across it the other day. Well done Helen… I love it!)

What makes a great business website?

admin — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:25:35 +0000

Beauty is only skin deep… especially when it comes to websites. Judging a website by its “looks” alone, is kinda like judging the quality of a cake based on how good it looks. The proof is in the eating… whether its my favourite chocolate cake or a website.

Here is a great article on
10 things that every Small Business Website must have to succeed

Why is your site not showing up in Google Places?

admin — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 19:53:56 +0000

So, your Places page is setup, but when you do a search, it doesn’t show up in the results. Why?

Google ranks a Place on a number of factors:

Time in business
Time since the Places record was claimed
Quality and rank of the website,
Number of times a business is mentioned on the internet
Quality of those mentions.

So, it your site is not showing up, we need to do some work in the areas that you can control.. namely, mentions on the web. Everything else, just takes time.

Getting found locally on Google

admin — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 21:10:56 +0000

If you want to show up in Google, and your only concerned about local traffic, here is a great tip. Put the name of your city in the title tag. A title tag is the ”name” of the web page you are viewing. You can see it at the top of your browser window. The name of this page is “Getting found locally in Google by using your city name” People doing a search will often put the name of the city along with the service they are looking for.

For example, I am based in Langley, BC. So, if you look at my title tag, you will see “Website Design in Langley”. Potential clients living in Langley will often put the city in to narrow the search. I am on the first page of Google for those keywords.

Also, its a good idea to put the province in as well as your potential clients will sometimes put in “Website Design in Langley, BC”. Hope this gets you to the top of Google!

Oops… Closed, says Google, but shops’ sign says “OPEN”

admin — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 18:07:07 +0000

Never heard of this till now. A coffee shop in Kansas missed out on potentially hundreds of customers when their Google Places listing stated they were CLOSED. Problem… they were open, and had no idea it was happening. I will have to keep an eye out for this when it comes to my own clients…yikes!

To read the full story…check it out here in this New York Times article

Can you get my business on first page of Google?

admin — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 17:17:29 +0000

One of the first questions a client will ask me is… “Can you get me on the first page of Google?”. My response is…”Absolutely!” But, and its a BIG But… it all depends on what keywords you want to be found with and how much money you want to pay.

For instance… if you are a divorce lawyer, and awant to be found on the first page of google for “Divorce Lawyer”… good luck. First, its a VERY popular search phrase, with lots of competition. Second, its a very lucrative industry, with lawyers willing to pay lots of money to be on the first page. Thankfully, for a typical small business in the Lower Mainland, it’s a different story. Your competition isnt as fierce.

At Fuze, we have a two prong strategy for getting our clients at or near the top of search engine rankings… SEO & PPC. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and PPC (PayPer Click) play different roles in your online marketing strategy. We always recommend using both as they work together to getting you more clicks short & long term. If you are a start up business with very little content, we like to get you started on PPC right away. that gets you instant traffic to your site. Yes, you pay for each click, but its no different then any other form of advertising. Here are the differences…

SEO (Natural Search)

Less direct control over ranking
Can be expensive and time consuming, constantly optimizing
No quick process and/or results
Limited control over message
Message is typically general/brand driven
High organic rankings have a positive effect on the brand.
(69% of total search clicks are organic)

PPC (Paid Search)

Can directly influence ranking, based on bid
Budgeting opportunity, immediate results
Control over message
Can be more product focused/ benefit driven
Compensates for inconsistencies in SEO, ensuring consistent placement
High paid rankings have a positive effect on the brand

Sell more with a “Call to Action”

admin — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 17:05:48 +0000

The purpose of most small business websites is to get a visitor to buy your product or service. Most business websites have a home page that merely provides information about the company instead of compelling them to take the next step. the next step can be anything you want… CALL NOW, LEARN MORE, or even BUY NOW! Some Sample taglines include…

Order now and receive…
The next 100 callers will also receive…
Order by [date] and we’ll even include…

Here is an example of good CALL TO ACTION…

The call to action is like giving them a good push in the right direction.

The goal is to engage the visitor immediately and get them to take some kind of action. You do this by making the page simple… no clutter, limited choices, and compelling copy. . The call to action is like giving them a good push in the right direction. It’s about turning a browser into a buyer.

Email vs Social Media

admin — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 17:45:22 +0000

Email has lost its lustre over the last few years. With the rise of social media giants like Facebook & Twitter, people are turning away from this tried and true communication method.

But, hold it. Before you think it’s time to abandon email, look at the stats.

39% of US Internet users had never used a social network (May 2010)
only 6% who had never sent or received an email.

For example, I deal with small businesses primarily in Langley & and the Fraser Valley. Most of them don’t even know what Twitter is yet… let alone use it. So, if I want to reach them, I better utilize email. Sure, young people are flocking to social media, but what is your target market? If your a small business that caters to people over 30, I wouldn’t jump to fast. Perhaps the trends are heading that direction, but not yet.

So, if your looking for an easy, fail safe way to communicate with your clients, email is still king. Looking for more on this subject… check out this article… Email is Still Important

Google Places and your business

admin — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 20:07:51 +0000

By now, everyone has heard about Google. The term “Just Google It” is a common phrase we hear. Well, how can it help your small business? I have clients tell me that they are frustrated with their Yellow Pages Ad… that its not bringing in customers. You spend thousands every year, and get little return. The reason Yellow Pages does not work anymore is because the majority of people now use the Internet to find what they are looking for.

I have been preaching this for years, and finally my clients are beginning to listen.

For a typical small business located in the Fraser Valley, using Google’s tools will bring you plenty of business…guaranteed! The main tool doesn’t even cost any money… Google Places. If your a small business and want to compete…there is no faster way than using Google Places. For instance, I have a client that provides Maid Services to Langley. Within 24 hours of getting them on Google Places, their phone started ringing.

Not sure how Google Places works? Then check out this video. And if your interested in learning more, please contact me at 604-908-4410, and I will be happy to explain it further.

Effective copywriting – Its not about you!

admin — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:28:53 +0000

When writing for your small business website… always remember… It’s Not About You!

It’s easy to do. You spend all day dealing with the intricacies of your products and services. You love thinking about your products, you love improving them, and you love talking about them. It’s only natural that you want to shout from the rooftops and tell the world your product’s story in all its splendor. Problem is, the rest of the world isn’t interested in your story. Customers don’t have time to admire your greatness. They’re too busy searching for ways to make life better for themselves. An effective web page answers one question of the reader above all: What’s in it for me?

A well-written product page talks a bit about features, a little more about benefits and a great deal more about the experience. This last element is especially important and exactly where most pages come up woefully short. Let’s use a mundane example of this principle in action by considering a hypothetical Web page for a packaging machine:

Write For Your Audience

Before you start writing, collect feedback from customers and prospects. Ask them why they buy from you, why they don’t, and how doing business with you has affected them.
Start with an outline. Associate every feature with a benefit and every benefit with an experience.
Have a customer read a draft and then explain to you why they would want to buy the product. If the customer “gets it,” you’re a star.
Do the same thing with a person who knows nothing about your product and industry. If that person gets it, you’re a rock star.

Thats it… follow this rule.. .and your well on your way to have an effective web page!