Author Archive
Managing Your Different Email Addresses
Posted by: | CommentsIf you are like me and have a few different domain names and hence different email addresses, managing them and sending from the correct one in your email program can be a bit daunting.
However it doesn’t have to be this way. In Microsoft Outlook it’s actually very easy to send from different email address. Make sure you have all your different email addresses already set up in your Microsoft Outlook.
Then when you want to send from a different address you just have to select the correct one.
Here’s how:
1. Create your email
2. Before you send the email, click on the “Accounts” button which is located next to the “Send” button
3. This is a drop down menu and you should see all your email accounts listed there.
4. Select the account you want to use
5. A grey bar outlining which account you are using should appear above the “To” field. NB. this only appears on email accounts which aren’t your default account. When using your default account nothing will appear.
Here is an screen shot:
It doesn’t matter what your newsletter says….
Posted by: | Commentsnow before you start, firstly yes I’m taking this out of context, however there are several more important reasons for sending a regular newsletter other than the content.
These are:
1. How often are you talking to your clients?
If your clients, customers and prospects aren’t hearing from you at least every 90 days, they are hearing from your competitors. I believe with the speed that information travels these days it’s more likely to be daily, or weekly. If you have a membership based business I would seriously consider at least once per week to your membership base and a fortnightly newsletter to potential new members. Regular contact is imperative to business success.
2. Not everyone will read your content every time
Your readers will generally fall into one of these categories:
- read only the subject & delete the email but they see your name
- open the email and scan it but they see your name
- read only the main article or your introduction but they see your name
- read the whole thing but they see your name
Do you get my point? They don’t need to read the whole newsletter to see you name. But each time they do something they are still seeing your name and your company name and that is the important part.
With our own Brilliant Web Design newsletter we get 1 -2% of our list take up offers but we get 10-20% response with requests for more information or quotes. This is now starting to happen more and more, after 12 months of regular newsletters.
I have heard stories of people who have been on lists for 5 years and never read the newsletter but one day opened one and booked into a $1500 seminar. Why? Because over 5 years of weekly emails they saw this person and their company over 260 times! That’s the power of a regular newsletter.
3. Regular & Repetition is the key
Create a schedule and stick to it. People have joined your list for a reason and are interested in your topic. I have subscribed to many, many newsletters – I think over 100. Do I read them all each week? NO WAY! But I scan some of the subject lines and read what I am interested in. It’s a great way to find information for your own newsletter. I read what is relevant and interesting to me and my clients at that time.
Before I had my own business I was in direct sales and my manager said to me once that “Persistence Beats Resistance”. So just keep going, and eventually it will work for you and your business.
4. Your Subject Line is King
Remember that I said I have subscribed to over 100 weekly newsletters. In order to get my attention they need a great subject line.
Some of the ones which have caught my eye are:
So Natalie, what’s YOUR greatest challenge?
10 Quick & Easy Marketing Tips
How to make money teaching how to make money
7 tips for attracting traffic with YouTube videos
YIKES! Are You Having a Summer Sales Siesta?
Keep a note of all the subject lines you have been attracted to and model them for your business. Magazines are also a great source for subject lines, they spend thousand of dollars researching what sells their magazines -model their approach.
Your subject line will determine if people open your email or not.
5. Never use an attachment or make people click on a link to read the main newsletter – BECAUSE THEY WON’T!
If your aim is to get people to read your newsletter then you need to make sure that the whole newsletter is contained within the email. Your readers shouldn’t have to open PDF’s or click on links to view the main newsletters. Many people now read their emails using the reading panel in Outlook, so they can scan the email in one glance. If you have a PDF or a link – if won’t even get scanned. Just don’t do it!
So, your action step is to start a regular newsletter. Need help? Call Natalie now on 0408 545 516 or email me.
Websites With Flash Intros
Posted by: | CommentsYesterday I was talking to one of my clients who is in the entertainment industry. The entertainment industry has the idea that their website need to be flashy and have a big impact as soon as someone lands on their page. I disagree and think that the rules of online marketing still apply and flash introductions are bad – not only for search engines but they just annoy people.
I told my client that I don’t like them but at the end of the days it’s their website and if they want a flash intro we can build it. Just after having this conversation I was on Twitter, clicked on a few links and found this image.
It’s part of an article on the 8 websites you need to stop building. Whilst I don’t agree with all areas they are discussing I do believe about the flash intros. The image really sums it up.
Have a flash intro is like having someone standing out the front of your retail door, harassing your clients before they come into the store. Making people do something before they are allowed to enter. This is exactly what a flash introduction does. If you were at the front of Borders and a sale person said you need to watch this video/intro/see our specials before you can come in – what would you do? If there was another book store next door, I would just go in there. This is what happens when people do a Google search – land on your website, are confronted with an introduction. They click back and find another website which doesn’t have this introduction.
People are searching Google to find solutions to their problems, so make sure your website solves their problems and don’t confront them with flash.
What do you think about this? Does your website have a flash introduction? Do flash introductions annoy you?
How to embedded your video into your Website
Posted by: | CommentsIf you are uploading your videos to YouTube and you want to embed them in your website. Follow the steps below. This instructions are if you have a standard html website. For clients with a WebEFEKTs Website from Brilliant Web Design please contact me for more information.
1. Go to www.youtube.com
2. Sign into your account
3. Go to “My Videos” by selecting your account name from the top right and then “My Videos”
4. Click on the title of the video you want to embed.
5. Under the video select the embed option
6. Select your settings and then copy the code.
7. Go to the page on your site you want to put the video on and select “edit this page”
8. Select the View Source Button
9. This opens up the html of your site – so be careful not to delete anything.
10. Paste the code in between the <body> </body> tags in the position you want it in
11. Click apply and ok
12. Save your page and view your video
9 Essential Elements to a Successful Website
Posted by: | CommentsWebsites are becoming the new business cards, vital for first impressions and to give clients more information than you business card can. There are so many web designers around with pricing ranging from a few hundred to several thousands. You need to make an informed decision and know what you want and don’t want on your website. Ideally it should be build with by an online marketer instead of a web or graphic designer. Generally web and graphic designer will make your site look fantastic’s, however that doesn’t guarantee any success with your site. Below are 9 essential elements your website should include.
1. Clean and Simple Design, Layout & Navigation
A confused mind says NO. What does this mean for you? If your website is too busy, has things flashing at people, they are not sure where to click or find information, they will leave your website and find your competitors. As with your business card, simple is best. With lots of white space. Don’t over crowd your page. Keep the navigation in the obvious places – left panel or top. Include a return home button on each page.
2. Capture Form
People do business with people they know, like and trust. Online this can take some time to establish especially for service or higher price items. This is why an capture form is vital to your online success. Once you are able to capture visitors details you can send them a regular newsletter and build a rapport and trust with them and hence gain more sales. Your capture forms needs to be located above the fold (in the top part of the website which users can see without scrolling) and ideally give away a free report, audio or video as an incentive to sign up. People don’t like giving out their email address but they love receiving free information.
3. Content Management System
The world is changing quickly and you need to be able to edit your website quickly. The easiest and most affordable way is via a content management system. Using a web based system you can edit the text on your website when ever and where you like. Most systems are as simple as using Microsoft Word and require no programming skills. With a content management system there is no excuse for having out of date information on your website. You may pay extra for hosting however the extra per month in the long run will be cheaper than getting a web designer to make changes.
4. Contact Us Form
Unfortunately SPAM (unsolicited emails) are a fact of live in the technology age. SPAM spiders crawl the web for email addresses, so for this reason is very important to never, never, never have your email address on a website. This is why a “Contact Us Form” is vital on your website. It allows users to contact you via email and saves you the SPAM headaches. On your contact us page make sure you provide as much relevant information as possible. By relevant I mean, don’t put your home phone if you don’t use it for business and it could be answered by your 5 year child. If you only have a mobile for business then only include your mobile.
5. About Us Page
Often the most overlooked page, but one of the most important pages is the “About Us” Page. Many users use this page to find out more about the company ie Do I trust this company enough to hand over my email address, credit card or contact them. Include your experience, why you started your business, how you work, etc. Even online people still buy from people, so make your website personal about you and your company. Don’t make it a big corporate front. Use your “About Us” page to express this.
6. Testimonials & Case Studies
No one wants to be the first. Make sure you include testimonials or case studies of previous clients and their experience. This relives buyers fears and will increase your sale. When you are just starting out, ask a trusted friend or business associate to trial your product or service (for free) on the condition that they write you a testimonial. Ask every client to provide you with one. To make then as real as possible, include: name, location, website (if relevant), and photo.
7. Blog
A blog is an online journal generally written more casually than a normal web page. They can be used for informing clients of new products/services, industry changes, interesting information. The reason I like them so much is they are excellent for increasing your search engine rankings. Search engines love fresh content, and the quickest and easiest way if via a blog. Post regularly can really improve your rankings and also provide more interaction with your clients as they can make comments on what you are say.
8. Google Analytics
Google Analytics is one of the best things you can put on your website and it’s absolutely free. Google Analytics will allow you to track your results. Once you know where you are starting from you can work to improve your websites performance. Google Analytics can tell you a host of things including; number of visitors, number of pages visitors, how long on each page, how they found your website, number one referring websites. You can also set goals and it will track performance and produce a report for you. Many web developers provide you with basic statistics, however Google Analytics has everything you will need.
9. Sitemap
Sitemaps are primary navigation. A user can click on your sitemap and find a link to each page. If you have lots of pages some users will use them to find what they are looking for, however I like them for increasing search engine rankings. You can submit your sitemap to Google and it will increase your chances of being found on the search engines quicker and higher. A sample sitemap can be found at www.brilliantblog.com.au/sitemap
Want to use this article in your e-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Natalie Alaimo is a Small Business Marketing Consultant and Online Marketer. Natalie provides small business owners, women and entrepreneurs with straight forward marketing and branding services including one on one coaching and do-it- yourself marketing products. Natalie is a published author and runs several websites, including www.nataliealaimo.com. If you are looking to kick start your business, go online now to get your Free e-book at Brilliant Web Design
My First Telstra Blog
Posted by: | CommentsI’m blogging for Telstra and my first post went live. Check it out at: http://exchange.telstra.com.au/?p=2331
How to resize images
Posted by: | CommentsI am continually getting questions from clients about the easiest way to resize images. As a web designer I have a program called Adobe Photoshop, however I can understand that Adobe Photoshop is not required for most small business onwers. I recently found this handy online tool which allows you to do many of the basic features of Photoshop, including resizing images.
It’s called Pixlr and it’s an online photo editing service.
Most people will only need the Express version. Here is how you can resize your images using Pixlr Express.
1. Go to www.pixlr.com/express
2. Click on Open Image From Computer
3. Find the image from your Computer and click open
4. The image will open and on the left side is a banner with basic, adjustment & photo effects
5. Click on basic bar and it opens a drop down menu
6. Click on resize and yes it opens another drop down menu with some measurements in it.
7. If you want the image to stay in proportion, make sure the button below is ticked, then enter your new width. The height will automatically adjust.
8. Then click apply to make the changes
9. At the bottom of the left panel click done
10. Another box comes up and select save
11. You can either save it as the same name or give it a new name, if you save as the same name you will overwrite your original image.
Done, you have now resized your image.
Want to use this article in your e-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Natalie Alaimo is a Small Business Marketing Consultant and Online Marketer. Natalie provides small business owners, women and entrepreneurs with straight forward marketing and branding services including one on one coaching and do-it- yourself marketing products. Natalie is a published author and runs several websites, including www.nataliealaimo.com. If you are looking to kick start your business, go online now to get your Free e-book at Brilliant Web Design
Think Social Media is just a waste of time?
Posted by: | CommentsI was talking to a group this morning about the importance of being on Facebook and how to leverage it for business. One person’s comment when I said that people are spending an average of 7 hours on Facebook – is that’s it’s 400 millions users don’t have a life. I found this video which outlines some pretty impressive Return On Investment for Social Media. Would you spend the time for additional $3 million in sales? I know I sure would.
Here is the video for your enjoyment. Let me know what you think.
If you want to leverage the power of social media but you aren’t sure where to start, contact us now.
Want to use this article in your e-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Natalie Alaimo is a Small Business Marketing Consultant and Online Marketer. Natalie provides small business owners, women and entrepreneurs with straight forward marketing and branding services including one on one coaching and do-it- yourself marketing products. Natalie is a published author and runs several websites, including www.nataliealaimo.com. If you are looking to kick start your business, go online now to get your Free e-book at Brilliant Web Design
Results From Claiming Your Free Google Local Business Listing
Posted by: | CommentsOne of the things I always recommend to our clients is to claim their free “Google Local Business Listing” It’s very quick and easy to complete and it can really increase the amount of business you get.
In October 2009 I posted on what your Free Google Local Business Listing is and how to claim yours. I was talking to a client the other day who followed the instructions and set up it. Below is the testimonial he sent me, and get what – he doesn’t even have a website – yet!! Recent studies show that 6 out of 10 people will visit your website prior to phoning you, so Dan could be missing out on even more business. However I am glad that he is getting some business already from one of my strategies.
Natalie from Brilliant Web Design showed me how to get a free Google Listing and the work is starting to come in. I am amazed that people actually do Google searches on my category and area and I’m in the top three nearly every time. There are a lot of big companies in my area and I’m a one man band so to get listed above them is great!
Dan Purkis
Dan Purkis Pest Control
0413 116 864
Want to use this article in your e-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Natalie Alaimo is a Small Business Marketing Consultant and Online Marketer. Natalie provides small business owners, women and entrepreneurs with straight forward marketing and branding services including one on one coaching and do-it- yourself marketing products. Natalie is a published author and runs several websites, including www.nataliealaimo.com. If you are looking to kick start your business, go online now to get your Free e-book at Brilliant Web Design
What is a landing page?
Posted by: | CommentsAs mentioned in my previous post, I believe all businesses should have at least three websites. One of them is a landing page. So what is a landing page?
A landing page is a page people are directed to from some form of advertising. It might be from online or offline marketing. It’s generally not your main website and normally it’s an easy URL for people to remember.
If the Australian online book store, Fishpond, was running a promotion on Dan Brown books – their usual URL is www.fishpond.com.au – the ads featuring Dan Brown’s books may use the URL www.danbrownbooks.com.au. (this is a made up URL). As it’s easier for people to remember and more relevant to what they are looking for straight away which is Dan Brown books.
The best type of landing page will direct the readers to only one decision – generally to sign up for a free report/audio and join the database, however it can also be used for direct sales. Sales are generally for a lower price, low commitment purchase, however I have seen some for products up to about $10,000 – not sure how successful these are.
Once you know what landing pages are you will begin to see them everywhere. Since you only want people to take one direction they don’t have too many buttons or options for anything else.
One example is http://www.internettrafficmastery.com/ where you get a bit of information and are directed to enter your details. In this example you don’t get a free report or anything, just to access the next page.
In this example http://www.productivityqueen.com/ – Lorraine Pirihi has a video explaining all the information and is giving away a free report and CD once you complete your details.
In both these cases you can see how the landing page has one purpose to get people on the list. There are no other distractions, no other buttons, just the one purpose. The URL is also easy to remember and simple.
One important element to remember when designing a landing page is that as soon as a potential client lands on the page they must immediately feel like the information is talking to them.
I was recently listening to a an online marketing CD and they were discussing landing pages. They gave an example of an autism coach. She has over 8 landing pages. Why? Many parents were given different diagnosis’ – or forms of autism. These parents would then Google their child’s specific diagnosis. Since the landing page they landed on spoke directly to them they signed up for the free information and a very high rate became clients. However, if she had only one landing page that outlined all the diagnosis’ potential clients would have felt that she was generalised instead of a specialist and would be less likely to sign up and hence become clients.
So what would I suggest for your business? This depends on your business of course, however, as a general rule – develop a free report or e-book about your area of expertise. Set up a landing page which gives away the free report in return for an email address. Then send your clients a weekly or monthly newsletter.
If you need any help with this please contact us
Want to use this article in your e-zine or website? You can as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Natalie Alaimo is a Small Business Marketing Consultant and Online Marketer. Natalie provides small business owners, women and entrepreneurs with straight forward marketing and branding services including one on one coaching and do-it- yourself marketing products. Natalie is a published author and runs several websites, including www.nataliealaimo.com. If you are looking to kick start your business, go online now to get your Free e-book at Brilliant Web Design
