The size of the screen and the method of input (keyboard or gesture) have tremendous impact on how visitors interact with your site, and people are now moving between multiple devices to access online content.
According to the Pew Research Center, among American adults, 58 percent have a desktop, 61 percent have a laptop, 46 percent have a smartphone, and 18 percent have a tablet. Microsoft predicts that mobile will overtake non-mobile internet use by 2014.
Mobile technologies are changing the way consumers interact online, but many companies are not changing to accommodate their clients. Neil Patel, founder of KISSMetrics, notes that while more than half of smartphone users will buy from a mobile site, less than 5 percent of brands actually have a mobile site.
Ignoring responsive web design could be a huge mistake for any brand, as a bad mobile experience will give your visitors a bad impression of you. According to Compuware, 40 percent of visitors will go to a competitor if you don’t offer a good mobile experience.
Responsive web design is one way to help ensure a good user experience across multiple devices. A good user experience can translate to more visitors, more sales, and a stronger overall web presence.
Want to see how your site looks on various mobile and handheld devices?
Enter your url (domain name) below and see!
[advanced_iframe securitykey=”c3e75f9da254997dee405998ed4525f399cabe02″]
Help for the small business!
Increase website speed, optimize for increased traffic and sales!
SEO Special $299 for 3 months! See how much your site can be improved!
SEO Special
Getting in the Mind of Your Audience
Touching the heart (or nerve depending on your goals) of your intended reader is not rocket science but does require some real thought on your part as a writer and producer of content. Whether you are selling ice to Eskimos or sand to Arabs you need to be able to describe that intended target in great detail before attempting to appeal to their needs/wants/egos.
Do you have a written description of your intended reader? Creating written Personas is a little like preparing for an interview. You know the job description (i.e. your product, service or information you want conveyed) now you have to research how that will impact your buyer/reader. The more specific you can be in describing your target market, the better your chance the content will inspire or invoke an intended reaction.
Buyer Personas
What the heck is a buyer persona, anyway? Let’s take for example, you are a real estate agent wanting to sell a new listing that is in a retirement community in Florida along the Gulf Coast area near Clearwater. That’s pretty specific. To develop a Persona, ask yourself these questions:
- Who are your best potential buyers?
- What does he/she do all day?
- What would be that person’s favorite activities?
- Where are they currently living?
- What amenities does your neighborhood and surrounding areas offer that would appeal to them?
You may get several specific types of personas by working through such a list of questions. Consider writing content for EACH one. Yes, you heard me correctly. Speak to the individual and be sure your content is published in the appropriate places that line up with the answers you came up with. If you can’t answer those questions, canvas the neighborhood! Ask a handful of actual buyers of similar products/services that you are seeking to promote. Use that information to develop even more specific questions to help really develop those personas.
Become an Expert
Knowing your audience is most of the battle. Knowing where they frequent, who their friends are, what their favorite activities are ~ it is key to developing a trustworthy relationship with them. If they like you and trust you, they’ll buy from you or at least take the next step along the sales funnel to your intended goal. For more content marketing resources and help with developing Buyer Personas, contact us now!
What is a content marketing funnel or ‘marketing funnel’ and how can small businesses, online marketers and ecommerce owners or managers use it to increase profits, interaction and engagement on their websites?
Traditionally, the Marketing Funnel is a way to describe or visualize the path on which your target market, i.e. website visitor, customer or reader, will reach your website and ultimately do whatever it is you are asking. Whether it’s to buy a product or service, participate in a survey, share a post or make a phone call to you, there is a particular action you want your target to take. Getting them from wherever they are to completing that action is the Funnel. Content Marketing Funnel ideas are vast but here’s a mile high view:
First, identifying your target market as specifically as possible.
There will be several Personas (personalities of folks you are looking to engage) and you need to identify each and bring them through a funnel of their own.
Secondly, after getting an idea of the WHO you are attempting to grab the attention, then you need to help them step through the WHAT by giving them a WHY… why should they click on your Facebook add or share your Tweet or give you their email, name and address? What is in it for THEM?
If you can answer that and they step into the next funnel ring, you will be able to then give them the HOW ~ how can they get that which you have so perfectly described as their coveted need/want or have-to-have. Keep each step simple and only ask for one thing at a time. Following a bit of a bread crumb trail to the middle of the funnel.
Here’s a great example of a content marketing funnel in five points, easy to follow and implement. You don’t have to be a great writer, just speak to your audience in their language. If they are techie, you need to know their geek-speak, if they are professionals make sure you sound like their peers.
Guide them through the funnel one step at a time and don’t forget to keep track with analytics so you can improve the steps that work best and eliminate those that fail. Want more help and ideas on Content Marketing? Contact us and we’ll hook you up!