Defining the #1 goal of your website is super important for every individual, small business, company, organization and website owner out there. It's an exercise in zeroing in on THE ONE purpose for putting yourself out there and will create the framework for all of the pages, content and images to follow.

Determining your website's PURPOSE can be challenging. For many folks there are a myriad of reasons they think they should have a web presence:

• It's THE thing to do in their industry
• It makes them and/or their business look and feel more professional
• They want to have an online store to broaden their reach and sell more of their product
• They've been told they should
• Etc.

These are all great REASONS to create a website. But again - what is the actual PURPOSE driving the site.

Let's work thru the following exercise to jumpstart the process of determining the #1 GOAL for you website - and in turn, it's PURPOSE.

Take your time to ponder the questions below and answer them as they relate to your current website, or the one that you are developing:

1. Why do I have a website - or why do I want to have a website?
2. Who do I foresee coming to my website?
3. What information will my site visitors be looking for?
4. What do I want the outcome to be of a visit to my website?
   

Now that you've put some thought into the PURPOSE of your website - let's set your #1 GOAL.

Look through the responses you wrote down to the questions above. Look for a common theme to your purpose for having a web presence. Now take that purpose and create your intention:

"MY WEBSITE WILL . . ."

This is what your website will strive to Do, Be, Provide, Etc. This sentence will provide the framework around which to build your pages, write your blog posts, create your videos and upload your images or products.

As you create your site, each building block should tie into your #1 Goal and it will in this way be relevant to your purpose and to your ...

If you already have a web presence, use the information you gathered through this exercise to make your pages and posts BETTER and more RELEVANT to your purpose and to your #1 Goal.

If you are re-designing your website, use the information and allow yourself the freedom to break out of the "box" of your original site and re-align your new website with your Purpose and with your #1 Goal.

If you are starting from square one, you are lucky. Take the time you need to do it right and build the right website for you, your business, your organization, etc. from day one. Get the building blocks in line from the start and build a cohesive site that reflects your PURPOSE and points site visitors in the direction of your #1 GOAL.


Need help with your website re-design? I'd love to help!

Thoughts to share? Please use the comments section below to chime in!

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Why marketing research is so important:  The more targeted your marketing efforts, the bigger your ROI is going to be because you are attracting customers who are looking for what you have to offer.


So before you embark blindly on your next marketing campaign, consider utilizing all or some of these market research strategies:


Become very familiar with your competition:

• What type of “look and feel” are they using with their marketing campaigns?
• Who are they targeting their efforts towards - to what demographic?
• What specific language are they using on their website pages, as their blog headlines, in their newsletters and on their brochures and business cards?
• What sites are they linking out to - and what sites are linking in to them?
• What social media outlets are they using - what looks like it is working? What looks dormant and unused?

Research your niche:

• What type of “directories” are available for your niche or product?
• What “spin” or “voice” are others using who are in a similar business? How is your voice different?
• What types of review sites are available for your particular business or service?
• What keywords is your target market using as they search for information?

Do a website audit: 

• Be brutal - tweak what needs tweaking, delete anything that is irrelevant and untargeted.
• Blend in keyword language that is working well for your competition.
• Use headlines wisely. Be sure to highlight good marketing keywords for your niche in your headlines.
• Add relevant photos that will appeal to the demographic you are trying to reach - again get ideas from your competitors!
• Implement social media icons to encourage more interaction on your website and social media pages.

Develop a strategic marketing plan:

• Map out a blogging schedule by keyword. Pick a relevant, targeted topic for each blog - and plan to post at least once per week.
• Set up only the social media pages that make sense for your business, product or service. Map out a plan to actively post on these pages.
• Determine quarterly promotions or services to highlight - these can follow the seasons of your particular business. Stay on top of this and plan ahead so that you are ready as each new quarter approaches.
• Once per month reach out to ten individuals in your field either offering a guest post or requesting a guest post for your site.
• Set up business or product pages at each of the review sites your found during your market research. Monitor these pages at least once per month.

Go forth and apply your marketing research to your business. Analyze, track and measure the results of the new practices you are implementing. Build upon those that are working for you and discard those that aren’t. And don’t forget to come back to the drawing board - quarterly or semi-annually to research new trends in your particular industry and to research new marketing tools as they emerge.

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There are many email marketing strategies out there - some of which are tried and true - and some of which will get you blocked as spam before your potential client even gets the opportunity to see your email.


Below is an overview of email and newsletter marketing strategies for small businesses. These are general guidelines that can serve as a checklist to go over before sending out any new email campaign. 


Unsure of how to set up a newsletter? Rebecca is available to set up the framework for you - or you can choose to sign up for a monthly plan and Rebecca will facilitate the entire process for you.

1. Build out your mailing list with an Opt-In sign-up form placed on your website, on your Facebook page, and in your email signature.
2. Only send email marketing material and newsletters to folks who have opted in. 
3. Do not send an email to anyone who has not opted in to your newsletter or email campaign.
4. Personalize each email campaign. Use your own “voice” as you craft each newsletter you send out. Keep it interesting.
5. Include an action item with each newsletter.
6. Use images to draw your reader in.
7. Make certain that you choose a relevant subject for the email that will not look like Spam - after all, you want your recipient to open it! 
8. Include your contact information where it can be easily spotted.
9. Include all relevant social media icons.
10. It’s okay to automate parts of your newsletter - for example:  Add a widget that will pull in your latest blog posts or latest product pages.
11. Keep it simple. Avoid a busy newsletter or email design template. Use headlines to break up text. Keep it relatively short.
12. Remember to do email marketing - it’s easy to get caught up in other aspects of your business so set your newsletter frequency to weekly, monthly, or even every other month - and stick to it.

Here are some other ways to market to your “follower” base beyond the traditional newsletter.

• Send holiday emails that simply keep you on their radar and spread goodwill.
• Send a survey - this will help you target your marketing to your niche.
• Send out a promotion or special - available for a limited time to your followers.

What email marketing strategies are working for you - and what aren’t? 

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Many small business owners wonder how to increase website traffic - and if they aren’t asking this question, they should be. 


Why? Because your website is the online pipeline for your business. It is your virtual storefront and if it’s not bringing potential clients (“fish”) in the “door,” it’s not doing it’s job.


But it’s also not that simple - because not every “fish” in your pipeline is the target fish for your services. So how do you reel in and land the right client through your website?


Think about it this way:


The pages and blog posts which make up your website serve as the “bait” to lure your potential client to your specific service. The problem is that your bait is out there in a very large sea which is overcrowded with fishing lines - some of which are using very similar bait.

First: 
The more traffic you are able to attract to your website, the more opportunities you will have to “hook” your client.


Second: 
The more targeted your pages - the better the “bait” - the more you will attract the right “fish” for your business because you will be getting targeted traffic.


Third: 
The more right “fish” you attract into your pipeline, the more opportunities you will have to reel in and land the right client.


The goal is to fill your pipeline with fish that are looking for your particular “bait”. This will increase your ROI. 

• Make every page and every post count. Do some market research to discover what your potential client is searching for online - and deliver that information on your website in the form of a blog post or service page.

• Update your content regularly. Fish don’t like stale bait - they are attracted to the new, fresh, shiny lure or to bait that is still wiggling on the hook. In the same way, search engines are attracted to websites that are growing and engaging their site visitors. A stale website will drop in search engine rankings and your “fish” will have a hard time finding your pipeline let alone your hook.

• Links are important.  Be sure you are practicing good internal linking strategies among your pages and posts. Also, be sure you are only linking out to high quality sites that are relevant to what your are writing about. 

• Develop your own particular voice. That is the Only Way to stand out in that sea of bait. Write your posts and pages with your own unique brand of style and pizzazz so that you build a following of folks who are looking for what You have to say.

Thoughts to add on how to increase website traffic? Please leave your suggestions in the comments below!

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rebsblack creative is now live and open for new clients.

I'm really excited to launch this new online consulting business and offer my services and expertise to new clients in various sectors. My unique background in website design, online research, and marketing coupled with my entrepreneurial mindset allows me to think outside the box as I work to improve the online presence of my clients.

All of the services of rebsblack creative are tailored to a client's particular product, local business or service. These can include niche marketing campaigns, competitive website design, social media set-up and PR campaigns.

Contact me to see how we can work together to improve your online presence.

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