Getting what you deserve in a web design

Posted on May 26, 2011 by htd Team

Every web design company makes abstract promises about what they offer. We, the designers at Charlotte web design company, do it differently. We start by letting clients know what they deserve, and then we make it happen. After all, web design is about our clients’ needs, not ours.

Ease of Use: Usability experts say it over and over and over again. It doesn’t matter how robust the site, nor how pretty – if customers can’t effectively use the site, they won’t come back, end of story. Our clients deserve to have a site that looks great and is easy to use, that provides visitors with the most satisfying user experience, and that provides all of the most important functionality and no-more. Many a web design company makes extra money by selling features that their customers don’t need, and that those customers’ visitors don’t enjoy using. Charlotte web design company does no such thing. Our clients deserve sites primed for usability, and that is why we make it our top priority.

Clarity of Content: Usable sites are the sine qua non of good design, but good design has to deliver on good content. We make sure that our customer’s content is clear, well-presented, and adapted to a variety of browsing experiences, be they mobile or tablet or desktop browser. Each potential output displays content in slightly different ways, and our clients deserve a web design company that understands and takes the time and effort to make sure their content looks good regardless of platform.

Credibility: Ever tried to go with the cheap, fly by night option, because the price is too good to be true? It usually is. Our designers have years, and in some cases, decades of experience, and we have seen and designed for all manner of web iterations – html 4.0, xml, css, html 5, flash, java, and more. Clients deserve to feel like their site is being done by folks who bring credibility to the table, rather than another modified template design on the cheap.

Uniqueness: Almost once a quarter we get a client inquiry email that says something to the effect of “We paid for a site, we were pleased with the design, but we have since found the same design on almost a handful of other sites. Can you help us?” When you pay a web design company to create or update your site, you’re paying for them to actually do design, not copy a template.

Ability to Give Feedback: Clients deserve to have their input and feedback respected. They need to feel comfortable that the designers are doing the work clients want to be done, the way they want it. Our feedback options make that possible.

Personalization: It’s the client’s world; we just build it. Our sites are designed from the ground up for our clients and their particular needs. They deserve nothing less.

Security: A good site needs to also be a secure site, which is why we provide the latest in SSL, run regular backups, and consistently monitor server logs for unauthorized or irregular activity. Sites we design are designed to look good, feel good, and stay good for a long, long time.

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10 Steps to Building and Maintaining Great Relationship with your Clients

Posted on March 9, 2011 by htd Team

No contest, businesses are about relationships. Every relationship you have could end up supporting your business. Even people who are not your clients might introduce you to a new client.

Since relationships are such an important part of your business, here are ten ways to build and maintain great relationships with your client base.

1) Know who your ideal client is. Define what your buyers look like and sell to them. When someone tells you “no,” consider it a favor. They are helping you narrow down your pool of dedicated customers.

2) Be in constant contact with your clients. Communication is the name of the game. Don’t let them feel forgotten. However, don’t pester them too much, either.

3) Pamper your clients. Drop off a small potted plant, an order of bagels, or a plate of cookies if you happen to be in the area. Don’t forget to attach your business card and a coupon for future orders!

4) Give them the goods. If you come across an interesting article online that pertains to them, send it to them with a note that says, “I thought you might appreciate this.”

5) Damage control. If you sense a storm brewing, serve your client with professionalism. A happy customer will tell one or two people about the experience, but an unhappy customer will tell as many as 12 people! Something as simple as, “I can feel for how frustrated you must be, and I am working on resolving it” goes a long ways.

6) Build trust. This will take time, but a trusting business relationship will be mutually beneficial for years to come. Be genuinely interested in meeting their need with your product, not just making a buck.

7) Three rules for client success: show up, follow up, and follow through.

8) Network and expand your pool of prospects as often as possible. Connect other people together who could do business together. Even if you don’t make any money off that specific transaction, they will remember you and the boomerang will return to you exponentially.

9) Create loyal customers. Offers, incentives, rebates, coupons, and discounts will help clients come back.

10) Say “thank you.” Make sure your customers feel appreciated. Send them holiday cards and free stuff to help them feel valued.

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How Partnering with Other Businesses can Help Increase your Referrals

Posted on February 25, 2011 by htd Team

Imagine the most beautiful wedding you can think of. Everything went off without a hitch (except the most important one). The bridal gown, the flowers, the music, and the cake are exquisitely designed and provided by local small businesses.

Those small business vendors- the dress maker, the florist, the cake baker, the dj, and the photographer- have a distinct advantage. They are all serving the same wedding, so they are actually not competing against each other. They are all serving the same client!

Partnerships, or strategic alliances, are an invaluable asset. And why not? It’s a perfect way for everyone to win.

Other industries that can share clients are:

1) The wellness industry. The yoga instructor, the dietician, and the organic chef can partner for increased referrals.

2) The marketing industry. The web developer, the graphic designer, and the public relations specialist can work together and sell for a common goal of mutual success.

3) The utility industry. The plumber, the electrician, and the carpenter can share discounts and offer incentives to buy from the others.

There are some creative ways to promote your partners and consequently yourself. The best way to gain referrals is to give referrals to others. Connect people with other people who can do business with them, and they will remember you. The favor will return to you tenfold if you make this a constant practice.

Bundle your services, offer discounts, and share a booth at an event. Businesses can’t operate without developing relationships with other businesses. There is simply no way to do it. So get creative about forming those strategic alliances and partnerships. Look out for them, and they will look out for you.

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Five Essential Things a Business Website Needs to Be Successful

Posted on February 10, 2011 by htd Team

Within the schema that is the Internet, there is a ton of good websites out there. Of course, everyone knows about Google, Facebook, Twitter, and other big sites. But underneath that layer of well known sites, there are thousands of websites that are sitting dormant, waiting to be discovered. As time goes on, they get buried further, tangling deep into the web that we call the Internet.

Many of those stagnant websites are business websites. Just a few people own each of those sites, usually operating some kind of small business. When they created the site, they expected their business to boom just because their information was on the Internet.

But nothing could be further from the truth. Websites that are visited infrequently, or those that are abandoned by their visitors, are harder to find. A Charlotte web company demonstrates this by helping businesses keep their website visible to their audience.

Here are five ways to keep visitors on your business website:

1) Highly visible contact information. Many times, they just want the information they came to the website to find.

2) A sign up form. It is helpful to know who visits your site and why. A sign up form will help you track visitors and then get in touch with them again.

3) A products or services page. If they don’t know what you offer, they definitely won’t buy it.

4) A Testimonial section or page. This builds confidence and assures customers that you have given other customers a positive experience.

5) A blog. Search engines look for fresh content. Old content ends up on page 924 (or worse) or search engine results. If you post to your blog at least once a week, you will keep your website in the top search results when people are looking for your type of business.

Don’t let your business get buried in the tangled web that is the Internet. Keep it fresh and current. A Charlotte web design firm can help you redesign your site so you can keep up with your client base. Your business will thank you for it!

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5 Ways to Enhance Your Internet Marketing Using Newsletters

Posted on January 25, 2011 by htd Team

For many business owners, the idea of operating a newsletter seems overwhelming, daunting, and even a little outdated. Why should we send out newsletters when we can just let our customers come to us online?

The answer is simple. Here are five ways to enhance your internet marketing using print or electronic newsletters:

1) Keep your business fresh in people’s minds. By visiting your website once, they may be intrigued. However, they may never come back. Consumers are bombarded with a ton of interesting stuff. You either have to be the most interesting thing they see, or your need to be the most frequent thing they see.

2) Build a list of customers and prospects. If you know who they are, you can reach out to them and remind them to frequent your business. If you don’t know who they are, you are depending on them to reach out to you. And chances are, some other company will reach them first.

3) Build traffic back to your website. Statistics say that an e-mail newsletter sent to a large list will result in a percentage of them visiting the link inside. While this is a great practice, be careful not to send out unwanted spam.

4) Share free information. Instead of telling your audience, “buy our luxury bath products!” every week in your newsletter, you should say, “here’s how you cure dry skin this winter.” This information will keep them coming back for more.

5) Go viral. Very few people will share your plain luxury bath soap advertisement with their friends. It is true, however, that many people will pass on information about curing dry skin. You want to reach not only your audience, but their friends and their friends. Market to people layers deep by genuinely being helpful and interesting.

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How to Create a Great Relationship With Your Customers Through Social Media Marketing

Posted on January 11, 2011 by htd Team

Many people attempt to market their businesses via social media marketing, but they don’t succeed.

Why is that? It is free to open a Facebook account and create a fan page. It is free to blast your tweets on Twitter. And you’ve been doing that for months.

Why aren’t you seeing as many results as you’d like?

Social media marketing is its own animal. Too many businesses open free social media accounts and blast their lists with megaphone-quality announcements. Too namy businesses fail to see the social part of social media. Social media means you have to engage your prospects. Talk to them, ask them questions, and engage in dialogue with them.

This is a new concept for entrepreneurs. You don’t establish personal connections with newspaper readers through your press release. You don’t establish personal connections when you take out a billboard ad.

Social media marketing is not just “another form of marketing.” It is a powerful way to connect directly with the people who may potentially buy from you and build relationships with them.

Twitter is a great platform that allows businesses to talk to people through everyday conversation. Through it, you can instantly interact with customers and get instant insights into your market. By tweeting a press release, for example, you can double its exposure. However, there are a lot of Twitter users out there who send random unwanted messages into the blogosphere, otherwise known as spam. Don’t be one of them.

So what does a business look like that has successfully marketed their business through social media? First, they are interesting and engaging. They ask questions and comment on other people’s posts. Second, they help others promote their businesses as well. By posting links to other relevant businesses, you are not only helping out other entrepreneurs, but you are establishing vital connections to help your business stay afloat.

Marketing through social media may take a while to get the hang of. But don’t give up. When you do get the hang of it, your efforts will be unstoppable.

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The Google Challenge

Posted on January 3, 2011 by htd Team

As much as we love to hate Google, they may be on to something. They tend to leave their competition in the dust, creating an impossibly high standard for other businesses to follow.

Even though we hate them for being so stinking successful, maybe we should follow their example.

Google’s latest product, ironically, is called Google Products. In using Google Products, you can type in the name of any product you can think of. Google then pulls all of the places you can locate that product online.

For example, if you type in “kitchen sink faucet,” you will receive results from places such as Home Depot, Lowes, and other hardware vendors. But you also see results from eBay, Amazon, and online auctions. You can sort by the lowest price or the highest ratings, and Google works its magic to pair you up with the perfect kitchen sink faucet.

However, Google Products doesn’t come without its criticism. Some people say that Google is trying too hard, having their fingers in too many pies, and that their standards against the competition are too high.

But from a business perspective, isn’t that the point? If Google holds themselves to a higher standard against the competition, then doesn’t that make them better? It’s possible that Google’s high standards are the reason that they have practically dominated the Internet, being the highest ranking search engine and the most used network for businesses and advertising.

If Google’s trying too hard and has raised the bar, that may be a good thing. Maybe other businesses should take a hint and step up to the challenge. Instead of hating on them, maybe we should follow their example. You never know if your gig could be the next Google.

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How can e-commerce business owners use coupons to gain customers or start conversion on your site

Posted on December 14, 2010 by htd Team

Everyone has felt the pinch of the lagging economy. Consumers are making every penny stretch, business owners are doing whatever they can to make a profit and still keep prices low enough to attract customers. The pinch has been felt by everyone in the business world, including e-commerce sites. These online stores have perhaps suffered the hardest because they face the most competition.

So what does a business owner do to create a “must buy” sensation in their online customers? Offer them a special coupon.

When you begin your e-commerce development, make sure that you are working with a firm that will create ways for your customers to receive discounts for performing special tasks. For instance, you may wish to offer free shipping on orders over $50 or 10% off the purchase for joining the mailing list. These promotional items will encourage people that land on your page to remain on your page and make a purchase.

A good Charlotte web development firm will be able to offer a business owner many options like this that will convert visitors into customers. It is imperative to go with a professional firm that can offer you all the latest gimmicks for your site to make your business more competitive.

Consumers want a deal, in this economy they may actually even need a deal. Providing them that deal will boost your sales and bring repeat business. A Charlotte web development company that specializes in e-commerce will be able to help you create an updated and consumer friendly site for your company.

Offering a coupon is a great way to introduce yourself to a potential customer. It is also a great way to reward a client for returning to your site. As a business owner you cannot overlook the potential that this simple gimmick can bring to your business. When you are consulting with a web development firm, make sure that you demand a way for your customers to save money and be rewarded for their patronage. The results will be financially rewarding.

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11 website design tips that will help you convert more prospects into buyers

Posted on December 12, 2010 by htd Team

Custom web design, if done correctly, can change your website visitors from prospects into buyers. The following 11 tips will do just that:

Make sure your website loads quickly

Fast website load times are essential to providing a positive user experience. If your site is slow, a prospect will likely leave before ever seeing what you have to offer. Our state of the art web hosting program can help you in this area.

Have a crystal clear identity

Boldly establish your web identity. How your website looks and functions speaks strongly to who you are. As soon as your site loads, your visitors should be able to tell who you are and what you do.

Keep it simple

Be clear on what you want your visitors to do. If there is clutter on your site, visitors wont know where to click. If you want visitors to click a certain button, make that button stand out. If you want your visitors to click a certain link, make sure it is not surrounded by other links.

White space is a good thing

White space on a website gives a clean and professional look that dark colors and clutter just don’t convey.

Have compelling copy that sells

The copy on your website should convey a strong message. You know your product or service works and is valuable. Tell the visitor why it is right for them and then tell them what you want them to do.

Don’t give prospects too many choices

When a prospect is given too many choices, they will be confused as to what to do. Know what you want the prospect to choose, and make that choice stand out.

Update your content regularly

Regular updates to your content has multiple benefits. For one, it will keep your customers coming back for more. Also, your overall ranking in the search engines will benefit from regular updates.

Make it easy for people to subscribe to your content

Have a clear and easy sing-up form on the front page of your site. This will allow you to follow up with customers and prospects while letting them know of current specials.

Use strong call to action language

A strong call to action is essential. Your customer should have no doubt as to what to do after they have visited your site.

Make your website readable

Write clearly and make sure your text is in colors that stand out from the background. When you have large blocks of text, use short paragraphs and bulleted lists where possible.

Display your contact information

Display your contact information clearly on a separate contact page. This adds to your credibility and will allow a prospect to contact you if they have any questions. It may also be a good idea to have basic contact information, such as a phone number, displayed on your home page.

At our Charlotte website design company, we strive to exceed our customers expectations. We provide custom website design that is proven to boost the conversion rates of your website. We use the tips stated here, along with countless other best practices, in every site we create.

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Consumer and SEO Website Goals

Posted on December 12, 2010 by htd Team

A vital component of a business enterprise is the ability to generate interest in its products or services. Website advertising is invaluable to the cause and can be divided into three categories: Search Engine Optimization, consumer friendliness, and extrapolation of content. The website development industry offers Custom Website Design to help business owners achieve a profitable balance of the three.

Search Engine Optimization is the process by which a company attempts to make the best available writing compositions to attract consumer traffic to its website. It began in 1995, after the creation of the Yahoo! Search Engine with simple alphabetical optimizations. A writing style optimized for the internet utilizes keywords which research suggests is most often used by web surfers to find content in a particular category. Keyword density, an important concept in optimization, was focused on by companies beginning in 1996. After the process is complete, a company will have its information displayed higher in search results, and thus is likely to receive more web traffic than those lower on the list.

A certain writing style which uses repetitive keywords tends to detract from a fresh, organized, and sincere presentation of information to the reader. Website development personnel, such as a charlotte web development team, therefore consider a writing style that caters well to the target audience.

Closely related is the depth of content on the website. Businesses aim to create websites which are comprehensive yet readable. Comprehensive, so that their competitors are not preferred because of misinformation, and readability, so the consumer is not intimidated and understands the benefits offered. The services, age group, level of education, and historically successful approaches are also considered when advertising a site. This helps the business and its associates determine whether a casual or technical tone is appropriate.

Whether you seek effective internet marketing, SEO marketing design, or brand identity services, htdNetwork a Charlotte web design company has it covered.

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Local Business provides Large Scale Marketing Services

Posted on November 1, 2010 by htd Team

htdNetwork, is a internet marketing company that open our doors in 2005, is slated for boomerang success. Even in a downward economy, htdNetwork has seen their clients’ success as they leverage their online resources through social media marketing.

The professionals at htdNetwork, a growing Charlotte search engine company, have tapped into a vital but often overlooked area of internet marketing, web design, web hosting, database development, e-commerce and content writing. By crafting, writing, and distributing strategic articles online, htdNetwork has helped both themselves and their customers generate the traffic, and the success, that many small businesses only dream of.

Because the Internet has become a giant “black hole” for small businesses, it is easy for tiny websites to be lost, unseen, and forgotten. Many businesses have found a solution in Article Marketing. Article Marketing, a form of search engine optimization, is one of the highly effective tool that htdNetwork uses to earn the attention of loyal and dedicated customers. Of course, only the text that strikes a chord in the online world will generate business.

Businesses know better than anyone else that “any old paragraph” just won’t do. Effective article marketing is written with the end users in mind, using keywords, solid anchor text, and rich narrative that appeals to their individual sense of taste and style. Even in their early days, htdNetwork has proven that they are able to roll up their sleeves and do their market research before diving in. Between their stellar performance of article writing, content management, directory submission, blog setup, link building services, social media marketing, press release submission, keyword analysis, and rank tracking, htdNetwork has positioned each of their clients for a high success volume.

Through htdNetwork’s web traffic business strategy, they provide professional, cost-effective marketing services. By professional Search Engine Optimization and content writing, they serve small businesses throughout America. Their professional writers and researchers will marry your content to thousands of search engines to achieve the highest visibility possible.

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Pay-Per-Click Marketing

Posted on November 9, 2010 by htd Team

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is currently the fastest way to bring a substantial amount of traffic to a website. Pay-Per-Click ads are displayed on the search engine results pages of all the major search engines, generally to the right side of the search results, but sometimes on top or on bottom. When a searcher clicks on a sponsored listing, they are immediately taken to the advertisers website and the advertiser is charged a small fee for that visit. Click charges can be as low as $0.10 cents or as high as $50.00 in some extreme cases. There are several pay-per-click engines, but the main engines include Google, Yahoo, and MSN.

In the early days of PPC, the highest bidder would come up in the top sponsored search position, and thereby get the most traffic. But when Google came out with their pay-per-click program, Google Adwords, they created an algorithm that bases your ad’s placement on bid amount, and a quality score that’s based on relevance and click-through-rate. This meant that someone can boost their position in the Google’s sponsored listings by creating text ads that are more relevant and better targeted. Most of the other search engines have followed suit and PPC has become a much more complex undertaking.

True Pay-Per-Click experts know that it’s not just about getting traffic to your website, but that it has to be targeted correctly and the price has to be right. Traffic alone doesn’t get you sales. For instance, a lawyer in Toledo, OH would do extremely well with keywords such as Toledo Lawyer, Toledo Attorney, and Toledo Law Firm, but the same lawyer would essentially be wasting money if he went after much more general keywords such as Lawyer, Attorney, and Law Firm. He would get plenty of traffic from visitors all across the country, but very few would be looking for a lawyer in Toledo. In addition, keywords are generally much more expensive at the national level than at the local level so it’s likely that he’d be paying a much higher per-click rate for keywords that would yield little to nothing. We have seen dozens of self-managed accounts that were completely wasting thousands of dollars a month on irrelevant and overpriced keywords. Don’t let this happen to you.

Good Pay-Per-Click Management is performed by well-trained and highly qualified individuals that know how to capture traffic from Google and get it to your website at a reasonable price. A good pay-per-click manager can take a PPC account that has been performing poorly and flip it up side down, getting much more traffic and more sales at a lower cost.

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Search Engine Marketing

Posted on November 9, 2010 by htd Team

So why should you do Search Engine Optimization?

Targeting: With SEO you’re only advertising to companies that are interested enough in your product or service that they searched for it, as opposed to most other forms of advertising where you hope that if you get your message out to enough people that someone will be interested.

Timing: SEO allows you to reach your target audience at the very moment they’re interested.

Visibility: Search Engine Optimization makes even obscure and hard to define products easy to find.

Branding: Companies at the top of Google are considered by searchers to be the top companies in their field.

Profitability: SEO has the highest Return on Investment of any major form of marketing.

The key to a successful business generally begins with one thing: location, location, location. Location is even more important on the internet. What kind of location are we speaking of? Top rankings for your website in the ever coveted Google search results.

The top spot in Google has rapidly become one of the most sought after spots on the Internet. Why? Because Google has quickly established itself as the dominant leader in search engine traffic. Google currently commands nearly 70% of all search engine traffic. On average, the #1 position in the search engines gets 42% of the visitors. Take a minute and ask yourself: “How important is it for my site to rank at the top of Google and the other search engines?” Your answer should be a simply stated “Very”.

About Search Engine Optimization:

Search Engine Optimization is the most complex form of internet marketing and also the most rewarding. Optimizing websites for the search engines is a skilled trade that can deliver amazing amounts of traffic to your website when completed properly. Ranking #1 in Google for a competitive term is similar to having a large billboard in Times Square. But the most beneficial thing about SEO is that your website is available to prospective customers at the very moment that they’re interested in your product or service, even 3 a.m. on a holiday or while they’re at work. What other form of marketing allows you to do that?

Search engines rely on several complex factors to determine how relevant, reputable, and important a site is. An in-depth understanding of how search engine algorithms work is extremely important to SEO, but knowing when and where to take action is the true key to success. A qualified search engine optimizer understands how to correctly balance factors on and off the website in order to achieve positive results. Here are a few simple examples of on-site and off-site factors that influence how Google and the other search engines decide who comes up on top:

Key Search Engine Ranking Factors:

  • Good: Keyword use in the title tag, headers, and body text
  • Good: Keyword included in the domain name
  • Good: Keyword included in the url
  • Good: Keyword included in the text of inbound links
  • Good: The more inbound links, the better
  • Good: The more popular the referring site is, the better
  • Good: Inbound links from other authority sites in your field
  • Good: Page Rank funneled to landing pages
  • Bad: Outbound links to bad neighborhoods (spammy sites)
  • Bad: Lack of content or content not indexable (i.e. Java, Flash)
  • Bad: Improper use of redirects
  • Bad: Use of curse words or hate language
  • Bad: Keyword stuffing

The list above has some of the most important ranking factors in the Google algorithm, but those are just the tip of the iceburg. No one really knows for sure what is contained in the algorithm, but there are over 1500 known factors that have been determined to be accurate by the SEO community. Google makes changes to the algorithm continually (average of 9 changes a week) in order to make their results more relevant and combat search engine spam.

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Increase Traffic/Leads/ Sales from your website

Posted on November 9, 2010 by htd Team

Along with link popularity, there are many effective tactics to increase traffic to your website. However, a comprehensive strategy to increase traffic, leads, sales or other conversions is our true focus.

To increase sales, you must increase your conversion rates. Conversion rate is a measure of the number of prospects that actually buy or signup for your product or service. For most websites, it is usually the percentage of visitors that make a purchase. Many websites concentrate solely on increasing the number of visitors to increase sales. However, if these sites improve their conversion rate, they would have a significant, positive effect on revenues. Here are a few simple considerations to improve conversion rates at minimal expense.

Beginning with your website domain name, make sure you stand out from the competition. Select a website name that differentiates your business yet makes sense to your target audience and is easy to remember.

Next, make sure that your content addresses exactly what your audience needs and delivers it in a design that is attractive, easy to read and navigate.

Be relevant. If you are targeting a market with specific keywords, your audience should land on the precise page on your site after typing those keywords. For example, if your audience types “vintage wine” into a search engine, on clicking your link they should be taken to the page on your site listing and selling vintage wines. They should not land at the home page of your website which has a link to the vintage wine section.

Being relevant is a simple, often overlooked strategy. This strategy uses landing page, a single page on your website designed to quickly convert a specific visitor into paying customer, hot lead, sign-up, etcetera. It can be a very valuable strategy. For example, if you have 10,000 visitors a month to your website and you convert 1%. That would be 10 Sales. If you could increase the conversion rate by 500%, then you could now get 5 times the amount of sales with the same marketing budget. We’ll show you how to use landing pages to do just that.

Measuring and testing is the key to improving conversion rates. You can’t improve conversion without measuring visits, sales and other criteria. Not measuring means you’re making an educated guess at what actually happens on your site. Get a good measurement system, learn what it’s all about, and test your changes.

Most importantly, build trust. You can’t sell anything if your audience doesn’t trust your site. Prominently display your privacy policy, shipping procedures and the fact that you employ encrypted security for customer transactions. Also, use testimonials to make them aware of your many satisfied customers. Make it easy to find contact information, especially customer support via email. Finally, educate your audience via articles, ‘how-to’ sections or newsletters to instill trust over time.

Growth is necessary for business survival. Stand still and the competition will quickly overtake you. Increasing your conversion rates and trust factor is a business growth strategy that every business can use.

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Picking the right SEO company!

Posted on November 11, 2010 by htd Team

How important is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)? Well! For starters, it can help you achieve high online visibility. of course, this is not going to happen overnight just like “Rome was not built in a day”. So if you have a small business or a start-up company with a small online advertising budget then SEO is the best option you have. So where do you really begin? Depending on what your requirement is, you will need the internet Marketing Company to guide you through the entire process so that you can manage your business and they can manage your website Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

There are hundreds and thousands of Charlotte Internet Marketing Providers but only a few are professional, reliable and experienced. Find the crème of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Experts can be a difficult job but here are some tips that will make your work easier:

There are several Search Engine Optimization (SEO Companies who make claims about their level of expertise. Some of them even claim that they have got websites number one ranking in the top search engines like Google or Yahoo within a few days. One of the favorite lines is, “I can get your articles submitted to hundreds of directories and it will make a major impact in a few days”. The truth is, you should be were of experts in SEO or SEM that guarantees you number one ranking on any of the top search engines for a particular or set of popular keyword phrases, and absolutely nobody can guarantee this within a few days (unless this is a pay per click campaign). Secondly, there are only a few authentic and relevant submission directories over the Internet where you can submit your content to enhance back-linking. The thought of the day is, “Don’t go for the promises, go for the facts!” You need a talented Search Engine Optimization (SEO) firm to seek out quality links for you efficiently.

Website ranking of the SEO expert

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) company website is the first place you need to visit if you are planning an internet marketing campaign. All top SEO experts will have their own website with details regarding the services offered by them, their portfolio, client feedbacks, and a contact us page. The best way to check the authenticity and expertise of SEO consultants is by checking the ranking of their website. If their website is at the bottom of Google Page Rank then they are probably not good enough and will not be able to offer positive assistance for your SEO campaign. Another important thing you need to check is if their website has been blacklisted by search engines like Google. There are many SEO specialists who have been blacklisted because they have used black hat SEO tactics and spamming for increasing web popularity and page ranking.

Reputation of Online SEO Service Provider

There is a saying that “reputation always precedes the person.” In this case, you will need to ask the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) consultants for client reference as well as read through any testimonials published on their website. You need to check the website of their clients and check their ranking on different search engines and over the internet. Most top SEO Experts will have no issues sharing their references.

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Build Your Links with Article Marketing

Posted on November 11, 2010 by htd Team

In 1440, we thought we had the best way to duplicate text with the invention of the printing press. And it was. Nobody thought it could ever get better.

(Not to sneeze at the printing press; it was pretty huge to not transcribe everything by hand anymore.)

But in the 1990′s, we developed a better way to duplicate text: the Internet. Electronic formats can be sent unlimited times without adding time or cost to production. Now we have new ways to promote businesses subsequently. Time became a less significant obstacle as information can now travel at lightning speed. Nobody thought it could ever get better.

But now, companies have stood on the shoulders of the Internet, leveraging its amazing mass communication abilities and helping businesses take it a step further.

One such company is Charlotte Article Marketing. Now, as a small business owner, you can strategize about how you are going to get your message out there. Article marketing companies can help you leap over the hurdle of establishing the connection not just to other people, but to your prospective customers. Your niche. Your market.

With article marketing, your website now has more than a fighting chance of getting top search engine rankings. The concept, while gaining popularity, is still one of the industry’s best kept secrets in practice. Many people see and understand the value of search engine optimization and writing eye candy to attract prospective clients; only a fraction of these people know how to put the wheels in motion. Article submission to companies such as Charlotte Article Marketing can help your SEO and your revenue streams.

Charlotte Article Marketing is an established company with experts who can consult you on how to develop the highest quality, keyword-rich content and get the best rankings for your website.

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What is conversion rate marketing and how can it grow my business

Posted on November 11, 2010 by htd Team

conversion marketingConversion rate marketing or conversion rate optimization is the process of enhancing the performance of your website by increasing the conversion ratio. Internet marketing is becoming more and more popular these days and many websites are trying all they could to get as much traffic as possible. This is through other target sites funneling traffic to the website, advertisements on forums, blogs and various other places. Often this could cost a lot. In the end if a large number of visitors are moving away from your website without doing business or even contacting you, the money spent to get the traffic is wasted.

Conversion rate experts use different mechanisms to find out why visitors to your site are not exactly being converted into potential customers. With a detailed feedback system, conversion rate marketing aims to first find out why the customer is moving away from the site. One can also get a good idea from the bounce rate of a webpage. If a visitor moves away from the page very quickly it only means that the advertising is not on target and is attracting people who are expecting something else and not the product on offer.

Conversion rate marketing in a way is focused on getting the niche audience that will do business. This is through identifying the right places to advertise and the right text and graphics to be used. For example, advertising about pet food needs to be done on a popular site for social networking of pet lovers. This also needs constantly monitoring various strategies. The experts will help you identify which pages, keywords and ad words brought the maximum customers and which of them were the least successful. This will help channelizing the entire strategizing program. Slowly you can replace strategies which work with those that don’t.

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Have you ever been skeptical of a new physician?

Posted on November 12, 2010 by htd Team

Most of us have been. As evidence of our common humanity, we all want to make sure that the person taking care of our bodies knows what they are doing. No one wants an incompetent doctor to prescribe strong medications or perform surgery on them.

However, you can use article marketing strategies to build confidence in your clientele.

Article marketing is one of the most important marketing strategies for any business. Article writing builds confidence among your patients and proves that you are an established expert in your field.

When you establish patient trust and peace of mind, you need to address two areas that are important to them. First of all, explain what you do. Patients want to know about the condition and treatment options. Giving them options helps them understand that you are willing to find the best option. Everyone wants to be valued as individuals, so explaining the treatments will help them enter your office with a more informed perspective.

Second, show your success through article marketing. Patients want to know who else has gone through the same procedures. This is proof that you can provide the help that they are looking for.

However, as a successful doctor, you don’t have time to write articles. Between patient emergencies, office appointments, building your practice, and medical research, your valuable time is spent. Professional article writers can craft an article from your notes that your patients will find valuable and informative. htdNetwork and Charlotte article marketing can operate in tandem with your practice, building your clientele and establishing yourself as an expert. htdNetwork is the one firm that can write and distribute your articles through Charlotte article submission, reducing the number of skeptics by building confidence.

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How to build your brand and grow your E-commerce sales online

Posted on November 30, 2010 by htd Team

E-commerce businesses are one of the most flexible trends in modern business. People open store fronts online, eliminating a lot of typical startup costs.

The tremendous appeal makes them an ideal business. However, lack of traffic and sales forces many into discouragement and defeat before their stores see the light of day. These five tactics will help you scale the hurdles and go straight for the gold.

1. Create a Straight forward Message

Your marketing message is the single most important tool that you have. Don’t be the “we sell everything to everyone” business. Define who your audience is, what you sell, and why they will buy your product. Does your product meet a specific need or desire? You need to tap into your audience and create a straight forward message that cuts to the chase.

2. Feature a Clean Targeted Landing page

Clutter, ads, and moving graphics are detrimental to your bounce rate. These elements typically cause people to exit your page fairly quickly. An appealing, clean landing page will draw your customers in and encourage them to browse your products.

3. Offer Personalized and Engaging Features

You should design your site with the audience in mind. Design it to their particular likes and interests, eliminating clutter and maximizing your online real estate. You can even do a mini usability test to find out if your site is intuitive and easy to use. A usability test is simply an in person observation of someone using your site. You can even ask them to find certain things on the site. Take note of any questions or frustrations they may have. This will help you to build an intuitive and engaging site for your users.

4. Build Credibility and Trust

It has been said that a happy customer might tell one or two people about their experience, but an unhappy customer will tell up to twelve people. The only way to build a good relationship with your customers is to be the most ethical and professional business in your power. As with any trusting relationship, this will take time to establish. The best way to do this is to always show up, follow up, and follow through. If you always do these three things, you will never go wrong in establishing great customer relationships.

5. Implement an Online Marketing Strategy

Participating in Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks is extremely beneficial. htdNetwork search engine marketing experts will work with e-commerce driven companies to choose the best keywords and come up with a reasonable timeline as to when their website can be expected to rank in the top 10. The key to success, however, is to update your social media marketing frequently and reach out to new prospective customers on a regular basis.

E-commerce businesses are not only a flexible and inexpensive business option, but they are very attainable if you follow the right steps. So raise let’s raise our glasses to your success!

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How important is the right internet marketing company to your company’s web site

Posted on December 3, 2010 by htd Team

How important is the right internet marketing company to your business? Well! For starters, it can help you achieve high online visibility. Of course, this is not going to happen overnight just like “Rome was not built in a day”. So if you have a small business or a start-up company with a small online advertising budget then SEO is the best option you have. So where do you really begin? Depending on what your requirement is, you will need the internet marketing company to guide you through the entire process so that you can manage your business and they can manage your website SEM.

There are hundreds and thousands of search marketing company Providers but only a few are professional, reliable and experienced. Find the crème of SEO Experts can be a difficult job but here are some tips that will make your work easier:

Don’t fall for the tall SEO promises

There are several online SEO company who make tall claims about their level of expertise. Some of them even claim that they have got websites number one ranking in the top search engines like Google or Yahoo within a few days. One of the favorite lines is, “I can get your articles submitted to hundreds of directories and it will make a major impact”. The truth is that firstly, no expert in SEO or SEM can ever guarantee number one ranking on any of the top search engines for a particular or set of popular keyword phrases, and absolutely nobody can guarantee this within a few days (unless this is a pay per click campaign). Secondly, there are only a few authentic and relevant submission directories over the internet where you can submit your content to enhance back-linking. The thought of the day is, “Don’t go for the promises, go for the facts!” You need a talented SEO firm to seek out quality links for you efficiently.

Website ranking of the SEO expert

SEO company website is the first place you need to visit if you are planning an internet marketing campaign. All top SEO experts will have their own website with details regarding the services offered by them, their portfolio, client feedbacks, and a contact us page. The best way to check the authenticity and expertise of SEO consultants is by checking the ranking of their website. If their website is at the bottom of Google PageRank then they are probably not good enough and will not be able to offer positive assistance for your SEO campaign. Another important thing you need to check is if their website has been blacklisted by search engines like Google. There are many SEO specialists who have been blacklisted because they have used black hat SEO tactics and spamming for increasing web popularity and page ranking.

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Grow your business with the right web marketing company using social media marketing

Posted on December 4, 2010 by htd Team

Did you know that over 27 million people use Yahoo News and Google News each month?? Whether it’s a newspaper article, a journal study, a magazine feature or a press release, people are scanning over articles by the million. An web marketing company like htdNetwork is well aware of this fact and takes the stance: So why these people shouldn’t be reading about your products and services?

According to the American Life Project survey, 68 million American adults go online daily, with 40% using a search engine for information and 27% searching for news stories. An internet marketing company can be a great link to getting your name in front of these audiences — whether it’s a potential buyer or some free publicity.

With increasing awareness among website owners to increase their online visibility, they are looking for “webmaster’s guide to internet riches”. What they are looking forward to, is some good sound advice on this diverse subject. They can certainly be categorized as NOT rich but they have some $$ which they plan to invest on their worthy business.

An online marketing company begin by conducting keyword searches to see what your target audiences may be looking for specifically. Your press releases will be scanned and optimized or written by a professional copywriter, if you choose. These articles will then be built up with links that will send readers directly to your website.

There are many avenues for getting the word out: media-direct emails or newswires, major web portals like AltaVista, network news feeds, RSS feeds, sites like Digg and blogging avenues, to name a few. Lastly, an internet marketing company will track your release and provide you with data to measure the successfulness of that particular article.

Exposure is obviously the top reason to hire a search engine marketing company to spread the word for you. Most of us are too busy and lack the necessary experience to keep up with the ever-changing world of Internet marketing. To stay in the game, you need all the publicity you can get.

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