A small piece to a larger presentation that I presented to security businesses. Emphasis on the power of social media, why you need a website, and sharing valuable, relevant, FREE information.
2. AGENDA
Introduction
Why DoYou Need aWebsite
The Making of a BusinessWeb Site
Simple Web DesignTips
Web Statistics
Search Engine Optimization
Marketing
Social Media
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3. WHY DOYOU NEED A
WEBSITE FORYOUR BUSINESS?
The internet has eclipsed print
77% of daily users use the web for research
93% of B2B users use the web to begin their research
process
Global reach
Communicates your products and services
Cost-effective marketing tool
Advantage over the competition
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4. WHY DOYOU NEED A
WEBSITE FORYOUR BUSINESS?
Credibility
Extension of your business
Public image
Define yourself or others will
Potential clients Expect a business to have a
website
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5. WEB SITE STATISTICS –THEN AND
NOW
In 2000 there were roughly 360 million
internet users and 25 million websites
In 2014 – over 2.4 billion internet users and
180 million active websites
Search for “Executive Protection” - over 1
million results; in 2010 – 205,000
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6. BUSINESS WEBSITES
Gone are the days of static brochure-ware
A website needs to continually evolve with
new technology
Increasing influence from social media
Corporations now have Facebook pages,Twitter
accounts, etc.
Interact with consumers on a social stage
Fish where the fish are
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8. MAKING OF A BUSINESS WEB SITE
How to get your website to stand out
among the very large crowd:
A website should answer: who you are, what
you do, and who you do it for
What is your strategy for your website?
(information, buy products)
Plan out content for your website
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9. MAKING OF A BUSINESS WEB SITE
Give a good first impression
Update it regularly
Give value to your visitor
Create a dialogue, build a relationship
Good usability
Make no assumptions with potential visitors
Visibility – Marketing your website
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10. SIMPLE DESIGNTIPS
Easy to read navigation and content
No blinking text (unless necessary)
Email sign up form
Contact information and form
Simple colors, simple layout, some white space is a good thing
Images – should match what you do
Post comments or feedback from customers
Don’t go “Below the Fold”
Avoid Flash intro pages
Have social media presence
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12. WEB STATISTICS – DATA
RECORDED
Visitors
Search engine keywords
Traffic sources
Referrals
Direct
Search Engines
Countries and cities
Visitor Internet Service Providers
fort.bragg.mil
Dept. of Justice
Mobile Devices
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13. SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
What is it?
Use of various tools to improve a web site’s ranking in the search
engines to attract more visitors
Keywords
Meta tags
In your content
Back-links (referrals, networking)
Search Engine Submissions
Marketing
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14. MARKETINGYOUR BUSINESS
WEBSITE
Various ways to market you or your business:
Article Marketing
Write an article, submit to various directories, link back to your
website
Blogs
Share information about you, your business or your experiences
Emails
Build your list! Emails are a huge win
Forums
Press Releases
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15. EMAIL MARKETING
Every business website needs a form to capture
emails
Build your mailing list with a “hook” (value)
Use a Mailing list program (Aweber, Constant
Contact)
Send a welcome email
Setup auto-responder emails (news, products,
training, etc.)
Analyze the stats afterward
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16. BLOG / ARTICLES
Create a blog onWordpress (free)
Write about something you are passionate
about (Golf, Fishing, EP, Playing theTuba)
Use keywords in the title of your articles and
that will capture reader attention (Ex.Top
10 places to play golf)
Update regularly (1 a day, a week) -
consistent
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17. BLOG / ARTICLES
Write articles based on your experiences
250 to 750 words
Short and to the point
Bold key phrases and takeaways
Don’t pretend to be someone else – use your
voice
Ask questions of your audience
Market through various channels
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18. FORUMS
Choose forums that you can exchange knowledge
Read the agreements and obey the rules
Username as company name
(ex. ISDA)
Complete your profile; link to your website
Use regularly and participate in discussions
Forum signatures
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19. SOCIAL MEDIA – 2014 STATS
Facebook
The King of Social Media websites
More than 1.3 Billion monthly users*
829 million log in daily
Average user spends 40 minutes a day
1 billion active users access Facebook through
mobile devices
30 million businesses now have a Facebook Fan
Page
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*July 2014
20. SOCIAL MEDIA - 2014 STATS
Twitter
Over 255 million monthly active users
500 millionTweets are sent per day
78% ofTwitter active users are on mobile
LinkedIn (2013)
300 million users
Professional, Networking and groups
More than 3 million companies have company pages.
In the first quarter of 2014, mobile accounted for 43% of
unique visiting members to LinkedIn.
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21. SOCIAL MEDIA – FACEBOOK DO’S
Create a fan page for your business
Add testimonials, upcoming training, etc.)
Add videos and images of business services
Start an Ad campaign for your business
Start a Facebook Group and promote on website
Promote on website and through messages
Secure your privacy settings; check every so often
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22. SOCIAL MEDIA – FACEBOOK
HEADLINES
“Israeli Soldier photographed with Arab soldier”
“Massachusetts school teacher lost her job over comments
she posted to her Facebook wall”
“Florida teachers warned not to ‘friend’ students online”
“Man jealous over a message on his girlfriend's Facebook
page tortured and imprisoned her for four days”
HR Executives CheckYour Facebook Page
45% of Employers Now Screen Social Media Profiles
Insurance Companies now looking at Facebook pages for
risky behavior
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23. SOCIAL MEDIA – FACEBOOK DON’TS
Don’t share too much personal information
in your profile
Don’t post personal feelings about your
work or co-workers
Don’t play the games and all the other
periphery that Facebook offers
Don’t post images that you’ll regret later
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24. SOCIAL MEDIA -TWITTER
Build your followers
Use programs such asTweet adder
AddTwitter to your website and blog
Promote your business and services
Be human, authentic, bring real engagement
Use bit.ly to shorten URL’s; track clicks
Connect with people globally
UseTwitter Search
Use for asking questions
Keep your ratio pretty close to 1:1
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26. SOCIAL MEDIA - LINKEDIN
Your resume on the web - literally
Professional
Spend some quality time and complete all the
information (ex. summary, experience, history)
Make connections
Join groups
NETWORK!
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27. SOCIAL MEDIATAKEAWAYS
Use it as a tool to:
Build relationships with your customers
Build trust
Communicate and share your knowledge – for
FREE
Social profiles are extension of your brand
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28. TOOLS AND RESOURCES
Tweetdeck orTweetAdder
http://www.tweetdeck.com/
Google KeywordTool
https://adwords.google.com/
Google Analytics
http://www.google.com/analytics/
Google WebmasterTools
http://www.google.com/webmasters/
Web PagesThat Suck
http://www.webpagesthatsuck.com/
Google Rank Checker
http://www.prchecker.info/
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Editor's Notes
Question: do you have a website?
People now search the web for all answers and research. Best doctors, plumbers, etc.
You have to stand out from the millions of websites and thousands that are in your area of expertise
Gone are the days of flipping through the yellow pages book and picking the first company you see
Marketing tool – all your information about you, your company and what you do all in one place
If your competition doesn’t have a website, or it is a poor design you have the advantage
Very important to plan out your website. What are you going to say to potential customers. Navigation, order of pages, contact us page, email addresses, phone #’s
According to one study nearly half of visitors to a website judge it by the design. Your website is an extension of your business. It runs 7/24 and is always visible. Websites need to dress to impress. Needs to be visually appealing. Visitors will leave in a matter of seconds.
Make no assumptions with your content. First time visitors don’t know anything about you are or your website. If they need to make a transaction keep it simple. If they are looking for information show it right on the home page.
Use flip chart. Or show on web.
93% believe that company websites should have a social media presence.
Website stats are invaluable bits of information. Behind the scenes servers that host your website collect bits of information about you and your hosting provider shares it with you their customer in nice tidy charts.
Hits are registered as each element from 1 web page gets requested from the server
1 visit is counted as a person who spends a minute or two clicking through your website.
Keywords are search phrases that visitors search for in Google and reach your website
Referrals are links to your website from other websites. The more links the better.
Visitor ISP’s or Internet Service Providers provide interesting clues. If it’s a .mil or .gov (fort.bragg.mil)
Very simple to do. Wordpress operates like Word.
Topics that you are knowledgeable will make you want to write without getting writer’s block.
Use keyword phrases within your content
Doesn’t have to be war and peace. A simple, useful, article
Caveat: anything you post to the article directories becomes their property.
Registration is needed to post to directories
Directories give you a “resource box” on the bottom to put a link back to your website. Every link back to your website increases your PageRank.
Title of your article should contain keywords that someone would use in Google.
If you are in security – find security forums; or find forums that complement each other – security and executive protection.
Exchange knowledge
While signing up be sure to read the agreements. Sometime there are strict rules that prohibit posting links in discussions. Your goal is for forum members to visit your website and buy your products or services
I suggest that your profile name be your business name.
Complete your profile. Sometimes there is a field where you can add a small bio about you.
Absolutely include the link back to your website.
Use the forums regularly – to gain “rank” or respect among other posters.
Forum signature – include an image and website URL. Is shown in every post you make
Question: Who has social media accounts?
Recent headlines and articles
Keep your personal feelings off of Facebook
Security and privacy settings. Every time Facebook launches a new widget on their platform privacy settings get reset to default. Always check.
Recommend custom – friends only
Increasing your followers will increase your Twitter “status.”
The more followers you have the more likely you will have Twitter requests
Twitter search – searches all of twitter. You can find the hot topics, form an opinion on your blog or website, and tweet it.
Ask questions. What’s the best security driver school. What’s the best paper for faxing?
No ROI – Twitter is growing and changing but right now, you spend your time on here without much gain other than your followers.
Keep it all business
Connections friends, colleagues, trainers, other people with similar interests
Groups – I did a search for EP and came up with about 5 pages worth.
Pick and choose wisely. Choose groups that are active! Belonging to a group is not a status symbol
What can you do in LinkedIn: NETWORK, give opinions, share knowledge
People buy from those they know and trust
The goal of social media is for people to buy your products and services it to get them to visit your website where they can learn more about you and what you do and hopefully buy your products
Research – say you are introducing a new product or service, or perhaps new training, asking your social media followers is a great way to get instant feedback.
Customer Service – yes indeed I’ve seen some companies using Facebook and Twitter as a customer service interface. Got a problem post it to our Facebook page