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Website Marketing
March 6, 2019

Boosting Your Conversions with 5 Simple Website Strategy Tips

From setting goals to seeking feedback, how a successful website promotes a successful business.

Your website strategy will play a critical role in the success of your business. At Blackstone Agency we know exactly what it takes to drive traffic, engage with your audience and increase your conversion rate. Your marketing strategy will ultimately determine the success of your website and any business that you do online.

Effective digital marketing has to be grounded with a powerful website. Your website is your storefront for the modern age. It needs to be user friendly, organized and developed with clear purpose and goals in mind.
Whether you’ve been in business for a decade or you’re only starting to transition to the online marketplace, here are five strategies you can use to make your website more effective.

#1 Don’t Overthink The Web Design Process

overthinking a webdesign process can be your worst enemy if you are not prepared

In the earlier days of the internet and online business, website developers were notorious for prioritizing design over everything else. Flashy webpages attracted attention due to the relative novelty of the internet at the time. Today, the internet is a mainstream and necessary channel for conducting business. Your website doesn’t need to be flashy for it to be successful. Before you even think about design, clearly define your goals and answer some preliminary questions. What is the vision for your website? Who is your audience? How will you most effectively communicate with them?

#2 Organization Is Key

Setting goals gives you something to work towards. Asking yourself questions will also help you to keep things in perspective. Most online business models are relatively simple. Even if you offer a number of different products and services, they will usually fit into a particular niche and will be targeted towards specific demographics. Clutter has no place on a website. Your site needs to be well organized while only providing the information that is necessary. There are literally hundreds of distractions for your audience when they engage with you online. Don’t give them a reason to lose interest.

#3 Content Still Rules

when it comes to having a great website its a known fact that new content will always rule

You’ve probably heard that content is king. As cliché as it sounds, it remains true. Your content, whether it be text, images or other media, is what will ultimately influence your market and help them determine whether they want to do business with you. Every word is important. Every graphic must be selected for its impact and relevance. Developing strong content will increase your conversions, and it will also help to ensure your site remains ranked in search engines and relevant within your niche.

#4 User Experience Comes First

the user experience is key when having a great website

We mentioned that flashy web pages don’t necessarily translate to good web pages. An effective website strategy means creating pages where the user experience is the key motivation behind web design. Can the website be navigated without difficulty, is the information presented upfront, and can visitors find information and answers without navigating complex menus or reading through unnecessary text? The user experience will make the difference between conversions and lost opportunities, so make sure you always approach your marketing strategy with the end user in mind.

#5 Seek Feedback

when creating an effective website make sure to seek feedback

One problem that you may have when creating a website is being able to objectively determine if the final result is representative of what you set out to achieve. As the creator and the business owner, you will see things differently from how your audience does. That’s why it is essential to test your site and seek feedback during development. Network with people who fit your target demographic, and invite them to take part in your website strategy. You could even use this to your advantage by extending exclusive offers to these testers, helping you to develop your reputation even before your site goes live.

How can you ensure your website has a return on investment?

Your website will often determine the difference between a successful online presence and a business that fails to meet its potential. If you want to generate leads and enjoy high conversion rates, then you will need powerful content based on an effective website strategy with modern web design that caters to your intended audience.

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Marketing
March 6, 2019

Creating an Effective Marketing Plan

Whether you are starting a new business or are just planning for the upcoming year for an existing business, one of the most crucial elements will be your marketing plan.

Regardless of how awesome and unique your product or service is, you will not be able to be profitable in your marketing efforts if you can’t effectively target and reach your prospective client base.
As one of the creative agencies in Fort Lauderdale, we have developed many different types of marketing plans and strategies for businesses of all types, sizes and at different stages of growth. We understand that a carefully researched, planned and executed marketing strategy is imperative to the success of any business that wants to grow.

The many successful Marketing campaigns we’ve developed and managed all consist of certain key elements which include the following list below.

Top 7 Key Elements For Creating an Effective Marketing Plan:

  1. Situation Analysis – You need to understand your industry’s current market landscape (competitors, target clients, business needs, etc.)
  2. Market Opportunity – In your marketing, what niche exists for you to tap into? What is your forecasted revenue? Can you build your company’s market share?
  3. Objectives – What goals is your company trying to achieve via its marketing efforts? Are you trying to grow market share, expand your reach into existing core customers, expand into new markets, increase your sales, or…?
  4. Messaging – You need to think through how your business is different and create statements which position your business in a unique way compared to your main competitors
  5. Marketing Strategies – What marketing channels and approach will you take to effectively achieve your objectives? For example: if one of your objectives is to expand into new markets, then a supporting strategy might be to run an email marketing campaign with a targeted, purchased list from an outside source that you have never marketed to previously.
  6. Marketing Tactics – You should strategize and choose the specific tactical actions you are going to take such as creating newly designed ads to appeal to certain target audiences. Whatever tactics you choose, make sure they are in line with your end objectives.
  7. Execution – In terms of planning, you need to assign a target completion as well as execution dates to each action item you have outlined and stick to them as closely as possible.

Overall, this may seem like a lot to do for an effective marketing plan, however, it is important to plan and execute with forethought, strategy and measurable goals so that you know whether or not your efforts are successful.

Creating an Effective Marketing Plan

If you want to start on a new marketing plan for 2019, we would be happy to assist you with starting off on the right foot with a solid plan for a successful and profitable year.

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Branding, Marketing
March 6, 2019

Branding and Marketing – A Look at the Big Picture

There are many different angles in branding and marketing campaigns.

A customer may have seen your ad in a newspaper, online, or a social networking link. One angle of a marketing campaign that most companies attribute converting a prospect to a customer is email marketing. This can be misleading though, because one or more of the angles listed above can be responsible for influencing that customer to make a decision, and surprisingly it rarely JUST your e-mail marketing by itself! Don’t let that scare you however, because combining email with analytics can help increase the efficiency of your program as a whole.

The best way to get started when combining analytics with your email marketing is to start with Google Analytics as well as with your email marketing program’s built in analytics. Marketers can use metrics from both channels to determine who is clicking through and where customers go once they do click through to your website. These metrics help marketers make informed decisions about enhancing the website and future branding and marketing strategies. When combining web analytics with email analytics you are able to determine how the most profitable customers are being acquired. Essentially by combining these analytic tools marketers are able to track their users and use their entire angle in their marketing strategy to the best of their ability.

If you want to enhance your overall branding and marketing strategies by using email marketing combined with other multi-channel marketing efforts but don’t know where or how to get started, contact us! We can help you get on the right track.

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Branding, Business Development
March 6, 2019

Brand Messaging for New Businesses

It is important to have a cohesive brand message throughout all of your marketing, advertising and promotional materials.

In business branding, the name, the design, a symbol or a message that a company uses in all of its marketing collateral is what sets it apart and differentiates its product offerings from others in the industry. It is the core identity of the business; an all-inclusive, multi-faceted “picture” of everything the business represents. Business branding is crucial and a very important component to any new business starting out. It gives the business a significant edge among industry competitors.

Your business’ branding message should resonate throughout all of your marketing materials and articulate your business’ objective.

Your business’ branding message should resonate throughout all of your marketing materials and articulate your business’ objective. It connects you to your target market and affects every component of your business, from customer service to sales. The message should be concise, cohesive and consistent and adequately reflect the business’ objective. It should highlight the business (both offline and online), its products and services and the staff. It should focus on communicating those benefits to the target market in relevant ways. Each and every nuance of the business and its core objective should factor into the branding message.

Effective Branding

Effectively building a solid brand starts with your business’ marketing collateral, ensuring that it represents your business brand completely. A variety of sales support tools including brochures, print advertising, product catalogs, sell sheets, blogs or content marketing are all a part of your business’ marketing collateral. Each of these tools facilitates the sales funnel, making the process easier. In branding, your business will use each of its relevant tools to deliver pertinent information to your target market and customer base. You do this by telling a story, delivering information and building relationships, thereby creating your “brand.”

Each type of branding tool requires its own style of communications to make it effective. You must consider your audience and your desired end goal when launching a branding tool. The communication used should be informative but also relate-able to your potential customers. It should leave a lasting impression with the audience and inspire buyers to take action, whether it’s to motivate or persuade them. You want to leave them with compelling reasons to buy your products or services, be it immediately or at a later date.

Each of the branding tools should also complement one another. They should all work together so that there’s consistency in everything that represents your business. For instance, the brand’s trademark or logo should appear on each piece of printed material (brochures, business cards, etc.), but should also carry over into digital media (videos, television, etc.) as well, appearing within the promotion.

Brand Messaging for New Businesses

Marketing Tools

Although it’s impossible to convey detailed information about your business in some marketing tools (business cards, sell sheets), you can still implement your brand strategy everywhere your business exists.

Since one of the focal points of branding is to differentiate your product or service, you can achieve this by using content marketing tools (articles, blogs) to focus on areas where your product is different than other competitors.

Branding opportunities exist in every aspect of your business. Creating a complete branding image with applicable, relevant marketing tools assures that your message is delivered effectively. Analyze each component to assess how they all fit together to convey your message.

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Advertising, Marketing
March 6, 2019

Advertising Marketing Companies – What is their Role?

In years past, it would have been difficult to imagine a company not doing all their work themselves, including their marketing ventures. Bu, the fact remains that in today’s economic situation, if one company decides to do all the work themselves, then the company will likely not be sustainable at all. Certain work is best left to experts and that is precisely the reason why there is advertising agency pole.

What Are Advertising Marketing Companies? And What Do They Exactly Do?

There has been confusion surrounding work that is done by advertising marketing companies, but when you think about it, it is pretty straightforward.

Think of advertising marketing companies as a car. While strictly a branding company would provide you with the general design of the car, advertising marketing companies give you much more – you get all the parts you need to get where you want to go. After all, you can only get so far with just the basic layout and design.

By definition, advertising marketing companies are in a service business that is dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising (and sometimes other forms of promotion) for its clients. The main aim of any advertising marketing company is to ensure that the client and their products are visible to the general public with the aid of advertisements.

Main Reasons Why There is a Need for Advertising Marketing Companies

Main Reasons Why There is a Need for Advertising Marketing Companies

In this rapidly changing environment, there is a need for advertising marketing companies to be publicized and to improve their advertisement so as to ensure that they are always on the minds of their consumers. It all comes down to the fact that even a small change of words makes a huge difference. The process of changing those few words or making little tweaks to the layout is what makes the advertisement spectacular.

Although it might sound simple enough, words can be deceiving, and those few words and much-needed tweaks, along with the graphical or the designing part, require experts who know what they are doing. This is where an advertising marketing company comes in.

What is the Process of Making of an Advertisement?

An advertisement is made only with the cooperation of all the departments that form an advertising marketing company. The idea of the ad is complete only after the client servicing executives have briefed the creative department as to what the client wants.

The overall briefing that is given by the client is the key to the making of advertisements. As a rule of thumb, an advertising marketing company cannot go against the client’s wishes but can always suggest better ways to boost the promotional aspect.

Even if the product is very mundane, prior market research has to done, in order to ascertain who the competitors are and how they promote their product. Once all that is done the promos and ads have to be such that they speak of something different.

The client servicing executives of an advertising marketing company act as coordinators between the client and the creative section, while the marketing executives fix up the budget. The client agrees with the deal and then the process of creating an ad is initiated.

The Layout, Designing and Finally Hitting the Market

Once all the steps are in place, the creative team undertakes a brainstorming session to look into various aspects of the brand and the product. Once an idea is cleared, a lot of factors such as an advertisement’s reach and effectiveness are examined. Once an advertising marketing company has decided that a particular ad fits the bill and effectively reaches the target audience, they move on to the next step.

The next step involves choosing the particular medium in which the ad is going to appear. This is very important due to the fact that some ads work well in certain mediums and not so well in others.

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Digital Marketing, Uncategorized
March 6, 2019

Why Your Business Needs to Market Online

Overview of Why Online Marketing is Best for New Businesses

Business marketing has many methods of working, depending on the goals of the business. It’s a way to let people know about a business and what products or services are offered. A popular and most often used form of marketing includes traditional, offline marketing, which is a method that a lot of new businesses start off with before they move to online marketing. However, there are a lot of businesses that only do online marketing and are very successful at it. It allows new businesses to get into marketing quicker and compete effectively with other businesses in its industry.

Young companies also gain a marketing advantage because it can penetrate some of the same markets as larger, older businesses by using the same or similar online tools and software. Overall, it is the most effective form of advertising and one that is the best solution, especially for new businesses.

Online marketing is an efficient and productive way to cull a branding image and online position.

Creating a brand can is more than designing a logo, creating a slogan, using certain images or colors that all go towards the company’s “look.” These different methods that businesses use online makes it ideal because it’s quicker, more effective, more cost efficient and much easier to adapt to as compared to other methods.

Online marketing also provides a way to make information easily accessible for clients.

Technology has advanced to a level where most all businesses are expected to have a website or an online presence of some sort. This is essential for profitability because consumers now look for and expect businesses to have some sort of web presence. This is especially critical for e-commerce and some types of service businesses because consumers like to compare before they purchase. Companies who do not have a presence often lose out on potential business to other competitors in the same industry. The majority of online buyers need and want to have a comfort level with a business before they buy. Because it is so easy and affordable today to have a website presence, every new business should take steps to create one and make its presence known in its industry.

Online marketing provides new and existing businesses with a way to offer stellar customer support. With traditional offline businesses, this can be a challenge. But online marketing allows 24/7 services because technology creates that availability. Business owners or staffers can respond to customers almost immediately, versus long response times. With email and online chat features, any business can be more effective with its service offering. Customer retention increases and so does profitability.

Online marketing also provides a way to make information easily accessible for clients.

Technological capabilities allow customers to find out information about the business, find product related content and updates and company changes. Depending on the business and the type of customer base, customers like to research and read about a product or service before they purchase. They will depend heavily on the information provided on a business’ website before they make a selection.

New businesses benefit from an online marketing presence because it provides an ideal solution for doing business. Just like with customer support solutions, prospective customers access the business via the business’ web presence. Proper and effective marketing a storefront business creates a way to increase the customer base and provide quicker customer sales. This is much more advantageous than a traditional brick and mortar business and usually more profitable.

Customers also enjoy the convenience of surfing and shopping and making their selections or requesting more information that they can read at their convenience.

Online businesses can design, build and grow any business effectively and profitably with the right tools and design.

The economy is leaning heavily towards online businesses because of customer’s preferences and convenience. Online marketing makes it easy for customers to find information and verify a business before doing business with it.

For more information on how to promote your business online, please contact the internet marketing experts at Blackstone Agency.

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Website Design
March 6, 2019

You Can’t Build A Business on A $300 Website

In a world gone digital, those with a secure foundation online succeed, and why building your house with hay won’t stand up to the competition.

In business there is a conversation that usually starts with, “I’ve been in business for a few years and I’m ready to take my business serious. I have money to invest and want to do it correctly because I know it’s going to cost to do it right and compete in my competitive market.” After a discussion with the customer about marketing and options, we usually send over a proposal that is well above the $300 mark. Three or four days usually pass and the email or phone call comes back with, “I’ve talked to a friend and he turned me onto a website that builds websites for under $300. I’m going to go that route instead of your agency.”

In this case, it is the customer’s right to look at the other options they have. But the bigger question is whether or not you were ever really serious about investing in your business. As the old saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” It’s impossible to combine fast, professional and cheap when it comes to your website. You get what you pay for. Anyone who is actually serious in business will tell you that you cannot build a website for less than three hundred bucks. The reason is that there are actual expenses that affect the quality of the product you have.

I know that sounds like a rant, but really, it is a very profound principle that portrays how serious business owners or entrepreneurs are regarding their business. If you want to be successful, you must strive for perfection. I’m not saying you have to have an unlimited budget; I’m just saying do it right. My father always told me, do it right the first time; even if it costs you more money, it’ll save you headache, hassle and even more money in the end. The missing part of that is the lost revenue that is the result of poor marketing. Remember that first impressions are everything. Your first impression for a new client or customer only gets one shot, and you will never have a chance to get them again in most cases.

So what is the difference between a $300 website and a $3,000 website? Well, if you consider a small professional website takes over 30 hours to complete, you’re looking at the difference between a $10 an hour person and $100 an hour professional in a numbers perspective.

The Importance of Having a Professional Graphic Design

why you want to hire a professional to design your website

It takes time and costs money to create graphics for a website. You cannot simply copy and paste some images online and use them. This sets you up for a copyright complaint if you do. Additionally, if you use the free resources online, you are reusing images that won’t make your business stand out. Professional graphic design ensures that you have a visually stunning set of images that leaves a lasting impression with your customers when they visit your website. After all, would you rather have a plain website to do business with that is a jumbled mess with amateurish graphic design or one where the web design truly shines?

Strategic Calls to Action And Messaging

On a $300 website, you have no professional thought put into the website. There is no strategic planning, and all that has taken place is that a person threw together a website without any effort at all. That means while a basic $300 website can get you something assigned to a URL, you are left with nothing more than a hobby website when compared to the work of an actual professional.

In this case, think about a website you’ve been to for a business that looks like a high school student has thrown something together. It looks like a hobbyist created the space over a true professional, and in this case, that would be true. You’ll never find a true professional website for only $300.

Built Taking into Effect Search Engine Optimization

A website can be set up in a few hours. By the time it is done, you have the framework of what you need to successfully operate your website. The problem is that you aren’t going to have the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) on the page. SEO is a complicated process that takes time, and your average $300 website builder won’t take the time to make sure your website uses the latest approved techniques while following the guidelines of Google through their Panda, Penguin and Hummingbird updates. A professional web designer can take your website and ensure that it is optimized so that you have real results the moment that your website goes live. All it takes is a few simple online adjustments to things like links and your web design.

Instead, for the $300 you have a bare-bones unprofessional looking website that won’t have any traction online.

Technically Sound And Secure

Realistically, the $300 website will be a simple WordPress that incorporates a few plugins. In most cases, they have done nothing more than quickly changed a template and require you to update your version frequently. Eventually, these templates stop being updated and new security issues arise. In 2016 and beyond, you need to take your website security seriously, otherwise your website will be taken down by hackers.

when you pay for a cheap website you are risking cheap security.
When you pay for a cheap website you are risking cheap security.

When you pay a professional company, you don’t have to worry about someone hacking into your website because firewalls and other prevention tools are already in place to protect you. That way, you have some peace of mind that the website for your business will always be up and running when you need it the most. A lot of the inexpensive websites out there are designed with the same set of templates. This makes them look like a copy and paste job of every other website out there. While this is fine if you don’t care about innovation and standing out, it won’t leave a lasting impression with your customers. It also will not look professional, and people will question if doing business with your company is safe. Instead, you want to take the time to ensure that your website stands out in the sea of competition and drives the customer to finalize a sale with you over doing business with anyone else. That depends on having a unique design that is easy to use while being visually stunning. This combination is something that can only be done when you work with a professional web designer.

Built for Your Business Not Just Another Template

As you can see, a $300 website is not a realistic approach for anyone who is serious about their business. It makes you look like a hobbyist who has just tossed something up and prevents your website from being taken seriously in an already competitive market. Instead, take the time to work with a professional company who will go the extra mile and ensure that your business has everything it needs to be successful online, with fewer threats, and be a website that people notice and feel comfortable with thanks to the quality web design it has.

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Website Design
August 19, 2018

Create Online Forms that Engage and Convert

To your website visitors, online forms are like optional extra credit in school. If they are already passing a class, most people don’t want to spend time completing extra work. That extra credit only becomes attractive when they need the points to pass the class. Your visitors won’t look at your forms with interest unless it promises to help them achieve something of value to them. If they can find the information they need through your blog or the products they need through your store, they have little incentive to spend time filling out an optional form.

The solution is not to give up on forms altogether but to create engaging online forms that have value to your visitors. You start by being upfront about what they will receive in exchange for the information asked for in the form.

For instance, you may tell visitors that they can obtain more in-depth information not featured on your blog or website content if they sign up for your newsletter or that they can get discounts on future purchases by signing up for occasional email messages. Think about what benefit a visitor may gain from a specific form, and make sure they understand that benefit. Then place the form in a convenient location on your website and follow these additional tips:

  1. Only ask for the information you really need.
    The more information a visitor must provide, the less likely they are to fill out an online form. Forms with a lot of fields look complicated and require a larger investment of time. Simplerforms are faster to fill out, so your visitors are more likely to consider the time investment worth the payoff they receive at the end.
  2. Use terms that everyone can understand.
    If your website is dedicated to a specific industry, don’t use industry lingo. You want to ensure that everyone inclined to fill out your form will understand what information you are requesting. When something is unclear, visitors will abandon the form before it is complete.
  3. Design your forms to limit frustration over errors.
    Have you ever gotten to the end of a long form only to be presented with a message that there were errors on the page? Going back to fix the error can double the time it takes to complete the form. This is often caused by not using dashes or other small mistakes. If you simplify your forms by accepting data in whatever manner your visitors want to enter it, you can eliminate this frustration and ensure your visitors stick around long enough to fully complete the process.
  4. Customize your online forms to your user.
    Use your analytics to determine what country most of your visitors come from, and then put that country at the top of your location dropdown list. Small things like that can simplify the form process so that more of your visitors make it to the end of the form.
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