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How to Make a Website Customers & Google Love

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Element Three
Element Three

This document provides tips and best practices for creating an effective website that generates leads. It discusses the importance of search engine optimization (SEO) and highlights key on-page elements like keywords, links, and metadata. Tips for design emphasize usability, like placing important information above the fold and using whitespace. The document also stresses the importance of high-quality, valuable content and calls-to-action to engage visitors and convert them into leads. Overall, the document outlines essential strategies for search marketing, design, content creation, and lead generation to help websites succeed.

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HOW TO CREATE A WEBSITE THAT CUSTOMERS (AND GOOGLE) LOVE MARCH, 2013
How to Make a Website Customers & Google Love
A Chat About: Why a (relevant) website is no longer optional How Google sees your website – and why you should care What you need to know to have a kick butt website How to turn your website into a lead machine Know how your website stacks up
Element Three HQ in Indianapolis 25 Employees In biz 8 years HubSpot Agency of the Year
HUBSPOT DISCLAIMER
“70% of a sale is over before a sales person ever gets involved”
How to Make a Website Customers & Google Love
Get Found Online By
WHY IS SEARCH MARKETING SO POWERFUL?
Paid Search/ Pay Per Click/ PPC Organic Search/ Search Engine Optimization/ SEO
ACHIEVING OPTIMAL ORGANIC PAGE RANK
WHERE SEO IS HEADING: In recent Google algorithm updates, Google has diminished the power of inbound links and placed a high importance on content and overall user experience. Increasingly, this is the direction that Google is moving toward.
SEARCH MARKETING STATS  4 out of every 5 search engine users report they never click on PPC (paid) results  70% of search engine users choose to visit websites that appear in the Top 10 organic results  Over one billion daily searches are performed through Google alone  Google accounts for 80% of all search volume
Rank 1 = 56% of clicks Rank 2 = 13% of clicks Rank 3 = 10% of clicks Rank 4 = 4% of clicks Rank 5 = 4% of clicks Rank 6 = 4% of clicks Rank 7 = 3% of clicks
SEO HOW TO On-Page Content  You can‟t optimize for everything  Defined keyword list  Search volume  Difficulty score  Relevance to your business  Tool: HubSpot Keyword Grader  Tool: adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal  Keyword Density (3-7%)  Tool: tools.seobook.com/general/keyword-density/  Pick a primary keyword for each page, then use it „everywhere‟
SEO HOW TO In-bound Links & Link Building  Search engines see links to your site as a “vote” for the quality of content on your site.  The relative authority of the linking site plays a part in determining the importance assigned to the links they provide to your pages. How:  Guest Blogging  Demonstrate thought leadership  Comment in *relevant* forums and blogs (many now have no-follow links imbedded)
SEO HOW TO Some Technical Stuff:  Meta Data: The first thing search engine will look for  Determines what people will see in the SERP page  XML Sitemap  301 Redirects
Design & Usability: Brains and beauty steal the show
BASELINE STATS (AN EXAMPLE) Metric Baseline Commentary Bounce Rate 44% High, target less than 30%. Bounce rates for most websites are 30-60%. New Traffic 75% Depends on your website‟s core function Pages / visit 2.77 Look for trends that are steadily increasing Avg. Visit Duration 1:47 Look for trends that are steadily increasing Leads 20 Target 1-7% conversion rate
DESIGN TIPS:  Consistency breeds credibility  Ditch the stock photography: Marketing Experiments performed a test comparing stock photography v. real imagery on a website and the effect on lead generation. Photos of real people outperformed the stock photos by 95%.  Navigation Tips:  use words that your customers know - not what your products are called (or use both).  Don't use sound or flash in your navigation.  You don't need to show every page level available to the visitor.  Be careful how cutesy you get with navigation placement, we're getting pretty used to the standards (top or left).
USERS FOCUS ON FACES Source: http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2009/09/24/10- useful-usability-findings-and-guidelines/
PLACE THE MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOVE THE „FOLD‟ The Fold
LEARN TO LOVE WHITE SPACE (AND IT DOESN‟T HAVE TO BE WHITE)
DON‟T IGNORE MOBILE (OR BE LEFT BEHIND) Source: http://www.webanalyticsw orld.net/2012/07/mobile- vs-desktop-search- trends.html
Content: Share your knowledge with others
1 CONTENT HOW TO Think Billboard  Will people know what you do in seconds?  Will visitors know what to do next?  Why should they trust you and not your competition? Avoid "we have", focus on "you get" language. Kill the jargon
2 CONTENT HOW TO Be specific about the value you add to your target audience Avoid clichés like "our people are the best”, "great customer service”, "a million years of experience”, "We hire the smartest people" and "our process is the best ever” People don‟t buy strategies, they buy tactics or outcomes Make tangible things intangible and intangible things tangible
Content that gets leads (seriously)
MY FAVORITE KIND OF CONTENT Make Calls-to- Action That People really care about And give them a glimpse into the value you‟ll add to their world Learn More
CONTENT TYPES  Blog posts  White Papers  E-books  Articles  Infographics  Videos  Press releases  Event postings  Case studies  Testimonials  Website pages
ALL ABOUT CALLS TO ACTION  What is a Call-to-action  Make them enticing  Make them look like a button  Would you want to click on it? Is it clear what I'm going to be getting?  Test like crazy  Be smart about where you put them  Homepage  Bottom of every web page  End of each blog post  Be relevant with the topic  Link to a landing page  Landing page best practices  Form best practices
WANT HELP KNOWING HOW YOUR WEBSITE IS PERFORMING OR WHERE TO START? HubSpot Website Grader: http://marketing.grader.com/ Manage SEO & Monitor Social Media: http://www.seomoz.org/
QUESTIONS? www.facebook.com/elementthree @tiffanysauder http://info.elementthree.com/

More Related Content

How to Make a Website Customers & Google Love

  • 1. HOW TO CREATE A WEBSITE THAT CUSTOMERS (AND GOOGLE) LOVE MARCH, 2013
  • 3. A Chat About: Why a (relevant) website is no longer optional How Google sees your website – and why you should care What you need to know to have a kick butt website How to turn your website into a lead machine Know how your website stacks up
  • 4. Element Three HQ in Indianapolis 25 Employees In biz 8 years HubSpot Agency of the Year
  • 6. “70% of a sale is over before a sales person ever gets involved”
  • 9. WHY IS SEARCH MARKETING SO POWERFUL?
  • 10. Paid Search/ Pay Per Click/ PPC Organic Search/ Search Engine Optimization/ SEO
  • 12. WHERE SEO IS HEADING: In recent Google algorithm updates, Google has diminished the power of inbound links and placed a high importance on content and overall user experience. Increasingly, this is the direction that Google is moving toward.
  • 13. SEARCH MARKETING STATS  4 out of every 5 search engine users report they never click on PPC (paid) results  70% of search engine users choose to visit websites that appear in the Top 10 organic results  Over one billion daily searches are performed through Google alone  Google accounts for 80% of all search volume
  • 14. Rank 1 = 56% of clicks Rank 2 = 13% of clicks Rank 3 = 10% of clicks Rank 4 = 4% of clicks Rank 5 = 4% of clicks Rank 6 = 4% of clicks Rank 7 = 3% of clicks
  • 15. SEO HOW TO On-Page Content  You can‟t optimize for everything  Defined keyword list  Search volume  Difficulty score  Relevance to your business  Tool: HubSpot Keyword Grader  Tool: adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal  Keyword Density (3-7%)  Tool: tools.seobook.com/general/keyword-density/  Pick a primary keyword for each page, then use it „everywhere‟
  • 16. SEO HOW TO In-bound Links & Link Building  Search engines see links to your site as a “vote” for the quality of content on your site.  The relative authority of the linking site plays a part in determining the importance assigned to the links they provide to your pages. How:  Guest Blogging  Demonstrate thought leadership  Comment in *relevant* forums and blogs (many now have no-follow links imbedded)
  • 17. SEO HOW TO Some Technical Stuff:  Meta Data: The first thing search engine will look for  Determines what people will see in the SERP page  XML Sitemap  301 Redirects
  • 19. BASELINE STATS (AN EXAMPLE) Metric Baseline Commentary Bounce Rate 44% High, target less than 30%. Bounce rates for most websites are 30-60%. New Traffic 75% Depends on your website‟s core function Pages / visit 2.77 Look for trends that are steadily increasing Avg. Visit Duration 1:47 Look for trends that are steadily increasing Leads 20 Target 1-7% conversion rate
  • 20. DESIGN TIPS:  Consistency breeds credibility  Ditch the stock photography: Marketing Experiments performed a test comparing stock photography v. real imagery on a website and the effect on lead generation. Photos of real people outperformed the stock photos by 95%.  Navigation Tips:  use words that your customers know - not what your products are called (or use both).  Don't use sound or flash in your navigation.  You don't need to show every page level available to the visitor.  Be careful how cutesy you get with navigation placement, we're getting pretty used to the standards (top or left).
  • 21. USERS FOCUS ON FACES Source: http://uxdesign.smashingmagazine.com/2009/09/24/10- useful-usability-findings-and-guidelines/
  • 23. LEARN TO LOVE WHITE SPACE (AND IT DOESN‟T HAVE TO BE WHITE)
  • 24. DON‟T IGNORE MOBILE (OR BE LEFT BEHIND) Source: http://www.webanalyticsw orld.net/2012/07/mobile- vs-desktop-search- trends.html
  • 26. 1 CONTENT HOW TO Think Billboard  Will people know what you do in seconds?  Will visitors know what to do next?  Why should they trust you and not your competition? Avoid "we have", focus on "you get" language. Kill the jargon
  • 27. 2 CONTENT HOW TO Be specific about the value you add to your target audience Avoid clichés like "our people are the best”, "great customer service”, "a million years of experience”, "We hire the smartest people" and "our process is the best ever” People don‟t buy strategies, they buy tactics or outcomes Make tangible things intangible and intangible things tangible
  • 29. MY FAVORITE KIND OF CONTENT Make Calls-to- Action That People really care about And give them a glimpse into the value you‟ll add to their world Learn More
  • 30. CONTENT TYPES  Blog posts  White Papers  E-books  Articles  Infographics  Videos  Press releases  Event postings  Case studies  Testimonials  Website pages
  • 31. ALL ABOUT CALLS TO ACTION  What is a Call-to-action  Make them enticing  Make them look like a button  Would you want to click on it? Is it clear what I'm going to be getting?  Test like crazy  Be smart about where you put them  Homepage  Bottom of every web page  End of each blog post  Be relevant with the topic  Link to a landing page  Landing page best practices  Form best practices
  • 32. WANT HELP KNOWING HOW YOUR WEBSITE IS PERFORMING OR WHERE TO START? HubSpot Website Grader: http://marketing.grader.com/ Manage SEO & Monitor Social Media: http://www.seomoz.org/
  • 33. QUESTIONS? www.facebook.com/elementthree @tiffanysauder http://info.elementthree.com/

Editor's Notes

  1. Everybody stand up If you haven't updated your website in the last 6 months, have a seat If you're website is still built in Flash If there is information on your website about a person who doesn't work for you anymore, a product you don't currently offer or a service you've discontinued If you don't have an analytics package installed on your website (like Google, HubSpot, Eloqua, etc)
  2. Perfect example of:You show up on the paid search and then you also show up #6 or 7 on the organic search – do you really want to pay for that position if you are on the front page organically?You are sending visitors to the homepage for “luxury motorhomes” – why not send them to the luxury motorhomes page within the site? Why give them the option of a 5th wheel?Paid search is like a Jet – you can get up and going quickly, but there is very little energy left to propel you – you have to continually feed itOrganic search is like a locomotive – harder to get going, but much more difficult to stop as well.
  3. Leads: Yep, you should be getting them. By show of hands, how many wish you were getting leads from your website? By show of hands, how many of you are happy with the quantity of leads your website is currently giving you? How many think of your website as a well paid sales person? You should be.