teaching you how to market your business online
This past week these two major companies have provided a mini-study in a few do’s and don’ts of email marketing.
I hate to call people out, but, you know, a huge national company should really know better.
I signed up with Firestone to receive their email coupons (I’m way overdue for an oil change…..).
This is how their conformation email appeared in my inbox:
Well, actually it was in my junk mail folder. Fortunately I’m smart enough to check there ;)
But, yes folks “DO-NOT-REPLY” in all caps is really how they set up their “from” email address and “Confirm Sign Up” is really their subject line. If I hadn’t checked my email right away, and had seen this a few hours or a day later, I may well have not remembered that I signed up, or would have simply discounted this message along with the many other spam emails I receive every day since there was nothing about it that signified legitimacy. Read the rest of this entry »
In: WordPress
10 Jul 2010
WordPress has an in-built image gallery feature which does not yet seem to be common knowledge even though it’s incredibly simple to use.
So let’s say you are writing a post that you want to include an image gallery in.
1) Using the usual upload/insert image button, upload any images you want to include in the gallery BUT make sure to just click “Save All Changes” instead of “Insert Into Post.”
2) If you want your gallery to have captions, make sure to fill in the Caption field when uploading your images.
3) To display the images you just uploaded, simply use the shortcode:
[gallery]
In: WordPress
2 Jul 2010
My online workshop series is launching July 14th with a free introduction to WordPress. If you’ve been shy to get WordPress set up on your site, this is your chance to have a guided tour to installation, plugins, themes, widgets, publishing content and more. Or perhaps you’ve been considering WordPress for your site and want to see how it works before trying it out for yourself.
Get more info and register
The online workshop series will provide training on various aspects of WordPress and also general online marketing topics. Some workshops will be free and others will cost money, but will be affordably priced. There will always be time for question and answer so it’s a good opportunity to get help on a specific issue you are facing. If there’s a topic you’d like to have a webinar dedicated to, feel free to leave a comment or drop me a line.
In: Online Marketing
13 May 2010
Should You Worry About Your Bounce Rate?
A low bounce rate is often cited as a hallmark of a good website – 40% or lower is typically heralded as the goal. But does it really matter that much? The answer is “yes” and “no” depending on your goals and your site.
What does bounce rate mean?
“Bounce rate is the percentage of single-page visits or visits in which the person left your site from the entrance (landing) page” – from Google’s Analytics help pages.
When does bounce rate matter?
- If you have a sales or conversion process which requires the user to follow through multiple pages on your site
- If exploration of your site is important to you
- If you are trying to turn new visitors into loyal readers or customers
- If yours is a retail site and want people to shop around and make purchases
- If your homepage is not inducing further clicks, particularly if it contains blog excerpts or other ‘teaser’ content
Read the rest of this entry »
The goal of Web Training Wheels is to coach small businesses, entrepreneurs & non-profits in internet marketing and strategy so that you can take a hands-on approach to your own online efforts.In addition to this blog I work with people one-on-one or in small groups to provide the necessary coaching and direction. I'll give you the confidence and tools you need to effectively use the web to expand your business and express yourself online. Find out more.
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I Don’t Want To Blog – Is There Still Hope?!
In: Online Marketing
29 Jul 2010I find that many people have heard that they ‘should’ have a blog, but worry that they are just not the blogging type, or don’t think they will have anything to say.
Is there still hope without a blog?
I would say ‘yes’. After all, a blog only works if you actually post to it and actively promote it. It’s no silver bullet and it does take time and commitment, and honestly, it’s not for everybody.
One of the main benefits to having a blog is that with well-written and targeted content it can attract search engine traffic quite easily. This is the main benefit you will miss out on by not having a typical, text-based blog. But search engines are not the only source of traffic. So while there are many benefits to having a blog, let’s consider some alternatives.
1) Re-think what a ‘blog’ means
The typical idea of a blog is a text-based site that you update at least once per week and ideally more frequently, with posts of several hundred words. But here are some variations on what a blog can be: Read the rest of this entry »