Inbound Marketing is becoming an increasingly popular option for lead generation. Here are 6 tips to ensure your site is ready to convert those leads!

1. 6 tips that will turn your website into a sales machine
INBOUND
MARKETING “My business has a website… now what?”

2. Introduction… What’s Inbound Marketing?
You’ve successfully completed the daunting task of building your very own
business website.
Now what?
You want your website to live up to its hype. You need power, flexibility and
usability. You want to turn your website into a sales machine, but don’t want to
shell out thousands of dollars on advertising, paid branding and cold-calling.
Enter… Inbound Marketing!
“free”
Think of it as funneling users to your site from all of the web’s
traffic sources. Gathering traffic from search engines, blog posts, articles, A recent study of
videos, infographics, white papers, webinars and social media channels. consumer behavior on
Inbound Marketing is becoming increasingly popular due to a rapid shift in Facebook concluded
buyer behavior. Today’s buyer wishes to consume information when they want, that 51% of consumers
how they want, and often-times rely on the opinion of a family member or said they are more
friend instead of a sales pitch. likely to buy a product
since becoming a fan
on Facebook.
Inbound Marketing presents a huge opportunity for businesses. Your Report by Constant Contact®, Inc. and
Chadwick Martin Bailey.
website serves as the central location to which all of these “free” channels funnel
into, turning your website into a crucial piece of the equation.
Here are 6 tips to ensure your site is ready to convert those leads into sales
and turn your site into an inbound marketing machine.

3. #1: Stop Hiding From Search Engines… SEO for beginners:
Make sure your website is optimally positioned to naturally rank higher in search engines. By now
you’ve probably heard the term “SEO” and realize you need it, but don’t know where to start. Here are a
few MUST HAVES for getting started with Search Engine Optimization.
Grab the Easy Inbound Links First
Often referred to as “Link Building” this is the process of
requesting other websites to link back to your website.
Think of it as a VOTE of approval. Search engines consider
these links as votes in a popularity contest.
NOTE: Unlike a political ballot, each link or “vote” is not
equal. Popular websites linking to you are weighted more
favorably than unpopular websites. So be sure to get links
from other “popular” websites.
Examples of Inbound Links you can get today:
• Directories (dir.Yahoo.com (paid), DMOZ.org (free),
• Local Reviews (Yelp.com, Manta.com, AngiesList.com)
• Submit Info Pieces (Visual.ly “Infographics”, YouTube
“Videos”, Ideamarketers.com “Whitepapers”)
SEO continues next page…

4. #1: Stop Hiding From Search Engines… continued
Simple On-Site Enhancements
a. Meta Data – “Title” and “Description”
You’ll want to make sure these two fields are populated. This is what consumers see when they search for
you in search engines. Consider it your “sales pitch” to someone browsing through the search results.
Search engines rely heavily on this information to rank your page so you’ll want to include your products
and services here. However, be sure NOT to overload with keywords. Remember, this is your “sales pitch”
so keep it natural and be creative!
b. Submit a Sitemap
Poor example: stuffed with keywords
Submitting an XML sitemap to the
Title
search engines helps them to find
all the pages on your site quickly.
This is different from the sitemap Description
you may have ON your site. This
type of sitemap works behind the Good example: a natural invitation to visit site
scenes. You can make your own
sitemap by visiting www.xml-
sitemaps.com.
Once created, login to your
webmaster tools account (provided
by each search engine) and upload
your sitemap.
Need more tips for SEO?

5. #2: No Scare Tactics… make your visitors feel welcomed!
By now you’ve probably already designed your site, but if you’re using a CMS website here are
a few tips you can tackle yourself:
Did they come to the right place? You first want to insure visitors they’ve
Gone are the days when suits and ties
made it to the right site. Display information about your product or service in a
made the first impression for our
prominent location and preferably near the top or above the fold. You may also
companies. Today, we rely on our
choose a descriptive tag line near your website’s logo.
website to make that initial
Photos inviting? Taking the time to update your photography can make even introduction to our brand. So be sure
an old site look new. Let your visitors know that you’re in business today… not 10 it represents exactly who you are and
years ago! looks as cool as you do.
Inviting colors? Choose colors that are soothing, relaxing and won’t conflict
with each other. For example, using a cool blue is generally more welcoming
than a bright, alarming red. Also try to keep with the colors of your brand to
reinforce they’re in the right place.
Too much, too soon? When it comes to homepages… LESS IS MORE. Don’t
worry about displaying everything on one page. Rather, provide sleek and
prominent navigation links to allow visitors to easily and quickly find their way
through the info on your site’s pages.
Privacy Policy?
Providing a link to your privacy policy somewhere in the footer can ensure your
legitimacy and keep visitors focused on your product.
Awards, Certificates, Recognition?
You’ve earned it, don’t be afraid to share it. Display a badge if possible or a logo
of the company who recognized you. Your visitors will welcome it.
Need a website redesign?

6. #3: Are You Boring? spice up that content, please!
Content is key to mastering the art of Inbound
Marketing. You work so hard to drive traffic to
your site… now reward them for showing up!
What is Content?
Text – you’re probably pretty familiar with this form.
Imagery – In addition to photography be sure to include
artwork, logos or infographics, such as the one to the left.
Video – video is becoming increasingly popular today because
of it’s added human element to the online sales pitch.
Audio – much like video and imagery audio allows you to tap
into yet another of the human senses.
Games and Utility – offer a calculator, convenient shopping
cart, fun game, etc…
Creating this type of rich content experience will allow
you to educate your consumer and offer a valuable
(example infographic) user experience.
FamousBloggers.net
More content ideas…

7. #4: Take Control… content management and flexibility:
If you’re not using a CMS website… you should be!
A CMS (content management system) website empowers you to make changes to your site ON
DEMAND and without having to shell out cash every time you want to tweak or enhance your site.
This flexibility allows you to coordinate on-site content with your inbound marketing campaigns:
Insert/Edit Content
Keep your info up to date, relevant and savvy! Create multiple CTAs (call-to-action.)
Swap Out and Resize Images on Demand
Fresh, new imagery alone can create a welcoming online experience.
Add/Delete Custom Pages
Create new landing pages for your campaigns or events.
Modify Navigation Structure
Make it easier for visitors to find your campaign info.
SEO
Tweak and enhance your meta data on demand.
Create relevant and valuable links.
CMS Websites Offer Power
and Flexibility
Learn more about CMS websites

8. #5: Providing Trust… the social factor:
Are you connected?
Visitors want to see you’re connected to other people in their network of
friends who approve of your brand. You’ve spent numerous hours
building your social media followership… here’s where it pays off!
Social Media Tips:
1. Choose a prominent location to display icons of the social networks
your belong and be sure they link up to your social pages.
2. If you have products, videos, articles and infographics already on
your site, attach a “share” or “like” button to each to allow visitors
to easily send to a friend.
3. If your social followers are saying great things about you then
consider adding a widget box to your site to share this positive
feedback with new visitors.
Which Networks Count?
The right social network for your company largely depends on your overall marketing approach and brand. That being said, the
following is a list of social networks that should be a part of any marketing strategy:
1. www.facebook.com – typically used for building relationships with consumers and acquiring feedback.
2. www.twitter.com – a great platform for sharing your inbound marketing pieces (video, infographics, articles, etc…)
3. www.plus.google.com – a budding platform, but still very important due to its unique SEO implications.
4. www.linkedin.com – a great resource to increase your brand awareness among business professionals.
5. www.pinterest.com – not for everyone, but if you create great imagery pieces its an absolute must!
More on Social Media

9. #6: Make Your Goal Known… effective call-to-actions:
It’s your website. YOU are the “master of ceremonies.” Direct
your traffic to perform a specific task related to your campaign.
There’s no need to make them hunt for the desired conversion
page. Invite them to perform a transaction and make sure its
CLEAR by placing it above the fold.
To the right is a great example of an effective
CTA (call-to-action) as well as a poor example
of a CTA… both courtsey of Coca-Cola.com
CTA #2 is much more effective than CTA #1
because of the bright color and it’s basic
feature… resembling a “clickable” button.
CTA #1 blends in with the background and is
far less eye-catching.
Keep in mind that CTAs are meant to
STAND OUT. You never want to blend your
CTA for the sake aesthetics, or keeping with
your sleek, new design. Your CTA is the one
time you get to break all the rules.

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