photo credit: Ed Callow [ torquespeak ]

Imagine being able to send out one email to your mailing list and make $10,000, $20,000 or even $50,000 in a few hours. Now imagine being able to do that several times a year. It is possible with email marketing. And it is extremely simple.

In this article I am going to show you how Taplin Web Design has been using email marketing and mailing lists to make our clients a lot of money in a very short space of time. Hopefully I can convince some of you to take up this practice because it is one of the easiest and most sustainable ways for a small business to make money.

What is a mailing list and why is it so powerful?

The first thing we need to talk about is what exactly the illustrious mailing list is. Quite simply put, it is a list of customer email addresses that you collect over time. As your business matures you can collect hundreds, if not thousands, of customer email addresses. These email addresses then form the basis of your email marketing campaigns.

So why are these lists so powerful? The reason is simple: email marketing is a direct way to access people who are hyper interested in your product. How do we know this? Because they wouldn’t have given you their email address if they didn’t want to hear from you. Unlike TV, radio and print media, email marketing only goes out to people who would like to find out more about what you are selling or doing.

John Reese, a famous internet marketer, calls his email list his ATM because whenever he needs cash he just sends out an email to his list of several thousand people and watches the money roll in.

How do you get people’s emails?

photo credit: Steve Snodgrass

You might be wondering how you actually capture people’s email addresses. There are several ways small businesses can do this:

• With an online form
  The most common way to get people’s email addresses is to use a sign up form like the one you see in the sidebar on the right. You can even create special offers or free give-aways to “encourage” people to give you their email.
• In the store at check out time
  Jack Horner Interiors, a client of Taplin Web Design, asks people to enter their email into the website sign up form while they are bringing up the bill at the checkout counter. Just have a laptop on the counter and ask people to type in their details while you are taking their order or writing a receipt. Extremely effective.
• At sale events
  Ever noticed how many people come in to the store at sale events? Why not make the most of this flow and ask people to sign up on a sheet of paper to get access to exclusive, email-list-only, future sale events?

The number of strategies and methods you can use to gather a database of email addresses is endless. The most important thing is to start today. Each email address lost is a lost future customer.

How does the email campaign work?

Once you have begun collecting email addresses you will want to start developing and sending out the occasional email campaign. This is where you send a beautifully designed and well written sales email out to your whole list at once in order to get them to see your new stock, visit the store or interact with your business in some way.

The importance of a good email template
People see hundreds of emails every week and as such it is important to send out something that is not only visually pleasing but well aligned with online sales principles. The last thing you would want to do is send out an email campaign to thousands of people only to find out the design of your template was broken, incompatible with their email provider or badly design for interactions.

Taplin Web Design has designed and sent out hundreds of these email campaigns for all sorts of businesses from wineries to antique stores and even other online marketers. In some cases our clients sell upwards of $20,000 of stock in a few days after sending out one of our campaigns.

If you are thinking about sending out a campaign to your email subscribers it is really important that you consult with someone who knows what works and what doesn’t in a campaign.

The importance of strong sales copy
Simply put, poor sales copy can kill your email campaign before it begins. We have seen several mail outs be destroyed by lazy headlines and titles that either put people off or catch the attention of the spam filters. It is always sad to see a poorly written campaign destroy what could have otherwise been an extremely profitable event. Good sales copy should:

• Have a strong call to action
  Make sure you tell people what you want them to do. Should they visit the store, get on the phone or make an order online? Don’t assume people know what to do.
• Have an element of scarcity
  Human beings act faster when they perceive something to be limited. Make sure you include some scarcity in your email like a limited time offer, a fixed number of items for sale, etc. and make sure it is highlighted in a gentle but appealing way.
• Have an emotional element
  Unless the email marketer engages the emotions of the reader there is no way a sale will take place. Good marketers are able to evoke certain emotions with just a few words and by doing so drastically improve the profitability of the send out.

Writing successful email copy takes practice and is often refined down to a fine art. If you want to start this yourself, however, remember to keep it conversational, informal and focused around some clear benefits to your reader.

What’s next?

Taplin Web Design believes that every business should make a strong effort to capture as many email addresses as possible. They can be the basis for extraordinary profits and are also extremely valuable should you ever sell the business. I am going to publish more articles on successful email marketing campaigns so make sure you subscribe to the blog. Lastly, if you would like to get some professional help with your mailing list or marketing campaign please do not hesitate to contact us.

photo credit: asvensson

Facebook isn’t going away. And why would you want it to? Small businesses around Australia are now getting on Facebook and reaping the rewards. New visitors, fans and friends – all of which have the potential to convert to new paying customers. Facebook is a small business’ marketing dream come true. In this two part series I am going to look at why you need Facebook and how to market your business successfully. Make sure you subscribe by email so you don’t miss part two.

Ignore Facebook and lose money

Let’s be clear here: if you ignore Facebook and put it in the too hard basket you will be losing money. Money that you could be earning with quite a minimal amount of effort. It doesn’t take long to do a bit of marketing on Facebook and the rewards can come quite naturally. If you take one thing away from this post I hope it is the fact that you need to get on this social media giant today, not tomorrow. Your business will survive without it, but you could be doing a lot better with it.

You might also want to check out our article on why Facebook is not the marketing solution they would have you believe for some insights on why it will never replace the traditional website.

Why all small businesses should use Facebook

photo credit: U-g-g-B-o-y-(-Photograph-World-Sense-)

Before I get into the details on how to use Facebook I want to give you a few reasons as to why you should be using it. Once you know a few of these you will, hopefully, be more motivated to get on board and start to see it as a great opportunity as opposed to another commitment to take on.

1. You’ll reach new customers
Last year Facebook overtook Google as the most visited website on the planet. That is a remarkable feat and something that we should all be paying attention to. As a small business operator you should be thinking of Facebook as a free customer database that you can tap in to whenever you like. Sure, people go on there to talk to friends and make pointless updates about what they had for lunch. But they also “like” and “share” their favourite local businesses. They talk about them with their friends. And the really interesting thing is that when someone talks about their favourite local business on Facebook their 100+ friends all see the update.

So why is this relevant? Because you have a free medium whereby your customers can do some of your marketing for you. Imagine if ten of your loyal customers wrote a Facebook status update saying something like, “Taplin Web Design is such a great business. They really looked after us and we love our new website.” If each person has 100 friends then I just had my business promoted to 1000 people. Free. And what’s better is that almost all of those people are local. That is a highly relevant update.

2. You’ll make old customers more frequent and loyal
The flip side to getting new customers is that you will help make old customers more frequent visitors and more loyal over the long term. There is an old marketing saying that states that one repeat customer is more valuable than ten one-off customers. With that in mind it is very important to remember to promote your business to your existing customers, not just your potential customers. This is something that many small business owners overlook but an area that Facebook can help with. I’ll tell you how later in the post.

3. You can save on advertising costs
Facebook has two sides to it: the regular updating service that we are all familiar with and Facebook Ads. This is the “back area” which allows you to buy ad space on people’s profile pages. If you log into your Facebook account and look on the right hand side you will see a whole bunch of adverts. Have a look at the screen shot below of my Facebook homepage to see what I mean.

Now, here is how this saves you money. Facebook Ads are extremely targeted. When you create your advert campaign you can select from a whole bunch of demographics like age, sex, marital status, location, time of day, interests, etc. This means that your adverts are only going to be shown to relevant Facebook users. For example, if you are a female deodorant company you don’t want your ad been shown to 65 year old retired men. Radio and television can’t guarantee that… but Facebook can.

Guidelines for small business Facebook marketing

photo credit: Retinafunk

Now that you are (hopefully) a bit more motivated to use Facebook I want to give you some basic guidelines on how you should use it. These tips are not meant to form a complete marketing strategy. Rather, they are aimed at giving you a starting point so you can begin experimenting on your own. Remember, Taplin Web Design is regularly engaged by firms to do their Facebook marketing for them. If you are interested in getting some help just drop us a line.

1. Learn the terminology and types of pages
The first thing you need to do is learn the terminology and discover what pages Facebook allows you to create. For example, do you know the difference between a Fan Page and a Group? Do you know which one is better (or allowed) for you type of business? Most businesses will want to start a Page as opposed to a Group but it is a good idea to check out the Facebook Guidelines before doing anything.

2. Research the best Facebook pages
The second thing you need to do is take a look at how the other businesses in your industry are doing it. There is no point in trying to reinvent the wheel and as such you can save a lot of time by taking inspiration from others. Although I recommend looking at pages in your niche you can start by looking at these few which are doing the whole Business Page pretty well.

• Darren Rowse (Problogger)
  Darren Rowse is the original ProBlogger and makes a hefty seven figure income from blogging at his home computer. His Facebook page is one of the better ones around providing a lot of value and using some really nice graphics to draw the user in. Interestingly, Darren’s page is about connecting with him rather than his website. Very personal and intimate.
• Glam Adelaide
  Glam Adelaide is a local business run by Kelly Noble who is a veritable master of social media. The Glam Adelaide page is a wonderful example of a locally targeted service that is valuable to people and businesses alike.
• Taplin Web Design
  Of course I had to throw ours in there. We use our Facebook Page to promote our client’s websites as well as our own work. It is a great way to keep in touch with client’s once the work is done and keep them up to date with tips on how to get the most out of there new website.

When you are looking at these pages pay special attention to things like the tone of the updates, how the graphics are presented, what the call to action is and what benefits the users get if they “like” your page. These are the kind of things you want to emulate with your own page.

3. Think of a good elevator pitch
Decide on a name and an elevator pitch. The name should ideally be your business name and the elevator pitch is the small bit of text that you place in the sidebar. It is called an elevator pitch because it is short, just like telling someone in an elevator ride what it is that you do for a living. It should be focused and compelling; something that makes the person want to delve further. Don’t make it just a description but target it to your audience and give them some direction.

4. Create a landing page effect
A landing page is a page or website that serves as a launch pad to get users to go further into your website. Facebook pages are essentially pages that get people to visit your main website and, similarly, the first page that people see on your Facebook Page should serve to get people to go deeper into your Facebook Page. That’s quite a mouthful! If you didn’t understand that’s okay, keep reading.

There is an application called FBML that allows you to customize your Facebook Page so that you can add a landing page that people see when they visit your Page. I have attached a screen shot of the Taplin Web Design one below. Darren Rowse (see above) also does this really well on his Page.

This is a very powerful method to get people interested. Darren goes so far as to tell people to “like” his page! You might want to follow his lead or you might want to use the space to show some of your products or your services or tell people why your Facebook page will benefit their lives. Make sure it encourages them to delve deeper or you will lose them on that first screen.

5. Use a call to action
A call to action is an image or snippet of text that encourages a user to do something that you want them to do. Some common call to action phrases include “Add to cart”, “Click here to learn more”, etc. It is vital that your Facebook Page has a strong call to action. If you don’t have one you will find that your users get confused and don’t end up interacting in any meaningful way.

Think about what you want your visitors to do when they arrive. Do you want them to check out your website? Or perhaps “like” your page? View your latest products? Whatever it is it is important that you flat out tell them what it is you want them to do. Don’t leave it up to them, guide them. You will be amazed at how much more interaction you get.

6. Give, give, give
The most popular business pages are the ones that give a lot to their fans without asking for anything in return. It doesn’t need to be tangible products or anything like that, but it should be something that your visitors perceive as valuable. For example, if you own a clothes shop you might want to post regular fashion tips to your wall. This has the dual effect of giving your fans something for free as well as keeping your name in front of them regularly.

In part two of The Complete Guide to Facebook Marketing for Small Businesses I am going to talk about Facebook ads; how to design and implement a successful pay per click marketing campaign. Hopefully there will be lots of tips in there for you to use.

photo credit: Ian Sane

You just forked out your hard earn money and paid a web designer to create a brand new site that you hate as soon as you see it. Its a terrible feeling that is, unfortunately, all too common. Business owners are learning how important websites are for their success but finding the right design firm is still a relatively new concept. And when the goals and ideas of the client don’t match those of the designer you often find yourself sorely disappointed.

So what do you do when you realize that you hate your website? You can’t afford to get a new designer right away but you don’t want your customers to see what you currently have online. It is a tight spot. In this post I am going to show you a few ideas that will hopefully help some people out.

Who is to blame?

Before I get into the actual tips it is a good idea to play the blame game for a few moments. And while I do not believe that this is really anyone’s fault, I do think there are some things that can be done in order to stop it happening again. After all, the last thing you would want is to go and create a new website and find that the same thing happens again.

The Designer - The designer is the expert in this situation and as such a fair amount of responsibility needs to fall on his/her shoulders. A major part about being a successful web designer is finding out exactly what the client wants and then achieving that result. If the client doesn’t know what they want, it is the designers job to make expert recommendations and help the client understand what direction they should be going in. Furthermore, the designer should develop the relationship in such a way that any problems are discovered before they become a real issue.

The Client – Not all the blame rests with the designer, however, as some clients really can be their own worst enemy. Every once in a while you will meet a client who hates everything but has no idea how it could be improved. They don’t like any suggestions you make, even when they are backed up by citations from other professionals and the whole process becomes very stressful. Before you totally write off the designer as an idiot and a failure it is important to think about whether you were helpful, receptive and so on.

Designing a new website is a little bit like a dance; the designer leads but the client also has to bring a lot of skill and knowledge to the table. Unless you both work together there is going to be a lot of stepping on each others toes – and other people will notice.

What to do when you hate your new website

photo credit: Vacacion

No don’t go drinking. There is a better way! Of course, what you do is going to depend entirely on your own situation. The tips that I have written out here are based on what I would do if I was in this position but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is the best solution.

1. Tell your website designer
The obvious first step is to go to your website designer and tell them how the new site misses the mark. Now, it is important that you do this in a professional fashion which means trying to take the emotion out of the situation. Obviously you are upset. You have spent good money on this design and you were excited about it for weeks or maybe even months. You know how important the site is going to be for your business and you really don’t want that thing representing your beautiful brand.

Write an email that explains in some very clear and quantitative ways why the website does not meet your expectations. Instead of just saying “its ugly!” you should try to think of some very tangible reasons that the designer can relate to. Some of these might include:

• the website does not include such and such as we had discussed
• the website does not look like the examples I was shown/showed you
• this part of the website doesn’t work correctly
• etc.

Hopefully this will help your designer to realize that you are not satisfied and that certain things need to be remedied. If you are working with a firm that cares about your happiness you will get a reply that shows their commitment and suggests some realistic options for how to proceed.

2. Find a new designer
The sad fact is that you might have picked a dud. In this situation you need to find a new designer. It is just like getting your hair cut; if the hair dresses gives you a terrible cut then you find a new one. You don’t keep going back. Sometimes they simply don’t have the skills to fix things.

Here at Taplin Web Design I can honestly say that around 20% of our clients come to us because they are completely dissatisfied with their original web designer. My clients often tell me horror stories about how they were mistreated, made to feel stupid or just ignored after that final payment had been made. I am in two minds about this; happy because it means I get more clients, but saddened because these people have obviously been used. Sometimes, however, it is just a case of the web designer not having enough experience to get a result that the client wanted. They might just be starting out, for example. In this case it is fantastic if you can help them understand what they are doing wrong and how they can fix it.

Shameless plug – The success of Taplin Web Design is based solely on that fact that we help our clients succeed. We create websites that look good and that work and then we follow up and teach our clients how to profit off of the website’s power. Our business model has always been to put the client’s needs before ours. We do this for two reasons:

1. We love seeing people succeed
   One of the most satisfying things in the world is being sent an email to say that the business has grown so much since the launch of the new website that we created. This brings a very strong sense of satisfaction.
2. Word gets around
   We work almost entirely from referrals and I think this has something to do with the fact people hear that we put our clients first. Our long term approach to working with the client is something that is really missing from today’s web design market.

If you need to find a new designer but are short on cash because you just spent it on a design that you hate, give us a call and explain the situation. We will work with you to find a solution that gets you out of the mess whilst still being worthwhile for us. Remember, you might not need a whole new website – we might be able to tweak it back to life and save you a lot of money.

3. Give the website a try
This last suggestion might not sit well with you if you are particularly angry about the whole situation but it is definitely worth a try. Sometimes it is important to remember that your web designer does this for a living. There is every chance that he/she is very good at what they do and the website they have created for you might actually work. Sometimes, in some industries, visual appeal gives way to practicality. Often times you will see butt-ugly websites that sell millions. And often times you see amazing looking websites that don’t sell anything. And while I do believe that a balance can be found between the two, I think it is important to give your web design a chance because the designer might have got it right.

That being said, there are some telltale signs that indicate that perhaps the ugliness is not a stroke of genius. These include:

• You paid a fortune
  If you paid over $3 or 4 thousand for your website then you expect to get something that mixes beauty with practicality.
• It loads slowly
  If the website takes longer than four or five seconds to load on a fast internet connection then there is a chance that the designer has made a mistake or not followed current coding practices.
• It is hard to navigate
  Navigation is so important on the internet as the majority of customers still are new to the whole thing. If you struggle to navigate around your new website then chances are other people will too. This is a sign that perhaps the site is not a stroke of genius.

Of course, you will be able to tell whether the website is appropriate or not for your customers. It is important to remember, however, that your website designer might be onto something clever and to think in terms of what will work, not what you think looks nice.

Conclusion

A new website should be an exciting and happy time. No body wants to pay lots of money and receive something they hate. If you really don’t like your new website you should talk to your designer and see what they have to say. If worst comes to worst try finding someone else to fix the problems or give you new advice. Your website will be a massive source of financial success – if it is done right. Don’t muck around with it.

photo credit: Ed Yourdon

Last week the incredible and somewhat unbelievable news came out that Facebook had overtaken Google as the most visited website in the USA. This remarkable revelation has sparked some intense debate about why Facebook has grown so strongly in such a small amount of time and why many firms are now looking at Facebook instead of Google for their business’ online marketing solutions.

In this post I want to talk about why Facebook is not the online marketing solution that the current hype would have you believe.

From websites to Facebook pages

Ciaran Norris of Mindshare was reported by The Australian newspaper as saying:

“…advertisers including Unilever, Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble were already moving away from building expensive microsites towards constructing Facebook pages for their brands.”

The current train of thought is that Facebook pages are free to create and allow you to target other Facebook users who might already be in your target market. People can interact with the brand’s page, become a fan, send it to their friends and have discussions with other fans. And while I truly believe that Facebook pages form a vital part of any online marketing campaign, I think it is dangerous to assert that they can replace the traditional .com website as well as Google Adwords marketing. And here’s why.

Why Facebook is not a complete marketing solution

photo credit: epSos.de

Facebook has some fantastic advantages that are making a lot of people a lot of money. You can hit a very targeted audience, small or large demographics, interact with the users, etc. But it also has a lot of limitations. And why I am in no way trying to negate the positive aspects of Facebook marketing, I do believe it falls well short of being a complete solution. Here are just a few reasons why I don’t believe any business should rely just on Facebook pages.

1. Facebook doesn’t suit everyone
It is naive to think that Facebook suits everyone. It doesn’t. Out of my six closest family members I can think of only two people who use Facebook regularly. And we are talking about a very modern and tech-savvy group of people here. Some of them have accounts that they don’t use anymore and the others never bothered to sign up. So if they search for your business on Google and find your Facebook page there is a very good chance that they will head on to the next result because they aren’t going to sign up (or in) to Facebook just to read about your business. People are lazy. If you competitor has a website that is well designed, optimized and poised to sell then you just lost a customer. Possibly a good one.

Facebook pages are good for people who are already on Facebook. I don’t mean “on” as in they have an account. I mean “on” as in they are literally on the site doing things. I am constantly using Facebook but if I come across a business’ Facebook page on Google I automatically skip over it due to the small chance that Firefox has logged me out and I might need to log in again. And you can bet I’m not the only one.

2. Facebook users aren’t always ready to buy
The one glaring difference between Facebook Ads and Google Adwords is that people on Facebook aren’t always ready to buy. Ask any affiliate marketer who is working with Facebook Ads and they will tell you that it is tough to sell something to a person who is on Facebook to socialize and not really in the buying mood. This is a stark contrast to Google Adwords where the ads show up on search results where people have specifically searched for that item or service. While Facebook allows you to target a very specific set of people, Google allows you to target people who are ready to open their wallets.

The answer? A mixture of the two is a much more sensible and all encompassing solution. Firms need to experiment with both platforms to see what converts better and which suits their business model more. If you are selling a product that people buy online then Facebook ads alone will fall short.

3. Facebook pages are limited in scope
Again, there are many distinct advantages that Facebook can provide your business. I am in no way trying to refute those benefits. Facebook fan pages are an excellent way to connect with relevant customers, promote your information and products, get people to interact with the brand, etc. But it has its limitations. You can’t have an online store or get a list of email subscribers. You can’t have an individual design that sells your brand and differentiates you from the competition. Facebook pages work best when they act as a launch pad to get visitors over to your website where the conversion and the real befriending take place. Without that website to seal the deal you run the risk of just becoming another Facebook page that, in time, everyone ignores.

4. Facebook misses out on keyword search
Google will always have one thing on Facebook. Keyword search. It is an area that, I believe, will always be lacking from Facebook pages. Google makes your website visible in their search engine from literally thousands of different entry points. Those entry points are centered around keywords. This website, for example, gets most of its traffic from pages other than the homepage. People make all different types of searches on Google and Google directs them to individual pages of my website. But that doesn’t happen on Facebook. You only have one point of entry, the fan page. People can either find that entry point on Google or on Facebook but, either way, you are potentially losing a lot of traffic. Traffic that could convert to sales.

Let me hammer home the point by giving one current example. I recently wrote an article about the web’s best landing pages and this article got indexed by Google. A few days later I got an email from someone who found the article on Google, thought I sounded like I knew what I was talking about and asked me to build their new website. That customer would never have found me had I just used a Facebook page because that blog post wouldn’t have been there as an entry point.

5. You don’t own the space
This is small issue that some people might not care about but I thought it was big enough to mention. You don’t own your Facebook pages, Facebook does. A .com website, on the other hand, is an asset that you grow with every comment, article, page or just day that you have it online. It is an asset that you can sell. And while many people might argue that you can sell your Facebook page too, it doesn’t escape the fact that it isn’t yours and you can’t do whatever you want with it.

Conclusion

Facebook is an amazing marketing tool that has the ability to promote your business to new users in a very different way. It is something that every business should be across. But do not think that it is a cure all solution. Facebook pages should never replace the traditional .com website or Google marketing. It just isn’t expansive enough. The two working together, however, can be a really powerful exercise.

The whole point of having a website is to convert traffic into sales. You could be getting a million visitors a day but unless those visitors are compelled to take some sort of action like subscribing, signing up for an account, clicking an advert or making a purchase, you are wasting your time and money. In this post I am going to show you the best landing pages on the internet and talk about why they are so good. Hopefully you will then be able to apply them to your own landing pages.

ISSUES WITH CREATING A SUCCESSFUL LANDING PAGE

Before we take a look at the best landing pages on the net I want to talk about a few issues that inevitably arise when creating these things. Unless you address these issues at the onset you are likely to run into many conversion problems down the track that will cost you a lot of time and potentially cash. The lessons learned from the top pages are only useful if you are all over these issues.

• Each goal requires a different landing page
  What is your goal for this landing page you are creating? Are you trying to get more subscribers or are you trying to get someone to buy a product? Do you want the person to visit your site again and again or are you looking to just get them to click an advert and leave? Each one of these goals requires a very different landing page design. It would be foolish to think that a successful landing page in one group could always translate to being successful in another. Make sure you are well aware of your goal before you start.
• The landing page must address different types of visitors
  Who is coming to this landing page? Is it men or is it women? How old are these men or women? Do they have a college education? Have they got children? How well do they know how to use the internet? All of these considerations are vital when creating a successful landing page. For example, if you fail to consider how ‘net savvy’ your visitors are you can miss out on a lot of earnings. Darren Rowse from Problogger.net often says that Adsense ads on his site earned next to nothing because his visitors are so experienced that they know what the ads look like and purposely avoid them. This doesn’t mean Adsense ads are useless, it just means that they don’t work as well with an experienced demographic. All of these considerations need to be made in advance.
• Making the landing page more successful
  Let’s say you have a landing page that is converting about 20% of your traffic into sales. That’s pretty good. You are making some money and are thinking about scaling it up. But hold on a second! How do you know that 20% is the best this page and product combination could be making? What if you changed the links from black to blue? What if you added a picture of a pretty lady? Could the conversion rate go up to 40%, 50%, more? It is important to do what internet marketers call split testing where you run several different versions on the same ad and see what converts better. The best way to manage that is with Google Website Optimizer. This amazing and robust free tool lets you run different versions of your ads and see what elements of each one is helping/harming your campaign. Learn how to use it now.

THE NET’S BEST LANDING PAGES

Now that we have looked at a few basic issues that arise when creating landing pages we can move on to learning from the best ones. I have selected these landing pages to show you what the big guys are doing and why they are doing it. Hopefully it helps some people out there with their own campaigns.

1. Facebook – Low barriers to entry

We all know the Facebook landing page. We have seen it a thousand times when we log into our accounts. But stop looking at it like an existing member and start looking at it like someone who is approaching the site for the first time. Does it make you want to join? Is the layout important? I have heard a lot of experts say that the Facebook landing page is almost obsolete because people would join it no matter what because the reputation of the site is so established. That is an interesting point. I’m not sure I agree.

The Facebook landing page has three important elements: an image that illustrates the concept of the service, the word “free” above the sign up area and the full sign up area on the front page. These elements all come together in a very effective way by saying, “Facebook lets you talk to your friends for free and its fast to sign up”. This page is different a lot of landing pages that tell you to “click here” before you can sign up. The ease of access is a big factor in Facebook’s success; even your grandma can do it.

Summary – Landing pages that require a sign up need to appear simple, even if they are not. They also need to provide some sort of incentive or benefit in order to coax the user into spending their time filling out a form. An image can act as an enticement as well as illuminating the benefits.

2. Twitter – dynamic and social

Twitter’s landing page is extremely interesting because it is actually a lot busier than your typical landing page. More than just a “speech” to get you to join, Twitter has made their landing page quite interactive. Sure, it has the little slogan, “Share and discover what’s happening right now, anywhere in the world.” but it also has a search button right under that so you can see what is going on in your chosen area. This is a very clever idea because it acts like a free trial or incentive. The landing page is getting potential members interesting by showing them how well this thing works at spreading gossip and news.

The main thing this landing page seems to be doing is trying to get you involved. It is a very dynamic page. It lists the most popular trending topics of the day, week and month, it asks you to do a quick little search to see whats going on and it also uses phrases like, “Join the conversation” to get you feeling like you are missing out on something by not signing up. They have done this interactive landing page extremely well.

Summary – Twitter gives you a live “preview” of what’s going on in the site. I remember visiting it for the first time thinking that I was standing outside a house party looking in through a window. There is a lot going on. Show people what they are missing out on by highlighting the features and benefits of joining up. Don’t just describe them, show them. This is how free trials work.

3. Flickr – socially proofed

Flickr’s landing page is, again, another busy one. It has quite a few elements in its design that take it away from simplicity and towards a more incentive approach. The first thing you see on this landing page is the photo which gives you an example of the kind of thing you will see in the site. You then get the slogan, “Share Your Photos. Watch the World.” This is quite a voyeuristic idea as it is enticing you to look at what other people are doing with their photography and, indeed, their lives. The most interesting part of this landing page, however, has to do with social proof. Right under the photograph you have a line of text that tells you how many photos are being uploaded. At the time of writing this article there were 5,385 uploads in the last minute. This provides a massive sense of security to potential users as it convinces them that other people are using this service. Almost 99% of the time you need to show some social proof. People need to see that they aren’t the first to try something out.

The one weird thing on this landing page is the advertisement. It takes up about 1/5th of the landing page. This is a strange move to me because you are using your landing page to send visitors away from your landing page! It would seem more sensible to me to get people to sign up first and then hit them with the adverts. Perhaps Flickr now have so many users that the landing page can be used to make money via a secondary stream?

Summary – Always remember that people hate being first. Show them how many other people are using your service. Flickr’s landing page is an exercise in mass testimonials.

4. Lava Life – seductive and simple

In case you’re not aware, Lava Life is one of the biggest dating sites in the world. I remember them as being one of the first to pop up in a market that is now saturated with thousands of different options. Whatever your race, religion, hobby or fantasy, there is a dating site for you. Lava Life was also one of the first to advertise on TV and radio and as such made big waves with people who would not normally try online dating. But when you spend the money to advertise on TV you need to make sure your landing page is as tight as can be. In only a few seconds you need to turn a curious advert watcher into a signed up member. And Lava Life do a pretty good job.

The first thing your eye sees on this landing page is the pictures. Don’t be fooled into thinking that these are any ordinary pictures either; these are carefully selected based on what Lava Life knows its potential members want. Note the ratio of male photos to women photos; twice as many women. Notice how good looking they all are, each one representing a “perfect” woman in one way or another. These photos are designed to get your eye in the general area of the sign up form which is, like Facebook, all on the front page. It is interesting to note the language used on this site such as “where singles click” and the join button that says “begin” instead of “sign up”. All of these are very active words. It is also interesting to note that this is only the second landing page to use photos of real people.

Summary – Images have a powerful effect on where people’s eyes land and where they look next. Humans are naturally empathetic creatures so they will attempt to think and feel what the person in the image is thinking and feeling. Use images to direct attention towards a call to action or to act as a preview of what you might find by signing up.

5. Amazon – ultimate personalization

Of all the landing pages in the world it is Amazon’s that makes the biggest impression. I struggle to visit this site without making a purchase. Literally. Over the years I have bought tens of different items from Amazon, referred hundreds of people (through affiliate programs) and told many friends about how easy it is to use. Visiting the landing page of Amazon is like visiting your own little personalized shopping centre. Everything that you want (and probably didn’t even realise that you wanted!) is right there challenging you. Amazon succeeds in getting you to purchase, revisit, share your experience and discover items that you would never normally have thought about.

So let’s look at the design. The first thing you will notice (at the time of writing) is that the Kindle is taking up almost half of the promotional space above the fold. This is an Amazon made product and so they are pushing it hard, especially now that the iPad is out and competing. Once your eye is finished with the Kindle you move on to the area below where your personal recommendations are made. This is always quite shocking to me as there is, 99% of the time, something in that row of books or products that I am thinking about buying. Their personal recommendations work extremely well.

The interesting thing about the Amazon homepage is that they are not afraid to promote every service that they offer. You can get virtually anywhere on the site from the homepage. You have categories on the left, financial information and account across the top, popular items down the right hand side and so on. The approach to this landing page is almost one of “get them clicking and they will buy”. And it works. The longer you spend looking at items on Amazon the more likely you are to buy something. And they are well aware of it.

Summary – Landing pages need to be personal. We don’t all have the technology to seep through someone’s purchasing history like Amazon does, but we do have the ability to write our copy so that it is directed towards an individual. Landing pages should be conversational and speak to people’s emotions and desires. You might even need to help them discover why they actually need your product.

Conclusion

By looking at the most successful landing pages we can learn how to structure our own. Define at your goals, know your target audience and design the page with their interests in mind. Remember to always run split tests and continue to optimise the landing page as much as possible. It doesn’t matter whether your landing page is a website, a store or a long list of copy, you can always learn by looking at what others are doing.

Literally. Giant astronauts. Here in Adelaide the 2010 Fringe is underway and they have created quite a buzz around town by secretly putting up six giant astronauts on buildings and in city parks. Quite a feat and not entirely random; an astronaut wearing a pink tutu is the main mascot of this year’s festivities. But getting from a flat image of an astronaut to six giant, building-scaling, inflatable figures is extremely innovative. It has made news around the whole country and got people everywhere excited about taking part in the month long comedy shows, musical performances and, yes, drinking.

So what can we learn from the Fringe’s awesome astronaut marketing move? Not everyone can afford to make giant inflatable versions of our logos and put them on buildings in the city. Nor would that be entirely appropriate. In this post I want to talk about a few ways to create a buzz for your website or business in a way that really gets people to notice.

Creating a buzz that gets your website noticed

image:novafm.com.au

Not all buzz creating campaigns can be as large scale and successful as the one mentioned in the title. But that does not mean it won’t be a useful exercise. Over time and with practice and many failures you can build up to a Fringe style marketing campaign. And remember, the ideas here are not meant to be literal. I am sharing them as an example of how to achieve a certain goal.

1. Visit industry events and stick stickers
This idea has to be done very carefully because it can come across as spammy and arrogant if done incorrectly. Done correctly, however, you can get the attention of some very important people. The idea is to visit an industry event like a conference or a meet up and get your brand out there in a creative way.

This worked extremely well a few years ago for one budding internet personality when he visited a Search Engine Opitimisation conference in the USA and stuck stickers of his logo and a clever catch phrase all over the place. They were on chairs, tables, cameras, white boards and even on people’s backs! The end results was that his stickers ended up on photos which ended up on people’s websites and Facebook pages. The buzz was fantastic as everyone praised the effort as being extremely creative.

The sticker thing might work for your brand or it might not. The goal is to come up with something that suits your niche and your industry and will get noticed without getting annoying. These types of campaigns should be inexpensive and easy to carry out otherwise the effort won’t be worth the results. Saturate your brand at an industry event in a positive way and your website or business will be remembered by some important people.

2. Deliver your business card in flames
Last night I was in the Fringe Lounge and I met a magician called Nicolas Tweedy. This guy was standing in the middle of a circle of awe-struck people while he made an empty water bottle levitate out of some person’s hand. After flying this bottle around his body and gentle landing it back in the person’s hand he reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet and then produced a business card that then proceeded to burst into flames. The crowd loved it. He had their attention.

By the end of the night Nicholas Tweedy had done a full circuit of the Fringe Lounge, showing tricks to almost every person there and producing dozens of flaming business cards. Needless to say, the first thing I did was look up his website and find out where he was performing over the next few nights. And the second thing I did was write about him on my blog. I have a few thousand followers on Twitter who will see this post, Tweedy has started a buzz.

Find a unique way to deliver your business card or introduce yourself to potential clients. If you just hand the card with the same old hum-drum “here is my card” speech you will be forgotten easily. But you will never forget a card that bursts into flames. Find a way to etch yourself onto people’s memories as they will always talk about it to their friends.

Note: You can see Nicholas’ business card trick on the video on this page.

3. Make a seemingly impossible promise
The idea here is to make a promise to your potential clients that seems so impossible for you to keep that they will engage your business almost exclusively to test you out. This tactic is a great way to create buzz in a competitive industry where there is little difference between you and your competitors. The promise will be the one thing that gets you over the line and word will spread fast.

One of the best ways I have seen this done is in Los Angeles where there is a famous burger joint. Everyone on the West Coast of the USA knows about this place because you get a $15USD burger for free if you can eat the whole thing. No time limit. No catches. Just eat the whole burger and you get it for free.

So why does this create a buzz? Well people love “free” and will come from miles away just for the opportunity to get a free lunch. Secondly, people love value. That’s why sales work so well. People will buy a T-Shirt that says “40% off, save $25″ even if they didn’t want a T-Shirt because they perceive it to be good value. When you tell someone they can have a burger for free if they finish it all it implies that it is a giant feed. And people love big meals.

Find a way to make a seemingly impossible promise to your customers. Of course, you have to make sure that it doesn’t back fire. If everyone finished the burger they would go out of business in a week. But they know that only a few people per month will finish it and as such it is a great marketing tool. How can you use this principle in your business to get people talking? If you can find something inventive and original the word of mouth will do the selling for you.

Conclusion
The giant astronauts got so many people looking at the Fringe this year. People that otherwise might have not bothered visiting a show now feel involved in the festivities because they drive past the inflatable men on the way to work or see them on the news in their stomping ground. Sometimes the best way to create a buzz for your business or website is by doing something a little indirect. There will always be TV, radio and online marketing. But what can you do that is different, original and gets people talking?

So, can you think of any successful marketing campaigns that did something a little bit different? Leave a comment.

photo credit: mangpages

Twitter has taken the world by storm. People from all walks of life are now using this social media platform to stay connected, talk about world events and grow their businesses. But there are mistakes being made. Some Tweeters out there are using Twitter to hurt their business, despite their best intentions. In this post I am going to show you how NOT to use Twitter to grow your business. These are some mistakes you don’t want to make.

Mistake #1 – Tweeting as a company
Although Twitter has been around for a few years now, it was around the beginning of 2009 that it really started taking off in the eyes of the bigger corporations. All of a sudden we saw the big guys from the energy, accounting, finance, mining and media industries sign up for accounts and send out Tweets about the company. The problem? It was all very boring. No one wants to hear what a multinational corporation is up to. Nobody wants to add you as a friend on Twitter only to see updates that are dry, calculated and ever so corporate.

If you are going to use Twitter you need to develop a personal voice. Save the business updates for the company website and make Twitter about the people behind the company. People want to connect with other people, not other businesses.

But this presents a problem. Do you Tweet under the company name or under your own name? It is a question that I am still debating. I think the answer has a lot to do with how much the person doing the Tweeting is associated with the brand of the company. Let me explain. My Twitter name is TaplinWebDesign but under the name section I put Ramsay Taplin. It is my business and as such I do all the Tweets. Darren Rowse from Problogger does a similar thing. His Twitter name is his business name (ProBlogger) but he Tweets as himself, Darren Rowse. As such he will write on a much more personal level as opposed to boring Tweets about what the website is doing.

Mistake #2 – Obsessive self promotion
Quite often you will follow someone on Twitter and then after a day or two promptly delete them. Why? Because all they do is promote their own website, business or services. It is important to realise that, even though you joined Twitter with a view to promote your own business, that is not why people follow you. People follow you because they perceive that you might add some value to their lives. If, then, you spend the entire time just promoting yourself, they will get bored very quickly.

If you want to grow a large and relevant following on Twitter you need to make sure that you are doing a lot more than just self promotion. In fact, you should limit the amount of self promotion to just once or twice a week. The rest of the time you should be creating meaningful Tweets that add something to your following’s day. The could be inspiring and relevant quotes, industry news and opinions and, most importantly, replies to other people’s Tweets. The more engaging you are the better. Self promotion is the least engaging of all.

Mistake #3 – Letting personal opinions overtake your brand
Something that I see quite often on Twitter is people getting engaged in fights defending their personal opinions even though these opinions might harm their businesses brand. You can never forget that tens, hundreds or even thousands of people are going to see your Tweets and will form an opinion about your brand based on what you say.

photo credit: chada

One of the best examples of this phenomena happened in the last American Presidential election campaign between Obama and McCain. Barack Obama had, early on, realised the importance of Twitter and Youtube and as such began promoting his causes via these social media websites. He gathered a huge following in a short amount of time, especially on Twitter, and these people began sending out millions of Tweets supporting his campaign and denigrating McCain and Palin. But what people forgot amongst this passionate support was that not all of their customers shared the same political views. Some of their customers were staunch Republicans. And while you should never change who you are for your clientele, you should be somewhat sensitive to their beliefs and behave appropriately. I’ll never forget seeing one Tweet that said, “Anyone who follows McCain and Palin hates America. What’s wrong with you?” The response was brutal. This person had sent out the Tweet from a business Twitter account.

Make sure your Tweets always accord with your businesses brand, values and principles. It is perfectly alright to express political or social opinions but make sure you do it in a way that is gentle and amicable. It is just too easy to create a reputation that is difficult to undo.

Mistake #4 – Tweeting the wrong amount
Twitter is actually a very fine art. Too many Tweets and you are in danger of appearing like a spammer. Too few Tweets and people don’t see enough of your face to care. It is important to use Twitter the right amount if you want to use it to grow your business and make some money.

So what is the right amount? Well some people say that between 15 and 20 Tweets per day is ideal. That might seem like a lot and, to be honest, it is. That dedicated type of Tweeting requires constant attention and an excellent amount of dedication. But you if you put out one Tweet every 30 minutes of the work day you might make enough. Or you could make ten replies and do five originals. It all depends on what works for you. And that is the key. You might get the same results from one Tweet per day as you do from 30. So test, test and do some more testing before locking yourself into a routine.

Mistake #5 – Tweeting in un-English
In my opinion the most successful Tweeter on the the planet is blues player John Mayer. He has over 3 million loyal followers; a number that is growing each day. He recently released his latest album Battle Studies after a long and very transparent writing and recording period where he would constantly Tweet about how he was feeling, progressing, etc. Every now and then he would share some lyrics or talk about an emotional block that he was having. People got hooked. And when Battle Studies finally got released it climbed to the number one spot in the USA, mostly off the back of the social media build up. Twitter land was dying to hear it.

So why was Mayer so successful at harnessing the power of Twitter? Simple. He is a lyricist. He has an excellent command of the English language and uses a conversational tone that is so intimately personal that you get suckered into thinking that you know him. I would often talk to my partner at the end of the day about what John Mayer had said on Twitter, it was as if I was talking about someone I knew. John didn’t create some un-English type of language in order to fit into the 140 characters that Twitter allows. He simply used regular English in a very powerful way.

Don’t change your tone for Twitter. Write as if you were talking to someone in person. Don’t make announcements and don’t Tweet as if it is a White House press release. Write as if you are talking to each person individually. Make it sound like people have no choice but to reply to you and engage with your brand or your website. If you can use English half as well as John Mayer you will make a lot of money.

Conclusion
Twitter is a little bit like riding a bike. It takes some time to learn the ropes and to find your balance but after a while it is almost effortless. Try to avoid the mistakes of Tweeting like a corporation and getting into “flame wars” and you will find that it does a lot for your business. The most wonderful thing about Twitter is that you will meet and befriend people who will help you grow and learn about yourself. If you don’t engage people on a personal level you miss out on this powerful element.

photo credit: René Ehrhardt

Okay so maybe the word “survive” is a little dramatic but in many cases it is true. After all, one in five small businesses close within the first year of operation. So how can a website make a difference? How can a website bring in more customers, engender better customer loyalty and make a small business more money? Let me show you. You might be surprised.

1. Google is like the biggest shopping mall in history
When I first mention the word “Google” to my clients I see a mixture of excitement and unadorned fear in their eyes. It is so vast and complicated it seems to be put in the too hard basket. And that is a big shame because Google has the power to make or break your business. If you rank well on Google you can become rich overnight. If you don’t rank at all on Google you can be putting your business in a seriously jeopardized position.

Think of Google as the world’s biggest shopping mall. A good Google ranking would be like having a store in the mall right by the entrance where everybody looks as soon as they walk in. A bad Google ranking might be like having an upstairs shop when the only other thing up there is the toilet and the janitor’s room! There is no way it can really get the attention it needs. When you start to look at Google as a new place to stake your business’ real estate its starts to seem more approachable. And then benefits are many:

• Google can bring you new customers
  Imagine you are a restaurant located in an Adelaide suburb somewhere. You have a great menu, excellent staff and the locals come back every week. Profits are good, but they could be better. Now imagine that I tell you one day that restaurant reviews on Google are a huge way to bring in traffic. Imagine having a website for your restaurant where people could go and look at your menu, photos of your beautiful food and easily find your phone number to make a booking. All of a sudden you have customers who might never have known you existed.
• Google can make old customers more loyal
  Having a website that is easily findable on Google means that many of your old customers will turn into repeat users. Why is this? Well the days of the phone book are over. If someone wants to look up your phone number they will now type in your business name on Google. If they find your website they will likely re-use your services. But if one of your competitor’s websites come up then you have lost that customer forever.
• Google can make word of mouth a solid marketing strategy
  Word of mouth customers are wonderful because they just come to you without much effort. But the numbers aren’t that great. It won’t bring you a huge flood of sales. But if you have a website that ranks well on Google you are more likely to consolidate these word of mouth searches into customers. And the reason is simple, people forget. Imagine someone told you about a really great pizza place that just blew their socks off. Six months later when you feel like trying it you will likely have forgotten its name, location or why it was special. But a quick search on Google will correct that. All of a sudden Google has helped that business’ word of mouth marketing.

Let’s go back to the idea of Google being a giant shopping mall. Like a shopping mall, the best way to get the best real estate is to get in early. The longer you wait the harder it is to penetrate because the old guys are growing and solidifying their position. The internet is just starting to take of in Australia for small businesses and now is the time to jump on Google because Google is not going away, ever.

2. A website can save your reputation
Imagine you spend years developing your business. You find a great shop, fit it out with wonderful furniture, find excellent staff and sell a top quality product. You bust your guts managing the taxes and finances and spend months developing relationships with your customers. And then all of a sudden someone comes a long and writes a scathing web review of your store for no apparent reason. And now, to make things worse, imagine that review is the first thing people find when they go to Google. You are losing a lot of business because of this one bad review.

photo credit: Paris by Mouth

This actually happened to one of our clients. Grotto Pizza-teca is a fantastic little pizza shop just off of Norwood Parade with some of the tastiest pizzas you will ever eat. The ambiance of the restaurant itself is really cool and then location is just perfect (car parks, outdoor sitting, near the movies, etc.). But six months ago the top Google ranking for the search term “grotto pizza” was a scathing review calling them “boring” and “greasy”. This was just not the case. I knew it and the owners knew it.

The solution was easy (or relatively). Create a brand new website with professional photographs of their location and pizzas. Make the website as Google friendly as possible and hope that in a few months it outranks the bad review. And it did. You can check it out here. In just a few months Grotto Pizza-teca has completely changed their online reputation. We have since been told by the owners that they have seen an increase in business with people coming into the cafe with the coupon that is only available on the net. A website can save your reputation.

3. Social media works best with a website
I’m sure you have all heard of Facebook and Twitter. These are the two biggest social media sites on the internet; places where people becomes “friends” or “fans” of their high school buddies, work mates and, yep you guessed it, their favourite businesses. But without a website the traffic that is generated from social media sites sort of falls on deaf ears. It is the website that ties these social media sites together and allows your “friends” and “fans” to turn into paying customers.

Let me give you an example. Imagine you start a new business as a florist. You set up your shop and start arranging beautiful bouquets of flowers. You might create a Facebook Fan Page and a Twitter account for the business and your friends and family add you to their lists. But if you don’t have a website link on the Facebook page and Twitter account people will be less likely to buy your flowers when the need arises. Why? Because it is unlikely that they will log into Twitter or Facebook in order to search for you. They will still look for your business on Google. They will want to see high definition photos of your product, see your email address, phone number, online store, etc.

photo credit: Alan Stanton

Think of social media as planting the seeds of commerce and the website as the fruit. Social media sites like Facebook are a wonderful way to spread the word about your business and any updates you have to share, but you need a website in order to really convert those “fans” into customers.

photo credit: flequi

As your web design business grows you will soon realize how important the client is to your survival. More than just an invoice-paying shadowy figure in the dark, the client is someone with whom you need to become very well acquainted. Your relationship with them will determine how many referrals you get, how good your designs are and even how much money you make.

In this post I am going to show you five things that every web designer should remember when dealing with their clients. These five things must become etched on your memory as they will form the basis of your website design firm’s customer relations philosophy. These seven tips are golden.

1. Your client knows their business better than you
One of the first things that a web designer needs to realize is that the client knows their business better than you. It is folly to think that you can walk into their office and after 20 minutes be able to school them on how things should be run at their place. Realize straight off the bat that your client knows what they are doing. This is what they do, day in, day out. Use this knowledge to your advantage and pick their brains. If you put the arrogance aside you will be much more open and receptive to certain ideas that they might have.

For example, when you first meet your client ask them about the history of the business, how they got into the industry and how the day to day operations work. When you start to see it from their eyes you will get new ideas about how you can help them with your ideas.

2. You know your business better than the client
The second point is intimately related to the first. While the client might know their business better than you do, they do not know your business better than you. They are not professional designers or online marketing gurus. They do not know as much as you about Google best practices or social media. That is your arena. Remember that. If you can walk into a meeting with the confidence that you know your stuff and that you are there to provide a valuable service the client will respect you more and be open to your ideas.

3. You are an expert in your field providing concrete benefit
When I go to meet a new client I never get nervous. Instead I get excited. Why? Because I know the internet can really help this person’s business grow. I know a professionally designed website, some tight online marketing and some solid Google rankings can put more money in their bank account at the end of each month. And while I never refer to myself as an expert (because it sounds stupid), I know that my ten years of internet experience means that I know enough to really help this person. And so the nerves just slip away.

photo credit: wetwebwork

When you go to meet a new client or sit down with an old client you should remind yourself that you are an expert providing a concrete service that has tangible benefit for everyone involved. Some businesses will need your help more than others. Some business owners will treat you like a car salesman. But at the end of the day, you will be a better web designer if you remember that you are doing them a real service.

4. Under promise, over deliver
One of the first lessons I was ever taught by my business partner was that clients love it when you under promise and over deliver. Unfortunately for me, I learned this by doing the opposite. I promised a client that a certain project would be completed within a week and when it turned out to be significantly more complex than first thought I ended up delivering it a week late. They weren’t too happy. Since that time I have made every effort to under promise and over deliver.

Now, this does not mean that you tell your clients that their website will be ready in two years time. That is just lazy! What it means is that you give a estimated deadline for each stage of the project and then beat that deadline every time. For example, if you have a new web design contract you will like go through the stages of submitting a quote, then a contract, then a draft and then the final coding process. If you can submit each one ahead of schedule your client will instantly like you more. It also has the net effect of putting them in a better mood for when you first show them your concepts and ideas.

5. Clients like (need) social proof
Clients are people, remember. And people are social creatures. People like to know that they are not the first to do something, they are not standing out in any uncomfortable way. And the method for reassuring your clients that they are making the right choice is by using statistics and social proof. If you can back up your decisions with “references” your clients will be much more likely to place their trust in you and your suggestions.

A classic example of this is the Google heat map pictured above. I always take a laminated copy of this heat map to my meetings with clients when I first show them their website. Why? Because I can use it to justify my decisions for why I put the image there, the text over there, etc. This related back to the point about being the “expert”; you put your client at ease when you show them that someone else has done this already and that you (their web designer) knows about the trend.

Conclusion
The relationship between web designer and client is an important one. It is vital that you adopt these five tips as they will help you get the most from your existing clients as well as creating a reputation that will allow you to find more business. They will also imbue you with a lot of confidence that will have a long term effect of making you a much better designer.