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Me: Great! Let’s go over your site’s and your business’ goals. What do you want the site to accomplish?

Client: Well… I just want to provide clients with information about my business.

This is a very common conversation that occurs, and while most may see that as an acceptable answer, it tells me that most people are unaware of how to implement a website into their marketing strategy. Instead, there’s the misconception that a website is needed simply because everyone has one. While that is true to some extent, having a site for the sake of having one is a waste of your money and resources.

Your website is an extension of your brand and is an experience that you will provide your target audience. It is often the first interaction that you will have with your customers and—in many cases—may be your only chance to make an impression. To ensure that your website works with and for your business, follow this checklist:

1) Assess your current visual identity and marketing materials

This includes things like your logo, company colors, font types, business cards, brochures, menus, letterhead, and email signatures. Is there consistency? Do they convey the proper message about your business? Do they need to be updated?

Imagine if you were opening up a brand new restaurant, but did not have a consistent image. How odd would it look to have out-dated menus, mismatched furniture and clashing colors all set in a brand-spanking-new location? Unless “tackiness” was part of your identity, I doubt this is what you would want.

Prior to having a website designed, your visual identity should already be in place. This will help you and your designer(s) establish a general look for your site that will remain consistent with all marketing materials.

2) Establish your site’s purpose(s).

First ask yourself WHY you need a website. Again, having a lemming-esque attitude is not the appropriate answer. For example, this is my answer to this question: “I need a website in order to provide potential clients with information about my design process, to showcase my portfolio, to provide clients with useful resources and articles, and serve as a central hub for all of my online communications and networks.”

This will help you and your designer determine the most appropriate features required. Given the above information, I chose to include a blog, a photo gallery, several contact forms, and implemented a content management system for easy changes.

3) Set S.M.A.R.T Goals

S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable (or Achievable), Realistic, and Timely. All goals set should follow this acronym.

Specific – They should be well-defined and clear to anyone that has a basic understanding of the project. What are you going to do? Why is it important? How are you going to do it?

Bad Example – Get people to send me a message through the contact form.

Good Example – Obtain 50 emails through the online sign-up form.

Measurable – Is your objective measurable?

Bad Example – I want the site to sell my product.

Good Example – I want to sell 100 products within the first quarter.

Attainable - While your goals should test your limits, setting unrealistic goals are counterproductive since you’re likely to not keep your commitment.

For example, say you are starting to workout with free weights and it’s been years since you last worked out. Would you start off with the highest weight? Of course not. You’d start off testing which weights you’re able to lift comfortably while still feeling the resistance. As time passes, you’ll begin to lift that first weight with relative ease and you’ll need to increase the weight to feel/see results.

Realistic – Your goals should utilize the skills and resources that are already available. It shouldn’t include anything that is beyond your means. Some effort should be required, but it’s about finding the appropriate balance. Too high and you have an environment set in failure. Too low and you have set the tone that says you’re not capable.

Timely: Set a timeframe for your goals. 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 months, by end of the quarter, by the end of the year… This gives you a clear ending and target. Without a time frame, there is no urgency.

4) Know your target audience and determine the site’s content and tone.

The content and tone is a major part of your branding and part of the experience your website will provide. Knowing your target audience will help to answer several questions and allow you to understand what information should be highlighted or featured.

Content – What information will your users be most interested in? What should they know about your business? How are you going to provide that information? How would you describe your services and/or product? Why should someone hire you or buy your product?

Tone – Will you be professional? Will you include some humor or keep it light-hearted? How high or low is the reading level of your site?

5) Have a clear understanding of what you like visually and what you don’t like.

Check out several of your favorite websites in your industry and make note of what you like and don’t like. Doing this will help your designer to better cater to your preferred style.

“I’m not sure until I see it” does not work and will cause both parties a lot of time and grief.

6) Prepare a budget.

There are several costs that are involved with good web design and it’s best to set aside a website budget. What are you willing to spend? What can you spend? Good Designers will work with YOU to make sure that you’re getting the maximum value for your investment.

Be sure to do some homework. Some designers/firms may charge hourly, while others will provide a per project price. Most will work out payment in installments and some will even work out a monthly retainer. You’ll find a wide spectrum of rates online and it’s good to know what to expect.

Please bear in mind, many different things go into website development and design. Features, functionality, and design complexity will all affect the cost. Here is a quick list of items that will most likely incur charges:

• Layout design and any custom graphics (icons and/or illustrations)
• Stock Images and any photo editing (includes image licensing)
• Copy writing and/or proofreading
• Code Development and Functionality (XHTML, CSS, PHP, Javascript, Shopping Cart, Paypal, Photo Galleries, etc…)
• Domain Name
• Hosting
• Email Setup
• Content Management Systems (A CMS like WordPress)
• Search Engine Optimization

Have anything to add? Have any questions? Share your comments with the Tek Community below!

Not to offend anyone, but I caution many of you to take these titles with a grain of salt. While the idea of social media has been around for a long time (i.e. – forums, blogs, discussion boards, etc…), social networks like Twitter or Facebook are still in their infant stages and are ever-changing. Can someone really claim to be an expert?

Because of the success of these networks and visibility that these sites provide, businesses everywhere feel that they need to jump on the social media bandwagon. But is it really a necessity? Many are fooled into thinking that the more followers or “fans” you have, the more successful your business becomes. I’ve seen a lot of snake oil tactics and false promises prey on this belief:

- gain 1000 followers for $xxx
- learn the secrets of social media
- become an social media expert yourself

Excuse me while I vomit a little…

Don’t buy into any of the crap. If you’re looking for the REAL experts, they’ll have proven track records, readily available references, will discuss your ROI and strategy, and will be honest about failed attempts. There is no sure-fire way to approach social media and I think it involves plenty of a/b testing to see what works for you. If you’re looking to hire someone to help with your campaign, make sure that they can substantiate their claims and produce results.

I myself am still trying to figure out what works. I simply know how to setup Facebook pages and create Twitter profiles, and link them together. However, what I do understand is that social media should be taken for what it is: A way to be more Social via Media.

Don’t just post promotional items, ads, or special discounts. Just like the tons of Farmville updates I see in my News Feed, they’re getting ignored.

Social media expert or not, what tactics have you tried that seem to work for you?

Myth #1: Running a home-based business is easy. Anyone can do it.

Okay. I admit that when I first jumped into this business I thought it would be easy. What I soon came to realize in the first couple of months, while going through my business plan and incorporating Tek-uniQue Graphics, was that I would have to handle everything from bookkeeping to sales. As a sole proprietor, you will find yourself wearing most (if not all) of the “hats” required to run your business until you’re able to hire specialists to help alleviate your workload (i.e. – accountant/bookkeeper, personal assistant, marketing, legal, etc…).

Myth #2 – You have the freedom to work when you want and for how long.

Sure. I am my own boss and I get to declare when I have a day off or how long I work, but what many fail to understand is that while I have that “freedom” I am also a slave to my company. If I take the day off, who’s going to take over while I’m gone? Unlike a 9-to-5, I don’t have the luxury of paid vacations, sick days, or personal days.

Don’t get me wrong. Occasionally, I’ll have my lazy days where I’ll only work a few hours (this is a perk that I enjoy when I can), but I must accept the consequences of my actions. Taking a day off means loss of potential income for me. Marketing does not get done, articles aren’t written, phone calls won’t get answered, projects won’t be worked on…

However, there are days where I’m working 15-16 hours straight to ensure that I’m making my deadlines, fielding phone calls and emails, chasing down invoices, testing out website code, readying designs for print, or reading up on the latest news in the industry.

Myth #3: Home-based businesses are cheap to run.

I somewhat agree with this one, but again, there are several things that must not go overlooked. When starting a business you have to worry about the legal issues (trademarks, copyrights, etc…), establishing a business entity (which is recommended in order to protect personal assets), health/dental insurance, taxes and social security, equipment, supplies, travel expenses, marketing materials, telecommunications, etc…

Personally, my overhead isn’t much on a monthly basis, but the initial investment required was still a considerable amount. Plus, realize that even though I can “expense” or write-off several items during tax time, I am still responsible for everything upfront.

Myth #4: You’re at home, you must not really be working.

This is similar to myth #2, but more for the family and friends of home-based business owners. Just because someone is working from home, and not in an office setting or store, it doesn’t mean that they are not working. I sometimes get a call from a friend or family member asking me to run an errand or perform some kind of favor. Funny, I never received these calls when I was actually in an office (unless in an emergency), so why now?

Not that it’s a lack of respect, but I’m betting that people who leave the house to go to work have a hard time seeing someone who is at home as someone who is working. Because if you’re like me, once I left the office I refused to do anything work related.

Myth #5: Working from home is like working at an onsite job.

Wrong. See myths 1 through 4.

Myth #6: You’ll be stuck at home all day and every day.

I guess this depends on the type of business you run, but for me, I’m able to leave the house and bring my business along with me. That’s one of the many perks and is an obvious benefit to my clients. I can go where they need me to, allowing me to accommodate their schedules as best as possible.

I’m sure you may have heard many of these myths and probably share the same sentiments. However, regardless of what you may believe, the fact-of-the-matter is that there are a countless number of home-based businesses that are successful and working just as hard as some company stationed in a nice comfy office building. Just because we are working from home, doesn’t mean we have it any easier than those stuck in a corporate or retail environment.

What myths have you heard? Share your thoughts with the tek community!

It’s natural to assess whether or not your visual identity needs an update, but valid reasons do NOT include:

a) I’m thinking it’s time for an update…
b) We’re tired of the original logo
c) Someone said they didn’t like it
d) We think it needs some color
e) We’ve been in business for 5+ years… time for something new.

Updating a logo isn’t as simple as adding color or changing the look. In doing so, you have to realize that there will be a significant investment required for all NEW marketing material (i.e. business cards, flyers, letterheads, envelopes, products, etc…).

Typically, any updates to a visual identity should correspond with any company/brand restructuring or growth. If you feel your visual identity (i.e. – logo, website, etc…) is not up to par with your brand, sit down and write down why you think that is. A good way to check to see if an update is needed, is to go through your business plan and/or marketing materials:

1) Re-Identify your company goals, services, and your target market. Have they changed drastically from when you first started?

2) How are your current marketing materials? When was the last time they were updated? Do they still reflect your business and its services?

3) Does your current identity provide a consistent message?

What’s tough about identity design (or logos in general) is that the visual identity is often looked at subjectively without knowledge of the feelings, emotions, and message(s) that your BRAND carries. Only personal experiences, tastes, and preferences will ever be considered. So when someone says your logo is boring, too masculine, outdated, and/or lacking color, don’t take it personally. Realize that they are simply critiquing a visual piece.

The services, experiences, interactions, and/or product that you provide coupled WITH your visual identity is what truly makes up your brand… How do your clients, vendors, and competitors view yours?

However, what people don’t realize is that it is exceptionally easy to come off as arrogant or condescending. Here are some things to remember when writing emails and text messages:

1) Remain objective

Detach all personal feelings. How you’re message is going to ‘sound’ is dependent upon the recipient’s mood and current state of mind. If you feel like your message is emotionally charged, the best thing to do is stop and come back to it later.

2) K.I.S.S – Keep it short & simple

Ever receive the text message that is broken up into 4 different texts because it is so long? Or what about the 4-page email? Forget it… Trim the fat off of your messages and keep things simple. In business-related messages, refrain from using industry-specific terms that people may not understand. Instead, explain things in a manner that best suits your audience.

3) Turn off your caps lock

Whether you’re making a point or looking to emphasize something, avoid writing in all caps. It not only makes things difficult to read but makes it seem like you’re shouting.

4) Sign-off properly

Always sign off your messages with some kind of “Thanks” or “Best Regards”.

5) Leave no room for misinterpretation

The  lack of visual cues makes it easy to misinterpret something, regardless of how many smiley-face emoticons one may use. If you feel like something may be taken the wrong way, remove it completely.

6) If you’re unsure, read it out loud.

If you’re really unsure of how your message may sound to someone, read it out loud to yourself. If possible, get someone else to read it to you.

Although memorable in its own right, how can anyone take you seriously?

Here is a list of some web design practices and/or elements that make my skin crawl:

1) On Today’s Menu: Mystery Meat

“Mystery Meat” navigation refers to the use of images/icons for navigation with no explanatory text. It focuses on the aesthetic aspect of the design rather than function and practicality, resulting in hard-to-navigate sites. At first they’re pretty and intriguing, but can quickly push users away. As an example, check out http://www.mindengine.com.

This site was just upsetting. What is this website even about? Not only was it extremely difficult to find useful information, it was difficult to read as each pop-up box would float depending on the position of my mouse. Ridiculous…

We internet-surfers are an impatient bunch and expect everything to be fast. Within 4 seconds of visiting your site, I should be able to understand what your site is about and easily find the information I want. Think about your users first… what information do they want readily available?

Note: I’m sure they produce great work (I think they specialize in interactive web apps), but I couldn’t find their portfolio. Kudos to you if you can find it.

2) Skip This Intro…

Forget flash intros. This may be a matter of personal preference, but I think lengthy intros serve no other purpose than to give the site owner a Michael Buffer-esque introduction, “And in this corner, standing 1024 pixels by 768 pixels…”

According to a MarketingSherpa case study, 80% of consumers hate flash intros and skip it entirely.

If that statistic doesn’t turn you away from intros, visit the site www.skipintros.com (warning: turn the volume down before visiting).

3) Who the *#@% is this Person Walking/Talking on my Screen?!?

Web presenters or hosts are a very obtrusive element to have on a website. Please don’t buy into this gimmick when they say it’ll provide a large impact and convert sales.

Having a web presenter is like going into a retail location to look around, only to immediately have a salesperson in your face explaining the benefits of their products. “Uh, excuse me, I haven’t even had the chance to look around yet.”

Would you really want something like this? http://www.synergy-training.com/

4) Aren’t Animated Images the Coolest?

Now I’m not referring to well designed flash-based websites, flash animations, CSS animations, or Javascript animated images. These have their appropriate uses and can provide for a good user experience. What I’m talking about are the old animated GIFs that are still being used. Y’know, the ones that are on a constant loop?

Aren’t they distracting? There is no way of stopping the animation either. All they do is draw your website visitors away from the important content and give off a very unprofessional look.

5) Nobody Else has this Font on Their Site.

And for good reason too. It’s best to implement standard web fonts for website content and web copy. Users’ operating systems will have a wide variety of fonts installed, but if they don’t have the font you designed your site with it will be replaced by the default font; often breaking a website’s layout. Leave the fancy fonts for use in header/title images and logos.

Note: Some of the newer browsers support a feature that allow you to load publicly available fonts, regardless if the user has the fonts installed or not. Potential Problems:  Limited browser support and font licensing issues.

6) Hey! Look at all the Groups I’ve Joined!

Yes… it’s great that you are part of various organizations, associations, and networks. I’m sure each have their benefits for your business, your community and your clients, but that doesn’t mean you should cover your site with badges. The best place to highlight some of your memberships is on your “About Us” or “Company” page. In some cases, I think displaying 1 or 2 (I think even 2 is pushing it) small badges in your footer is acceptable.

7) Your Website – an Endless Novel About Your Business

Make your content easy to scan through by utilizing blocks of text, headers, and titles. Keep the content straight to the point and trim any fat. According to UseIt.com, “nearly 80% of site visitors will quickly scan over a new web page with only 16% reading word-for-word”

Here’s a good example of how to trim some fat:

Instead of this

Cut down to this

End result

8 ) What?!? My Site has to be Usable by Those with Disabilities?

To make your website more accessible, even by search engines, you should include “alt”, “title”, and “meta” tags. Let me quickly explain what these are. “Alt” tags are an alternative text description for your images. Often misused, where people will fill them with keywords for page rankings, Alt descriptions are to be used in situations where the image will not load or be visible. For example, those who may have poor eyesight and require a screen reader will hear the text read to them.

“Title” tags are used to describe any page element like links, tables, or images. Although not required, they can be beneficial for your users by providing additional information about the element. Additionally, search engines will read through these as regular page content.

“Meta” tags refer to a description and keywords associated with your site and helps search engines to understand what your site is about. Each page should have its own description and set of keywords.

9) Um… Where am I?

You know your site is pretty bad when users get lost or can’t figure out where they are on your site. Aside from using headings, you should also make use of page titles. Page titles not only serve as an identifier, but are also the clickable headers found in search engines.

10) And Now…a Word From Our Sponsors

Commercials… we hate ‘em. That’s why we all have some sort of Digital Video Recorder connected to our cable box, right? Then why would you consider placing an advertisement in the middle of your blog post, article, or other written content? That is equally annoying. You might as well just fill your site with useless pop-up ads.

11) Spelcheker iz frree

It’s easy to fall victim to common typos and punctuation errors, but before publishing your website or blog article be sure to at least use your spell checker. A website full of spelling errors says a lot about you and your business. Be aware of the common spelling and grammatical errors that your spell-checker won’t flag:

Your – You’re – You

Their – They’re – There

Lose – Loose

Complement – Compliment

Principal – Principle

Stationery – Stationary (I made this mistake in the early stages of tek-uniQue… how embarrassing. Thanks for looking out Rabors!)

Except and Accept

Affect and Effect

Peak and Pique

Assure, Insure, and Ensure

Moot and Mute

Are there any elements of web design that you simply can’t stand? What makes you leave a website before even taking a look around?

Me: “I’ll trade you this nifty, mint-condition, business card for one of your cards AND a brochure.”

Contact: “Okay. What if I gave you my card, my brochure, and a branded pen, and in return you give me your card and I get to email you my weekly newsletter?

Me: “If I get to send you my monthly newsletter then we got a deal.”

Yup… networking events seem to have turned into some kind of awkward “Business Card Trading Club” where your goal is to either collect as many business cards as you can or hand out your card to every single person in attendance. Needless to say, it’s been discouraging and this is why networking sucks (to me):

1) The “What-Can-You-Do-For-Me” People

These type of contacts go to networking events with the sole intention of connecting with people that will only benefit their business. You usually have only 30-60 seconds to explain what it is you do and how you can help them. Within that short period of time, they will decide if you are a potential “asset”, a potential sale,  or simply a waste of time. If you’re deemed a ‘waste of time’, expect the conversation to be quickly dropped.

2) The “Lead-Generators”

These contacts are the quintessential ‘business card traders’ that you’ll encounter at an event. They quickly enter/exit conversations looking to swap contact info and seem to have no interest in general social topics. Within 2 days of meeting them, you can expect to receive a generic email that attempts to further sell you on their product or service.

Hey Chris,

It was great meeting you at (event) the other day. You expressed some interest in our product/services so please be sure to let me know if I can help you in any way.

You can visit our website at (website) for more information. Please feel free to forward this on to any one you think may be interested.

P.S. I attached some info about our product from the website.

Talk to you soon,
Mr/Mrs. Lead-Generator

3) The SPAMMERs

Another business card collector that just wants your email address. They’ll have 30 second conversations with everyone in the room and quickly hand out their card in exchange for yours. Expect to receive SPAM type newsletters each week.

4) The Room-Scanners

These types are a variation of the “What-Can-You-Do-For-Me” people, but rather than quickly drop a conversation they find no interest in, they will instead pretend to be listening and look around the room for other potential targets as you speak.

5) The Partiers

I understand that network events are meant to have a ‘social’ environment, but these people like to throw back more than a few drinks. Often times, they’ll render themselves useless to any type of conversation or even rudely interrupt one.

6) Debbie-Downers

Yes… I know the economy is bad and that it has negatively affected many businesses, but do you have to constantly remind everyone?

7) The Exaggerators

They’re apparently the next best thing since Facebook, Google, AND the Internet…

If you fall into one of these categories, please stop. You’re not doing any good for the people that are trying to make genuine connections.

Networking is about building relationships and creating a community. Individually we may be limited in our capabilities, experiences, and/or education, but as a group we stand to gain so much by simply sharing ideas, tips, thoughts, and advice with each other.

I’m always looking to connect with like-minded individuals so feel free to shoot me a message or add me to your social networks.

Current clients already understand the value of your services or products, but you must remember to keep them engaged with your business between each sale/job. A great way to do that is through newsletters and email updates – Email Marketing. There are several services online that are fairly easy to use, affordable, straight-to-the-point, and highly effective. You just have to choose the one that’s right for you. Some very popular options include MailChimp, Constant Contact, and Aweber.

Building a Campaign

Chances are you have a nice list of emails from past and current clients. However, it’s typically NOT good practice to blindly send out an email to everyone within the list. If they haven’t signed up to receive updates/newsletters, your emails may be marked as SPAM and no one wants that.

What is SPAM?

Aside from the awkward smelling, yet nutritious canned meat, SPAM is defined as “unsolicited email sent to a whole list of people”. To get more information, read the CAN-SPAM Act. Here are a few examples that can come-back to kick you in the butt:

“I got tons of emails from a tradeshow.”

A great example of this was when I signed up for a Visual Connections Event, where buyers and suppliers of photography, illustration, footage, and fonts get to meet. I was unable to attend due to some prior obligations, but some few days after the event I began to receive emails from a few of the exhibitors. I absolutely did not opt-in (a term often used in email marketing meaning ‘agreed to’ or ‘signed up for’) to receive these promotions or emails. C’mon now, I didn’t even attend the event.

Regardless of whether you purchase a booth at an event, gain permission from the hosting organization, or if the registration form states “exhibitors will be able to send you emails”, if you send a mass email to all attendees you can be marked as SPAM.

“They dropped their cards in the bowl for a contest I was running”
You’ve seen the fish bowls in restaurants to “win a free lunch” or even at tradeshows to win some kind of prize. However, even though the business cards may have email addresses on them it doesn’t mean they agreed to receive emails. Even if you had a large sign with a disclaimer stating, “by dropping your card into this fish bowl you agree to receive updates and emails from us”, you’d still be flagged as SPAM.

“I obtained this list from my chamber of commerce”
Although mighty tempting, don’t do it. Even though the association or organization you have joined has a public directory doesn’t mean you can add them to your campaign list. Instead, send a personalized email to each member from your email account. Yea, it might take some time, but it’ll get a much better response than an ‘out-of-the-blue’ newsletter.

“I bought this long list and it cost me a lot of money”
I so hope that those of you reading this DID NOT purchase a list of email addresses from so-called “advertising professionals”. More often than not, emails listed on these lists are from people or businesses who signed up for networking purposes only and NOT third-party emails or solicitations.

“These addresses were in my contacts folder”
Realize that not everyone in your address book, be it outlook or even Gmail, are going to be your clients. You have to be careful as some email programs will automatically add contacts to an address book if there has been email communication back and forth.

“We’ve done business together… over 5 years ago”
Even 1 year I think is quite a long time to send a previous client an update about your business. If you get flagged for SPAM in this scenario, it’s most likely due to the fact they the customer forgot about you OR several email addresses are no longer active. Many times, email providers will change unused email addresses into SPAM catchers or traps.

Avoid these mishaps by sending out  individually personalized emails to each person on the lists above (yes this will take a very long time, but sending out a few personalized emails per day will help avoid the SPAM label), and begin building your list the right way:

Step 1: Get permission…

by creating an email sign-up or capture form. Many of the services available will allow you to easily create a form that you can link to from anywhere (website, emails, social media sites, etc…) and even create an actual form that can be used on your site (for advanced users).

Step 2: Promote

Once the form is set up, be sure to actively promote the sign-up in your email signatures, your social sites, and website.

Step 3: Design GREAT Email Newsletters

How fancy a design is doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a good design. It should be straight-forward, viewable in many email browsers, and provide useful content. Whether you use the service’s templates or create your own, here are several things that should be considered:

1. The “From:” address should be easily recognizable.
If they can’t remember who you are you’ll ultimately become SPAM.

2. Avoid a SPAMMY subject line
Don’t include things like “10% discount” or “Holiday Specials”. These don’t get a very good open- or click-rate. Be clear and direct. If you’re sending out a newsletter for the month of January, include the subject line “January 2010 Newsletter from (business name)”.

3. Personalize the “To:” address
Certain mailing services will allow you to personalize the To: address. Be sure that this is selected for your email campaigns.

4. Don’t forget about the “Unsubscribe” link
It’s good practice to include an easy way for subscribers to opt-out of your mailing list.

5. Provide a link to view the email in a browser.
Select services will include an archived version of your email online allowing for easier viewing and ‘forwards to friends”.

6. Link to your privacy policy
If you collect website visitors’ information in any way, you should have a website privacy policy. If not, you can easily create one with DMA’s privacy policy generator.

7. Include your business’ mailing address
This makes the email look more legit, so include your business’ contact information.

8. Include a “You are receiving this email because…”
Sometimes people forget where or how they signed up for newsletters. Including a reminder about how they signed up for your newsletter is a good way to help people avoid clicking the ‘Junk Mail’ button.

9, Include a Plain-Text Version.
Some mailers don’t allow HTML so it’s always good practice to include a Plain-Text version.

10. Design a Landing Page.
Sending your email subscribers to a specific landing page and directing them to specific areas on your site will allow for an easier way to measure the traffic.

11. Test, Test, and Test some more.
Ensure that your email is viewable in several of the popular mail servers. Not all are built equally and your design will most likely change. If you’re not using an email marketing service, send tests to colleagues and friends. Otherwise, most marketing services will have a preview application that tests several different servers.

Step 4: Do as you promised

Be sure to only send the information that your subscribers have signed up for and only as often as you said you would. If they signed up to receive website updates and discounts for YOUR services, don’t send them third-party advertisements or promotions. If you mentioned “monthly” newsletters, don’t send them weekly updates.

Step 5: Measure the performance

Track your email campaign’s performance. How many people on your list opened the email? What linked items are being click on? Compare it to your website’s traffic and sales to see if it generated additional leads or sales.

Step 6: Analyze the data and create a BETTER campaign

Use the obtained information to help you create the next campaign. Maybe you should try a new subject line or begin breaking up your list into specific groups. You could even try sending out the emails on a different date or at a different time of the day.

What has made your email marketing campaign a success? What issues have you come across? Share your story with the tek-uniQue community.

Here is a list of a website’s best friends and essential tools that should be used:

1) Google Analytics

Google Analytics provides you with easy access to information about your website’s traffic and can assist with measuring the effectiveness of any ad/marketing campaign. What I love about this online app, besides the FREE price tag, is how easily I can isolate and analyze subsets of traffic. Not only can I view daily, weekly, or monthly statistics, I can also break it down to which pages are being viewed the most and for how long. Some other great features allow you to see where the traffic is coming from, what keywords are being clicked on in search engines, and what paths people are taking as they view your site.

It’s relatively easy to install, but if you do not wish to mess around with your site’s coding, ask your web designer to do it for you.

2) Google Feedburner (for blogs and updates)

This is similar to Google Analytics, but more for your blog’s RSS Feed. Here you can view how many subscribers your blog feed has and how many are actively viewing content.

3) Social Media

Social Media is a finicky thing, and it really must be used wisely. On that note, it’s not necessary for every business to use one. If you do, don’t overbear fans and friends with advertisements. This can be viewed as SPAM and doesn’t build a good image. When used correctly, social-media marketing allows you to build a community around your product/service and encourages personal interaction. Of course managing a fan page can be a full-time job in itself (I’ll leave this topic for another posting).

Whether you plan to use Social Media or not, you should at least sign-up for all of the popular ones. This way, you secure your name early and prevent those from using your business’ name.

4) Email Signatures

A FREE marketing tool that you should be using in both your business and personal emails. Some argue against the use of a signature in personal emails, but I think it’s okay. It’s a friendly, unobtrusive reminder that you have a website and provides another easy-access link.

5) Newsletters

Newsletters offer a way to ‘stay in front’ of your clients, reminding them that you are there. Weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly, newsletters can be used to update your clients company news and special promotions; drawing traffic to your website. Services like Constant Contact and MailChimp offer an easy way to create email lists, track open- and click- rates, and flag invalid email addresses. They even have an easy way to create sign-up forms that you can link to. Of course, there are rules and ethical practices that should be followed so that you don’t appear or get flagged as SPAM. MailChimp provides some free resources and best practice tips: http://www.mailchimp.com/resources/.

What other tools or applications do you use alongside your website?

Comment and share your thoughts with the tek-uniQue community.