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		<title>How Much is TOO MUCH Content?</title>
		<link>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/content</link>
		<comments>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/content#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 May 2016 18:21:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[WSI Milton]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Content Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[content]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[copy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[device]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[information]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[landscaping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smartphone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tablet]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wsimilton.com/?p=6546</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>If you have a great story to tell, then you can never have too much content. Speaking of great stories, read about Mike &#038; Jane's adventures in finding a landscaper.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/content">How Much is TOO MUCH Content?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6547" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Mike-Jane-300x233.jpg" alt="Mike &amp; Jane" width="300" height="233" data-id="6547" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Mike-Jane-300x233.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Mike-Jane-768x597.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Mike-Jane-1024x795.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Mike-Jane-160x124.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Mike-Jane-624x485.jpg 624w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Mike-Jane.jpg 1572w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Meet Mike &amp; Jane</h2>
<p>Mike and Jane wanted to turn their backyard from a weed-infested, hot and dry cluttered mess into a relaxing, cozy environment where they could spend quality time with the kids, chill out and entertain.</p>
<p>But they had no idea where to start or what they really wanted.  They couldn’t visualize their ideal backyard landscape.</p>
<p>Sitting on the couch watching evening TV after the kids were tucked in bed, Jane on her iPad and Mike on his iPhone, the couple set off to doing some research to find their ideal backyard oasis.</p>
<h2>Their search commences</h2>
<p>Jane started her search on Pinterest and Houzz, searching for images that seemed to hit the mark of what they were looking for.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Mike took to Google to start searching for local landscapers who could do the job they needed and start judging their work by the quality of their gallery and what their clients are saying about them.</p>
<p>The couple both work full-time and take home a healthy 6 figures combined so they’ve determined that a $60,000 budget for the backyard is reasonable.</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6549" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Pinterest-logo-1-300x225.png" alt="Pinterest" width="300" height="225" data-id="6549" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Pinterest-logo-1-300x225.png 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Pinterest-logo-1.png 400w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Pinterest-logo-1-160x120.png 160w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Discovery!</h2>
<p>Jane found some stunning images on Pinterest and has some really interesting ideas and after digging into Houzz she was able to identify a few local companies that could do the work.</p>
<p>Coincidentally, Mike has already landed on those same websites and both are now fully immersed into their research to see if these companies can do the quality of work they are looking for.</p>
<p>First they land on “Backyard Gurus” website.</p>
<p>It’s a bit annoying to use the site on the iPad and iPhone because it’s not mobile friendly, so there’s some pinching and sliding needed to actually see the words on the site.</p>
<p>The pictures look pretty good; some even look professional.</p>
<p>The content on the home page has very little content at all, a few pictures and a menu button.</p>
<p>There’s a “Why Choose Us” button on the menu, which seems like a reasonable place to start.</p>
<p>So Jane clicks on it.  Now Mike is peering over Jane’s shoulder because the site is too small to see on his iPhone.</p>
<h2>Jane &amp; Mike get scared</h2>
<p>The content goes something like this “Backyard Gurus has built a business based almost solely on referrals because we are committed to giving unparalleled customer service.</p>
<p>Not only do we love landscaping, but we love our clients and that passion transcends into your home…”   The content goes on talking about all the wares of their business and why they are so great.</p>
<p>Jane and Mike shift a bit in their seat wondering what company wouldn’t say they are great, but really what’s in it for us.</p>
<p>How can you help us create an amazing backyard that we will love and enjoy with our family and friends?</p>
<p>The next page is “Benefits to You”.  That seems to be what they are looking for so they click on it.</p>
<p>It contains 4 links to articles on other websites; one of them is a broken link that just shows “404 error”. There’s no other content on this page.</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6551" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/What-next-300x225.jpg" alt="What next" width="300" height="225" data-id="6551" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/What-next-300x225.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/What-next-768x576.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/What-next-1024x768.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/What-next-160x120.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/What-next-624x468.jpg 624w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/What-next.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />What next?</h2>
<p>Jane looks at Mike and says “why would they have a page about the benefits of their product to us and then actually tell us nothing about how their work will benefit us?”</p>
<p>Mike shrugs and says, “Maybe we should go to a different site”.</p>
<h2>Now they&#8217;re onto something</h2>
<p>Jane and Mike are making a huge decision with an investment of $60,000.</p>
<p>Do you think that a few nice pictures and a “we” focused mission statement is going to inspire them to fork the money over to you?</p>
<p>Jane clicks on another site.</p>
<p>It looks great and seems to work properly on the iPad.  Mike clicks on the site with is iPad and has no trouble reading the content.</p>
<p>The home page has 5 little visual boxes that feature some of the main services the company offers.  It’s apart from the menu and has pictures that coincide with the service.</p>
<p>The first box is “Lawn Care” with a picture of a beautifully trimmed lawn.</p>
<p>Mike thinks to himself how awesome it would be to have someone else cutting the grass and wonders what a service like that costs.</p>
<p>He decides that right now is not the best time to bring it up but bookmarks the site so he can take a closer look later.</p>
<p>The second box is “Outdoor Living Spaces”.  No need to look at the other 3 boxes right now because that’s exactly what they are looking for!  Mike clicks on that on his iPhone.</p>
<p>Jane on the iPad scrolls down a little and sees a section that gives a quick overview of the “Residential Services” and “Commercial Services”.</p>
<p>Residential Services starts off like this:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>“Why try to keep up with the Jones’s when you can be the Jones’s? Extend your living area into the outdoors and give yourself the perfect outdoor haven by taking advantage of our landscaping company’s professional design and maintenance services”…. </em>and goes on to list off the various services.</li>
</ul>
<p>Jane reads the content and thinks to herself; <em>wow this one seems to be in tune with what I want!</em></p>
<p>Just above the paragraph is a picture with the words “view our residential portfolio” and an arrow on it.  Jane clicks on the picture and it takes her to the gallery.</p>
<p>For the next hour Jane and Mike continue deeper into the site reading about how their new backyard will enhance their lifestyle, make them feel great, have more fun with friends, take all the stress in their lives away and make them more fun to hang out with….</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6553" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Tip-16-Meme-300x200.jpg" alt="Content" width="300" height="200" data-id="6553" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Tip-16-Meme-300x200.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Tip-16-Meme-160x107.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Tip-16-Meme.jpg 620w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />Guess what you just did?</h2>
<p>How much content is too much content, you ask?</p>
<p>You just read 941 words of content to get to this point.</p>
<p>Was it interesting?  Did it draw you in?  Did it make you want to learn more?</p>
<p>As long as your content is relevant, interesting and can be absorbed in pieces that helps visitors gather information so they can make important decisions, then it’s never too long.</p>
<p>But if you are just putting words on pages because you think Google likes that or you are talking all about how great you are, it’s not worth the effort.</p>
<p>And if you are being overly verbose in your writing just for the sake of having more words, you risk losing your audience with boredom.</p>
<h2>Like this tip?</h2>
<p><a href="http://bit.ly/1MpPuYT">Sign up for more valuable information straight to your inbox</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/content">How Much is TOO MUCH Content?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
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		<title>Adaptable Digital Marketing That Wins New Business (Video)</title>
		<link>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/adaptable-digital-marketing-wins-business-video</link>
		<comments>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/adaptable-digital-marketing-wins-business-video#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 May 2016 19:26:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[WSI Milton]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Adaptive SEO]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Content Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Responsive Web Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Social Media Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adaptable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[content marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[digital marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[responsive web design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media presence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Web analytics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wsimilton.com/?p=6008</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Check out this 2 minute video on how you can adapt your digital marketing plans to properly communicate your message and attract new customers.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/adaptable-digital-marketing-wins-business-video">Adaptable Digital Marketing That Wins New Business (Video)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2>Video highlights</h2>
<ul>
<li>Make sure your website works on multiple platforms</li>
<li>Manage your <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/web-presence/social-media-presence">social media presence</a> and engage at key opportunities</li>
<li>Develop relevant and timely content for new customers to consume</li>
<li>Report on <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/return-investment/web-analytics">web analytics</a> to constantly improve your website</li>
</ul>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-tWcskxKscA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2>Adapt. Succeed. Repeat.</h2>
<p>You&#8217;ve come up with a killer digital marketing plan to drive traffic back to <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/web-presence">your web presence</a>.</p>
<p>It may be effective today. But what about tomorrow? Next week? Next month?</p>
<p>Digital marketing trends and technologies are changing almost daily. If your plan isn&#8217;t adaptable, then it simply won&#8217;t be effective.</p>
<p>At <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI Milton</a>, <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/about-us/our-team">our team</a> follows four steps in order to help small businesses capitalize on the ever-changing digital marketing landscape.</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6627" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Responsive-clear-300x187.png" alt="Responsive web design" width="300" height="187" data-id="6627" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Responsive-clear-300x187.png 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Responsive-clear-768x479.png 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Responsive-clear-160x100.png 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Responsive-clear-624x390.png 624w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Responsive-clear.png 1006w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><strong>Step 1: Be ready with responsive web design</strong></h2>
<p>The days of people spending hours surfing the web on desktop computers are over.</p>
<p>Today, people quickly browse on their smartphones and tablets looking for information.</p>
<p>And if your website doesn&#8217;t look good or work well on these devices, potential customers will ditch it.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/web-presence/responsive-design">Responsive design</a> makes certain your website is:</p>
<ul>
<li>SEO friendly</li>
<li>Easy to read and navigate</li>
<li>Fast to load (any website that loads in over 3 seconds is considered slow)</li>
<li>Adaptable to change</li>
</ul>
<p>In 2016, websites must serve the browsing habits of people, not the other way around.</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft wp-image-6613" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Social-icons-300x218.jpg" alt="Social media icons" width="262" height="190" data-id="6613" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Social-icons-300x218.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Social-icons-768x557.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Social-icons-1024x743.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Social-icons-160x116.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Social-icons-624x453.jpg 624w" sizes="(max-width: 262px) 100vw, 262px" /><strong>Step 2: Prepare for success with a social CRM</strong></h2>
<p>A social CRM (customer relationship management) system lets you listen, observe and interact with all your social followers in one place.</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s say you have a <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/web-presence/social-media-presence">social media presence</a> in the following platforms:</p>
<ul>
<li>Facebook</li>
<li>Twitter</li>
<li>LinkedIn</li>
<li>Instagram</li>
<li>Pinterest</li>
<li>YouTube</li>
</ul>
<p>It would be near-impossible (and incredibly time-consuming) to log into each account, find out what people are saying, respond accordingly and post your own scheduled content.</p>
<p>A social CRM is a one-stop shop that allows you to handle every aspect of your <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/getting-found/social-media-marketing">social media marketing</a> from a central location.</p>
<h2>Step 3: Become an adaptive content marketer</h2>
<p>There&#8217;s no such thing as boring topics, only boring content.</p>
<p>Whether you&#8217;re an HVAC specialist, landscape supplier or home improvement contractor, you have great stories and insights to share.</p>
<p>Those insights form the basis of content marketing.</p>
<p>If nothing else, make sure you blog regularly about anything that&#8217;s going on in your business or industry.</p>
<p>Maybe there&#8217;s a new product you&#8217;re excited about. Perhaps you just finished a big job. Or there&#8217;s new regulations which impact your business and its customers.</p>
<p>Take some time to write, publish and share content. There&#8217;s an audience out there just waiting to consume it.</p>
<h3><a href="http://www.webroi.ca/download/" rel="attachment wp-att-6249" data-attachment="6249"><img class="wp-image-6249 size-thumbnail alignleft" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Sbanner-white-paper-150x150.jpg" alt="Download your FREE guide" width="150" height="150" data-id="6249" /></a></h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong><em>Landscape suppliers, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: #0000ff;"><a style="color: #0000ff; text-decoration: underline;" href="http://www.webroi.ca/download/">download your FREE copy</a></span></span> of 3 Strategies to Triple the Quantity &amp; Quality of Leads from Your Website</em></strong></p>
<h2></h2>
<h2>Step 4: Review and improve using data and analytics</h2>
<p>Unlike Yellow Pages or print advertising, it&#8217;s easy to figure out exactly how your digital marketing campaign is performing when you use <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/return-investment/web-analytics">web analytics</a>.</p>
<p>There are so many areas you can measure, such as:</p>
<ul>
<li>Bounce rates</li>
<li>Time spent on site</li>
<li>Click paths</li>
<li>Top performing website pages</li>
</ul>
<p>And each metric can provide valuable insights on how to make your digital programs perform even better for you.</p>
<h2>Let&#8217;s get started</h2>
<p>Let us handle the adaptation part of your digital marketing.</p>
<p>That way, all you have to worry about is what you&#8217;re already good at: managing your business.</p>
<p><strong>Call 1-877-7WEBROI </strong>or <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/contact-us">book a FREE one-on-one meeting with WSI Milton today</a>.</p>
<p>Together, we&#8217;ll review your current marketing plan to identify what works and what could be improved to bring you new business on a consistent basis.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/contact-us" data-attachment="5796"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-5796" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/cta5.jpg" alt="Contact Us" width="777" height="156" data-id="5796" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/cta5.jpg 777w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/cta5-300x60.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/cta5-160x32.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/cta5-624x125.jpg 624w" sizes="(max-width: 777px) 100vw, 777px" /></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/adaptable-digital-marketing-wins-business-video">Adaptable Digital Marketing That Wins New Business (Video)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
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		<title>Money-Making Monday: Having a Digital Showroom</title>
		<link>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/money-making-monday-digital-showroom</link>
		<comments>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/money-making-monday-digital-showroom#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 May 2016 13:00:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[WSI Milton]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Website Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brochure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[contractors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conversion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Digital Showroom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home renovation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HVAC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leads]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[new home builders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[online brochure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[paper]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[renovations]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wsimilton.com/?p=6568</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Our latest Money-Making Monday blog compares having a Digital Showroom to an online brochure. One brings in leads &#038; the other doesn't. Read to learn why.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/money-making-monday-digital-showroom">Money-Making Monday: Having a Digital Showroom</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to another edition of <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/">WSI Milton</a>’s <em>Money-Making Monday </em>series.</p>
<p>Today’s topic looks at the importance of having a full-fledged Digital Showroom as part of <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/web-presence">your web presence</a>.<img class="alignright wp-image-6643" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Oldwebsite-300x298.png" alt="Old website design" width="193" height="192" data-id="6643" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Oldwebsite-300x298.png 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Oldwebsite-150x150.png 150w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Oldwebsite-768x764.png 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Oldwebsite-1024x1019.png 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Oldwebsite-160x160.png 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Oldwebsite-624x621.png 624w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Oldwebsite.png 1194w" sizes="(max-width: 193px) 100vw, 193px" /></p>
<p>Let’s go back in time to around 1998</p>
<p>Way back in the early days of digital marketing, for many companies, their website was just an online version of their paper brochure.</p>
<p>Meaning:</p>
<ul>
<li>They had the same information</li>
<li>They had the same pictures</li>
<li>They had the same contact information</li>
</ul>
<p>The only difference is that one was on paper and the other was on a screen.</p>
<h2><img class="wp-image-6644 alignleft" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/responsive-design-300x199.jpg" alt="Closeup shot of laptop with digitaltablet and smartphone on desk. Responsive design web page on their screen. Modern devices on desk at office." width="288" height="191" data-id="6644" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/responsive-design-300x199.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/responsive-design-768x509.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/responsive-design-160x106.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/responsive-design-624x414.jpg 624w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/responsive-design.jpg 851w" sizes="(max-width: 288px) 100vw, 288px" /><strong>Fast forward to today</strong></h2>
<p>Paper brochures are still around.</p>
<p>But really, how effective are they?</p>
<p>Compare paper brochures with modern websites and ask yourself:</p>
<ul>
<li>Do they interact with current and potential customers? No.</li>
<li>Can they be viewed anytime, anyplace using <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/web-presence/responsive-design">responsive design</a>? Nope.</li>
<li>Are they able to <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/return-investment/lead-conversion-tracking">track what people are doing</a> when they look at them? Nada.</li>
<li>Will they provide additional information beyond what’s printed on the page? Nein.</li>
</ul>
<p>If a paper brochure isn’t going to generate a tangible <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/return-investment">return on investment</a>, what makes you think an online version will be any different?</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft wp-image-6645" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/couple-on-a-tablet-300x200.jpg" alt="Couple looking at digital tablet" width="291" height="194" data-id="6645" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/couple-on-a-tablet-300x200.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/couple-on-a-tablet-768x511.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/couple-on-a-tablet-160x106.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/couple-on-a-tablet-624x415.jpg 624w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/couple-on-a-tablet.jpg 849w" sizes="(max-width: 291px) 100vw, 291px" />Why you need a Digital Showroom</h2>
<p>The best experience for customers is to visit your physical location, see your products and/or past work and speak with you face-to-face.</p>
<p>Except that they’re too busy to visit your physical location.</p>
<p>And they aren’t able to see your past jobs or projects.</p>
<p>Plus they don’t have the time to talk about their needs.</p>
<p>Instead, they want to get all that information when it’s convenient for them. Whether it’s on an iPad at home or from their smartphone on the train.</p>
<p>That’s what a Digital Showroom does.</p>
<p>It’s a 24/7 salesperson that:</p>
<ul>
<li>Makes the right first impression</li>
<li>Answers every question your visitors have</li>
<li>Is always ready to do business</li>
</ul>
<p>In today’s world, your website is bound to have more visitors than your store or shop ever will.</p>
<p>Therefore it needs to be ready to do everything your sales staff does – and more.</p>
<h2><strong><br />
<img class="alignleft wp-image-6591" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Content-Marketing-Pad-300x200.jpg" alt="Content Marketing" width="272" height="181" data-id="6591" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Content-Marketing-Pad-300x200.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Content-Marketing-Pad-768x512.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Content-Marketing-Pad-1024x682.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Content-Marketing-Pad-160x107.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Content-Marketing-Pad-624x416.jpg 624w" sizes="(max-width: 272px) 100vw, 272px" />Wait, my website can’t do all that. Can it?</strong></h2>
<p>Do you think a 3 panel, double-sided paper brochure can?</p>
<p>The great thing about websites is that they’re essentially infinite in size. You can add as much information as you feel is necessary.</p>
<p>That’s a good thing too. Because the more content you have on your website, the better it’ll rank when it comes to <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/getting-found/search-engine-optimization">search engine optimization</a>.</p>
<p>In addition to product specs and images, your Digital Showroom should have:</p>
<ul>
<li>Ongoing <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog">blogs</a> about relevant topics in your industry</li>
<li>Relevant FAQs (otherwise they’ll go somewhere else for the answers they need)</li>
<li>Multiple ways for people to get in touch with you</li>
<li>Bonus incentives (such as <a href="http://lp.webroi.ca/">free downloads</a>) for customers to take advantage of</li>
</ul>
<p>Yes, your website can do all that.</p>
<p>And when it does, that’s when it becomes a Digital Showroom that attracts visitors and converts them into leads.</p>
<h2><strong>Let’s talk</strong></h2>
<p>If you can’t tell the difference between your paper brochure and your website, then it’s time for a Digital Showroom.</p>
<p>Your first step is to <strong>call 1-877-7WEBROI </strong>to find out how a Digital Showroom can help you grow by as much as 30% this year.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/contact-us" rel="attachment wp-att-6092" data-attachment="6092"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6092" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now.png" alt="Contact Us Now" width="337" height="46" data-id="6092" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now.png 337w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now-300x41.png 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now-160x22.png 160w" sizes="(max-width: 337px) 100vw, 337px" /></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/money-making-monday-digital-showroom">Money-Making Monday: Having a Digital Showroom</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>How This Landscape Supplier Went From Print to Digital Marketing (Video)</title>
		<link>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/video-testimonial-lanes-landscaping-supplies</link>
		<comments>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/video-testimonial-lanes-landscaping-supplies#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Apr 2016 17:16:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[WSI Milton]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Internet Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[contractors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[digital marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[homeowners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[landscape suppliers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lane's Landscaping Supplies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[print advertising]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[revenue growth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yellow Pages]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wsimilton.com/?p=6432</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Lane's Landscaping Supplies wasn't having any success with print marketing. They came to WSI Milton ready to fully transition to digital marketing program.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/video-testimonial-lanes-landscaping-supplies">How This Landscape Supplier Went From Print to Digital Marketing (Video)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2><strong>Video Highlights</strong></h2>
<ul>
<li>Lane’s Landcaping Supplies easily transitioned from print advertising to digital marketing</li>
<li>Their website has delivered more leads and a substantial return on investment</li>
<li>Lane’s is now free to focus on their business without worrying about marketing</li>
</ul>
<p><iframe width="625" height="352" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VA4O9GYGj00?feature=oembed&#038;wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2><strong>It was time for a modern marketing program</strong></h2>
<p>Lane’s Landscaping Supplies advertised in the Yellow Pages, but it wasn’t generating any results.</p>
<p>They also had a <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/web-presence">web presence</a>, but it wasn’t very effective at delivering leads.</p>
<p>Before partnering with WEB ROI Powered by <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI Milton</a>, Lane’s spent much of their time focusing on marketing and advertising when they’d rather be doing what they do best: providing landscape supplies to homeowners and contractors.</p>
<p>Today, Lane’s Landscaping Supplies has a team of digital marketing experts doing the work for them – and generating real results too.</p>
<p>In the end, it all adds up to more business, more growth and more time paying attention to all those new customers.</p>
<h2><strong>Let’s talk</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Call 1-877-7WEBROI </strong>to find out how we can help you grow by as much as 30% this year.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/contact-us" rel="attachment wp-att-6092" data-attachment="6092"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6092" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now.png" alt="Contact Us Now" width="337" height="46" data-id="6092" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now.png 337w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now-300x41.png 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now-160x22.png 160w" sizes="(max-width: 337px) 100vw, 337px" /></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/video-testimonial-lanes-landscaping-supplies">How This Landscape Supplier Went From Print to Digital Marketing (Video)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Money-Making Monday: How Many Calls to Action Should Your Website Have?</title>
		<link>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/money-making-monday-calls-action-website-have</link>
		<comments>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/money-making-monday-calls-action-website-have#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Apr 2016 13:49:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[WSI Milton]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Conversion Rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lead Generation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[button]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[calls-to-action]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[contact us]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conversion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cta]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[download]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[free]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home builder]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home renovation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[landscape supplier]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leads]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[phone call]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[request a quote]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wsimilton.com/?p=6232</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>It’s time for another installment of Money-Making Money from WSI Milton. Today, the focus is on determining how many calls-to-action your website should have. Refresher: What’s a call-to-action? When people visit your website, it needs to instruct them on what to do next. That’s what a call-to-action (CTA) does. Yes, it’s nice when people: Find <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/money-making-monday-calls-action-website-have#more-'" class="more-link">more »</a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/money-making-monday-calls-action-website-have">Money-Making Monday: How Many Calls to Action Should Your Website Have?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>It’s time for another installment of Money-Making Money from <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/">WSI Milton</a>.</p>
<p>Today, the focus is on determining how many calls-to-action <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/web-presence">your website</a> should have.</p>
<h2><strong><img class="alignleft wp-image-6238" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Act-Now-White-150x150.jpg" alt="Call to action" width="175" height="164" data-id="6238" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Act-Now-White-300x281.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Act-Now-White-768x719.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Act-Now-White-1024x959.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Act-Now-White-160x150.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Act-Now-White-624x584.jpg 624w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Act-Now-White.jpg 1432w" sizes="(max-width: 175px) 100vw, 175px" />Refresher: What’s a call-to-action?</strong></h2>
<p>When people visit your website, it needs to instruct them on what to do next.</p>
<p>That’s what a call-to-action (CTA) does.</p>
<p>Yes, it’s nice when people:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Find your website</strong> (that means it has the right keywords &amp; <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/getting-found/search-engine-optimization">search engine optimization</a> in place).</li>
<li><strong>Make their way around your site </strong>(this means it has a good navigation structure).</li>
<li><strong>Read about your products and services </strong>(this means it’s <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/web-presence/professional-web-copy-writing">written for your target audience</a>).</li>
</ul>
<p>But if they don’t do anything afterwards, then you’ve lost an opportunity to gain a new lead and a potential new customer.</p>
<p>So a CTA is crucial in transitioning people from <em>learning about you </em>to actually <em>contacting you for more information.</em></p>
<p>For new home builders, landscape suppliers or home improvement specialists like yourself, there are 5 common calls-to-action your website should have.</p>
<p>They are:</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft wp-image-6240" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Call-Now-150x150.jpg" alt="Call to action call now" width="175" height="131" data-id="6240" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Call-Now-300x225.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Call-Now-768x576.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Call-Now-1024x768.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Call-Now-160x120.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Call-Now-624x468.jpg 624w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Call-Now.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 175px) 100vw, 175px" /><strong>1. Call a phone number</strong></h2>
<p>That’s seems obvious, doesn’t it?</p>
<p>But as discussed in <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/money-making-monday-phone-number-visible">the first Money-Making Monday installment</a>, not all websites have a phone number visible.</p>
<p>A big, easy to spot phone number on your site is more than just common contact information.</p>
<p>It’s an invitation for visitors to pick up the phone and talk to you.</p>
<p>And even in today’s email/text message/<a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/getting-found/social-media-marketing">social media</a> world, people still want to be able to pick up the phone and talk to you.</p>
<p>So your phone number (placed in the top right hand corner of your website) is a call-to-action instructing people to call for more information.</p>
<p>To make it even more effective, make sure it’s visible on every page of your website.</p>
<h2><a href="Us" rel="attachment wp-att-6241"><img class="alignleft wp-image-6241" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Contact-us-cursor-150x150.jpg" alt="Call to action contact us" width="175" height="140" data-id="6241" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Contact-us-cursor-300x240.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Contact-us-cursor-768x614.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Contact-us-cursor-1024x819.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Contact-us-cursor-160x128.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Contact-us-cursor-624x499.jpg 624w" sizes="(max-width: 175px) 100vw, 175px" /></a><strong>2. Contact us form</strong></h2>
<p>You’ve probably seen request a quote and/or contact us forms on other websites.</p>
<p>And while the forms can vary, they usually ask for the following information (at least):</p>
<ul>
<li>Name</li>
<li>Email</li>
<li>Telephone</li>
<li>Product or service you’re interested in (usually presented as a dropdown menu)</li>
<li>A blank field for any other information you want to share</li>
</ul>
<p>And if you’ve never filled out such a form yourself, you should have one on your website for 2 reasons:</p>
<ol>
<li>Instead of getting a generic email that says “I want to know more about&#8230;”, your form tells you <em>exactly </em>what your lead is interested in and any other helpful information. There’s no guessing on your part.</li>
</ol>
<ol start="2">
<li>Your potential customer can take the time to fully explain what they want. They may not be able to articulate it over the phone or have the time to visit your physical location. But a form enables them to tell you everything they want you to know.</li>
</ol>
<p>One last thing, you should have a request a quote form on every page of your website.</p>
<h2><a href="http://lp.webroi.ca/" target="_blank"><img class="alignleft wp-image-6249 size-medium" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Sbanner-white-paper-172x300.jpg" alt="Download your FREE guide" width="172" height="300" data-id="6249" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Sbanner-white-paper-172x300.jpg 172w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Sbanner-white-paper-92x160.jpg 92w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Sbanner-white-paper.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 172px) 100vw, 172px" /></a><strong>3. Download a free guide</strong></h2>
<p>Some people may not be ready to buy. Or they aren’t quite ready to talk to you.</p>
<p>But they’re still interested in what you have to offer and want more of it.</p>
<p>That’s where a <a href="http://lp.webroi.ca/">free guide</a> comes in.</p>
<p>It doesn’t have to be long or complex. All it needs to be is some extra information they can’t get anywhere else.</p>
<p>Just like your contact us form, you can create a separate form for people to ask for their free guide.</p>
<p>It’s another call-to-action for people to follow. And it’s another way you can capture more leads for your business.</p>
<p>Lastly: make certain you have the offer to download your free guide on each page of your site</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft wp-image-6502" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Get-a-quote-300x125.jpg" alt="Get a quote" width="200" height="83" data-id="6502" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Get-a-quote-300x125.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Get-a-quote-768x320.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Get-a-quote-1024x427.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Get-a-quote-160x67.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Get-a-quote-624x260.jpg 624w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /><strong style="font-size: 1.28571rem; line-height: 1.6;">4. Request a quote</strong></h2>
<p>Anyone looking for the products and services you offer would like to receive a quote before making a purchase decision.</p>
<p>Therefore, you should make it real easy for them to get one.</p>
<p>Having a request a quote button on your site makes it crystal clear to anyone what will happen if they click it.</p>
<p>To make your request a quote button even more effective, make sure it links to your contact us form.</p>
<p>Why? Because if they spend the time to fill in a contact us form with as much information as possible, you’ll be able to give them an accurate, realistic quote.</p>
<p>Don’t forget to put your request a quote button on all website pages.</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft wp-image-6505" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Click-here-300x109.png" alt="Click here" width="200" height="73" data-id="6505" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Click-here-300x109.png 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Click-here-160x58.png 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Click-here.png 550w" sizes="(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px" /><strong>5. CTAs in text links</strong></h2>
<p>Bright buttons and big forms are great CTAs that get noticed.</p>
<p>Another more subtle (but still effective) way to add a call-to-action is to use text links.</p>
<p>You know, when you’re reading some web copy and you’re asked to <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/contact-us">contact us for more information</a>.</p>
<p>You don’t need to plaster your text with CTAs. Just one in the right location should be enough.</p>
<p>Of course, if you have a page with lots of text, you can use more than one (that way, users won’t have to scroll up or hunt for them).</p>
<p>Just like buttons and forms, make sure each page has at least one text CTA.</p>
<h2><strong>Did you notice a common theme?</strong></h2>
<p>Here are the 5 standard calls-to-action you should have on your website:</p>
<ul>
<li>Phone number</li>
<li><a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/contact-us">Contact us</a> form</li>
<li><a href="http://lp.webroi.ca/">Download a free guide</a></li>
<li>Request a quote</li>
<li>Text link CTA</li>
</ul>
<p>What do they have in common?</p>
<p>They should be on <em>every page </em>of your website.</p>
<p>Each page is an opportunity to convert visitors into leads.</p>
<p>When they’re ready to make that commitment, don’t force them to hunt for a way to do it. Make it easy for them.</p>
<p>Otherwise, they’ll get frustrated and leave your website.</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-6175" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Question-marks-150x150.jpg" alt="Question marks" width="150" height="150" data-id="6175" /><strong>So, how many calls-to-action should your website have?</strong></h2>
<p>It’s easy. Just multiply how many pages your website has by 5 (for the standard CTAs discussed above).</p>
<p>So if you have a 10 page website, it’ll have 50 calls-to-action total on it.</p>
<h2><strong>Let&#8217;s talk</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Call 1-877-7WEBROI </strong>to find out how we can help you grow by as much as 30% this year.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/contact-us"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-6092 size-full" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now.png" alt="Schedule a Call Now" width="337" height="46" data-id="6092" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now.png 337w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now-300x41.png 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now-160x22.png 160w" sizes="(max-width: 337px) 100vw, 337px" /></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/money-making-monday-calls-action-website-have">Money-Making Monday: How Many Calls to Action Should Your Website Have?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>Getting the Most from Your eCommerce Site (Video)</title>
		<link>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/ecommerce-site-video</link>
		<comments>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/ecommerce-site-video#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Mar 2016 15:26:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[WSI Milton]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Small Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[digital marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eCommerce]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[experience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[online]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[product]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[responsive web design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[service]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shopping cart]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tablet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wsimilton.com/?p=6557</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>You have great products &#038; services to sell. Is your eCommerce site just as awesome? Watch this 2 min. video on 5 ways to eCommerce website excellence.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/ecommerce-site-video">Getting the Most from Your eCommerce Site (Video)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2><strong>Video highlights</strong></h2>
<ul>
<li>Your <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/web-presence/ecommerce">eCommerce</a> website must be mobile-friendly</li>
<li>Know your target audience <em>before </em>launching your eCommerce site</li>
<li>Make it incredibly easy for customers to buy from you</li>
<li>Review <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/return-investment/web-analytics">website performance</a> and adapt accordingly to <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/return-investment">maximize your return on investment</a></li>
</ul>
<div style="width: 625px; " class="wp-video"><!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('video');</script><![endif]-->
<video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-6557-1" width="625" height="352" preload="metadata" controls="controls"><source type="video/mp4" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/WSI_0316_JG-1.mp4?_=1" /><a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/WSI_0316_JG-1.mp4">http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/WSI_0316_JG-1.mp4</a></video></div>
<h2><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6560" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/eCommerce-300x300.jpg" alt="eCommerce" width="300" height="300" data-id="6560" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/eCommerce-300x300.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/eCommerce-150x150.jpg 150w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/eCommerce-768x768.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/eCommerce-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/eCommerce-160x160.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/eCommerce-624x624.jpg 624w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><strong>Selling online? You need a strong eCommerce strategy first</strong></h2>
<p>Did you know that <strong>online retail stores are growing 7x faster </strong>than their offline counterparts?</p>
<p>And if given the choice, most people would rather shop and buy from a <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/web-presence">website</a> than a brick-and-mortar location.</p>
<p>Add it up and it means that, if you have a product or service to sell, you best be online because that’s where your potential customers are.</p>
<p>But having an eCommerce site is much more than just an online brochure and shopping cart function. It has to be a complete system which:</p>
<ul>
<li>Expands your marketing reach</li>
<li>Grows your customer base</li>
<li>Adapts to your ever-changing business needs</li>
<li>Compels people to buy from you again and again</li>
</ul>
<p>Courtesy of <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/">WSI Milton</a>, here are 5 steps towards having a great and profitable eCommerce website:</p>
<h2><strong>Step 1: Put the right platform in place</strong></h2>
<p><strong>In other words: </strong>The wrong eCommerce technology can sink your site.</p>
<p>Have you ever tried to buy something online, only to be frustrated by the experience? For example:</p>
<ul>
<li>The shopping cart wouldn’t add your product selection</li>
<li>The shipping field kept deleting your information</li>
<li>It didn’t work on your mobile device (so you had to wait to go home to complete your purchase)</li>
</ul>
<p>That’s the result of having the wrong eCommerce platform.</p>
<p>If you hated that experience, chances are your potential customers will too – if you don’t have the right technology in place.</p>
<h2><strong>Step 2: Know your audience</strong></h2>
<p><strong>In other words: </strong>Build your eCommerce site to appeal to potential customers.</p>
<p>When building your website, let the “5 Ws” guide you:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Who </strong>are you selling to?</li>
<li><strong>What </strong>do they want?</li>
<li><strong>When </strong>do they need it?</li>
<li><strong>Why </strong>do they want it?</li>
<li><strong>Where </strong>will they get it?</li>
</ul>
<p>And don’t forget the “1 H” too:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>How </strong>will they buy it?</li>
</ul>
<p>Answer those questions and you’re well on your way to having a successful eCommerce website.</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6562" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Conversion-optimization-300x286.jpg" alt="eCommerce conversion optimization" width="300" height="286" data-id="6562" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Conversion-optimization-300x286.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Conversion-optimization-768x733.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Conversion-optimization-1024x978.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Conversion-optimization-160x153.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Conversion-optimization-624x596.jpg 624w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Conversion-optimization.jpg 1418w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><strong>Step 3: Optimize for conversion</strong></h2>
<p><strong>In other words: </strong>Make it real easy for people to buy from you.</p>
<p>The moment a prospect is ready to open their wallet and purchase from you, your website must be ready for it.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/web-presence/conversion-architecture">Conversion architecture</a> is about doing things to help increase sales.</p>
<p>Whether that’s offering a discount, cross-selling other products or featuring testimonials from other customers, conversion optimization helps push the potential customer across the finish line for you.</p>
<h2><strong>Step 4: Offer an outstanding customer experience</strong></h2>
<p><strong>In other words: </strong>Make your customers want come back again and bring their friends too.</p>
<ul>
<li>Big, bright pictures</li>
<li>Easy-to-understand calls-to-action</li>
<li>Simple forms to fill out</li>
<li>Live chat when needed</li>
<li>Informative blog posts.</li>
</ul>
<p>This makes your eCommerce site more than just a place to buy things.</p>
<p>It turns your <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/web-presence">web presence</a> into a total digital showroom.</p>
<p>Your prospects will get the same level of care, expertise and attention they would from a physical location.</p>
<p>All from the convenience of their own device and on their own schedule.</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6563" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Web-data-300x300.jpg" alt="Web data" width="300" height="300" data-id="6563" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Web-data-300x300.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Web-data-150x150.jpg 150w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Web-data-768x768.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Web-data-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Web-data-160x160.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Web-data-624x624.jpg 624w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><strong>Step 5: Listen, learn and improve</strong></h2>
<p><strong>In other words: </strong>See what’s working and fix what isn’t.</p>
<p>Launching your eCommerce site is just the start.</p>
<p>Once it’s live, you’ll need to examine your web data on a regular basis to see how it’s performing.</p>
<p>For example, if a high percentage of people are leaving your billing/shipping page, that’s a sign that the forms they’re being asked to fill out are too long or complicated.</p>
<p>That’s important because it tells that people <em>want </em>to buy from you. And that they’re <em>ready and willing </em>to do it too.</p>
<p>But it’s too complicated for them do to so, so they decide to abandon the purchase.</p>
<p>With that data, you can then make your billing/shipping form a lot easier to fill out.</p>
<h2><strong>You’ve got the tools. Now it’s time to build.</strong></h2>
<p>Something to consider: if you have an eCommerce website, then your competitors do too.</p>
<p>How visitors interact with and perceive your website will make the difference between turning them into customers and losing them forever.</p>
<p>Your eCommerce website will benefit from the expertise of a digital marketing specialist.</p>
<p>Your first step (even before step 1) is to <strong>call 1-877-7WEBROI </strong>or <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/contact-us">contact us for a FREE consultation</a>.</p>
<p>That’s all it takes to get your eCommerce website started on the path to success and profit.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/contact-us"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-6092 size-full" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now.png" alt="Contact Us Now" width="337" height="46" data-id="6092" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now.png 337w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now-300x41.png 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now-160x22.png 160w" sizes="(max-width: 337px) 100vw, 337px" /></a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/ecommerce-site-video">Getting the Most from Your eCommerce Site (Video)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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<enclosure url="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/WSI_0316_JG-1.mp4" length="50722369" type="video/mp4" />
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Money-Making Monday: Is Your Phone Number Visible?</title>
		<link>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/money-making-monday-phone-number-visible</link>
		<comments>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/money-making-monday-phone-number-visible#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Mar 2016 19:17:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[WSI Milton]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Conversion Architecture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[call]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clickable]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[customers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home building]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home improvement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[landscape supplies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[phone number]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smartphone]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trust]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wsimilton.com/?p=6100</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>The 1st entry in our "Money-Making Monday" series looks at the importance of having a visible phone number on your site. A small item with a big impact.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/money-making-monday-phone-number-visible">Money-Making Monday: Is Your Phone Number Visible?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignleft wp-image-6102 size-thumbnail" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Stack-of-100s-150x150.jpg" alt="Money" width="150" height="150" data-id="6102" />Welcome to <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI Milton</a>’s <em>Money-Making Monday</em> series.</p>
<p>One Monday per month, we’ll focus on simple changes and enhancements you can make to help generate more ROI from your website and digital marketing.</p>
<p>And we’ll do it with a focus on companies and businesses like yours:</p>
<ul>
<li>Home building</li>
<li>Renovating &amp; home improvement</li>
<li>Landscape supplies</li>
</ul>
<p>First up in <em>Money-Making Monday: </em>Having a visible phone number on your website.</p>
<h2><strong>Isn’t having a phone number obvious?</strong></h2>
<p>It is.</p>
<p>But you’d be surprised at how many websites either don’t have a phone number or have one that’s impossible to find:</p>
<p>Why would anyone do this? It could be because they:</p>
<ul>
<li>They (or their web developer) didn’t think about it when building the website</li>
<li>Want to force users to email or fill a form</li>
<li>Don’t have the staff to handle taking calls</li>
<li>Are afraid it’ll become a customer service or complaint hotline</li>
</ul>
<p>What they don’t realize is they’re losing potential customers and sales.</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft wp-image-6119" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/No-Trust-150x150.jpg" alt="No Trust" width="141" height="140" data-id="6119" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/No-Trust-150x150.jpg 150w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/No-Trust-300x299.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/No-Trust-160x160.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/No-Trust.jpg 416w" sizes="(max-width: 141px) 100vw, 141px" /><strong>People don’t trust companies that don’t feature a phone number</strong></h2>
<p>Would <em>you </em>do business with a company that you couldn’t pick up the phone and call?</p>
<p>If there’s no phone number on your site, people will think you’re:</p>
<ul>
<li>Too busy and hard to reach</li>
<li>Hiding something from them</li>
<li>Not actually interested in talking to them</li>
</ul>
<p>Even though more people are comfortable when it comes to filling out forms or using live chat features, some prefer the tried and true method of making a phone call.</p>
<ul>
<li>At WSI Milton, our experience shows that, on average, our clients&#8217; websites gets <em>3x as many phone calls </em>than forms filled in.</li>
</ul>
<p>And by not having a phone number on your website, you are turning those people away.</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft wp-image-6103 size-thumbnail" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Hard-to-find-phone-150x150.jpg" alt="Hard to find phone number" width="150" height="150" data-id="6103" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Hard-to-find-phone-150x150.jpg 150w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Hard-to-find-phone-300x300.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Hard-to-find-phone-768x768.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Hard-to-find-phone-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Hard-to-find-phone-160x160.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Hard-to-find-phone-624x624.jpg 624w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /><strong>How to make your phone number more visible</strong></h2>
<p>Having your phone number visible gives people peace of mind.</p>
<p>They know they’re dealing with a legitimate business.</p>
<p>Here’s how to make your phone number more visible on your website:</p>
<ul>
<li>Place it on the top right hand corner of your website</li>
<li>Feature it on every page of your website</li>
<li>When viewing your phone number on their mobile phone, it must be clickable</li>
</ul>
<p>If your current website is designed in such a way that you can’t add your phone number in a visible manner, then you’ll want to consider redesigning or rebuilding it.</p>
<h2>Let&#8217;s talk</h2>
<p><strong>Call 1-877-7WEBROI </strong>to find out how we can help you grow by as much as 30% this year<a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/contact-us"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-6092 size-full" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now.png" alt="Schedule a Call Now" width="337" height="46" data-id="6092" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now.png 337w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now-300x41.png 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now-160x22.png 160w" sizes="(max-width: 337px) 100vw, 337px" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/money-making-monday-phone-number-visible">Money-Making Monday: Is Your Phone Number Visible?</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Google Made a Big Change &#038; You Didn’t Even Notice</title>
		<link>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/google-big-change-didnt-notice</link>
		<comments>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/google-big-change-didnt-notice#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Feb 2016 21:29:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[WSI Milton]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Pay Per Click]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Search Engine Optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[google]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[google search engine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pay-per-click]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ppc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[search engine optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wsimilton.com/?p=6161</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Last year, Google made a big change to its algorithm in order to give mobile-friendly websites better search engine results versus those which aren’t. They launched a mobile-friendly test to see if your website would be impacted by the change. Recently, Google made another change to its interface without fanfare. They just went and did <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/google-big-change-didnt-notice#more-'" class="more-link">more »</a></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/google-big-change-didnt-notice">Google Made a Big Change &#038; You Didn’t Even Notice</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Last year, Google made a big change to its algorithm in order to give mobile-friendly websites better search engine results versus those which aren’t.</p>
<p>They launched a <a href="https://www.google.ca/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/">mobile-friendly test</a> to see if your website would be impacted by the change.</p>
<p>Recently, Google made another change to its interface without fanfare. They just went and did it.</p>
<h2><strong>See anything different</strong><strong>?</strong></h2>
<p><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6165" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/london-hotel-Google-Search-with-right-hand-side-ads-1-300x171.png" alt="Before" width="300" height="171" data-id="6165" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/london-hotel-Google-Search-with-right-hand-side-ads-1-300x171.png 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/london-hotel-Google-Search-with-right-hand-side-ads-1-768x438.png 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/london-hotel-Google-Search-with-right-hand-side-ads-1-160x91.png 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/london-hotel-Google-Search-with-right-hand-side-ads-1-624x356.png 624w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/london-hotel-Google-Search-with-right-hand-side-ads-1.png 800w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><strong>Before</strong></p>
<p>Here is a Google search results page we’re all familiar with.</p>
<p>Going top to bottom on the left hand side, you see <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/getting-found/paid-search-marketing">ads</a>, followed by natural <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/getting-found/search-engine-optimization">organic results</a>. To the right, there’s additional paid advertising.</p>
<p><img class="alignleft wp-image-6166" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/london-hotel-Google-Search-1-300x212.png" alt="london-hotel-Google-Search" width="291" height="206" data-id="6166" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/london-hotel-Google-Search-1-300x212.png 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/london-hotel-Google-Search-1-768x543.png 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/london-hotel-Google-Search-1-160x113.png 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/london-hotel-Google-Search-1-624x441.png 624w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/london-hotel-Google-Search-1.png 800w" sizes="(max-width: 291px) 100vw, 291px" /></p>
<p><strong>After</strong></p>
<p>Now look at the “after” photo.</p>
<p>See all the extra white space on the right-hand side of that picture? All those ads are now gone.</p>
<h6><em>Images courtesy of <a href="https://searchenginewatch.com/2016/02/23/google-kills-right-hand-side-ads-what-does-this-mean-for-sem/" target="_blank">Search Engine Watch</a></em></h6>
<h2> <img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6175" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Question-marks-300x225.jpg" alt="Question marks" width="300" height="225" data-id="6175" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Question-marks-300x225.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Question-marks-768x576.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Question-marks-1024x768.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Question-marks-160x120.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Question-marks-624x468.jpg 624w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><strong>Why did Google make this change?</strong></h2>
<p>In 2015, Google announced that <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/google-people-search-mobile-desktop">more people browse the web from their mobile phones</a> than their desktop or laptop computers.</p>
<p>With that in mind, what’s something you <em>don’t </em>see on Google for your smartphone?</p>
<p>Correct: Paid advertising on the right-hand side. It’s all a straight column with up-and-down scrolling and no side-to-side scrolling.</p>
<p>Google wants to create that same experience on your desktop computer. That’s why those ads disappeared (or as one <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI Milton</a> staffer said, “Google got naked”).</p>
<p>Another reason Google made this change because many of its users can’t tell the difference between ads and organic results. They just click on what appeals to them.</p>
<p>So, by lumping more ads in with organic results, people will click them first, not even realizing they clicked an ad.</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6177" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Thinking-man-300x300.jpg" alt="Thinking man" width="300" height="300" data-id="6177" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Thinking-man-300x300.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Thinking-man-150x150.jpg 150w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Thinking-man-768x767.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Thinking-man-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Thinking-man-160x160.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Thinking-man-624x624.jpg 624w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Thinking-man.jpg 1386w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><strong>I have an ad campaign on Google. What does this mean for me?</strong></h2>
<p>In addition to taking out right-hand Pay Per Click ads, Google introduced something called “highly commercial queries” (HCQ).</p>
<p>When somebody searches for something that Google believes represents <em>intent to purchase </em>(and not just doing general research), they will serve up an extra ad.</p>
<p>For example, if you’re a landscape supplier in Milton and someone searches for “topsoil”, your ad may not appear. It’s too generic a search to match up with your ad.</p>
<p>But if someone looks for “where to buy topsoil in Milton”, Google may decide to view that as an <em>intent to purchase.  </em>If it does, it will serve up an extra ad at the top of the Search Results Page (SERP).</p>
<h2><strong>Wait a minute? Will I have to pay more for my ad campaign?</strong></h2>
<p>On the surface, it looks like Google is putting the law of supply and demand in motion with this recent change.</p>
<p>Less ad space = businesses spending more money to get it.</p>
<p>There are 3 things Google takes into account when it decides where your ad shows up:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Your bid: </strong>Google looks at how much money you’re willing to pay for each click</li>
</ol>
<ol start="2">
<li><strong>Your click-through-rate:</strong> When a higher percentage of people are clicking on your ad, Google deems you as more relevant, and you’ll pay less for each click</li>
</ol>
<ol start="3">
<li><strong>Your quality score:</strong> If the ad and its landing page are relevant to what the user is looking for, Google will give you a high quality score</li>
</ol>
<p>If you focus on your click through rate and quality score, the possible increase of cost via bid wars should be minimal.</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft wp-image-6178 size-medium" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/SEO-cloud-300x210.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="210" data-id="6178" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/SEO-cloud-300x210.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/SEO-cloud-768x538.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/SEO-cloud-1024x717.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/SEO-cloud-160x112.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/SEO-cloud-624x437.jpg 624w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><strong>Things you can do to make sure you’re still visible on Google</strong></h2>
<p><strong>Review your natural search engine results</strong></p>
<p>Organic search results are more important than ever before. Are they appealing enough? Would people be compelled to click on them, or will they simply ignore them?</p>
<p><strong>See where you rank for certain terms</strong><strong> </strong></p>
<p>Competition for space on Google is fierce. Before, it was all about being on page 1 of Google.</p>
<p><strong>Claim and Optimize your Google My Business (GMB) listing</strong><strong> </strong></p>
<p>Google&#8217;s first page, above the fold (before the use scrolls down), is now dominated by ads and &#8216;map&#8217; listings. One of the key things you can do to increase the presence of your listing is to make sure every portion of your GMB is 100% complete (and we mean <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>100%</strong></span> complete).</p>
<p><strong>Take a second look at your Pay Per Click ad campaign</strong></p>
<p>It’s too soon to tell, but with Google effectively slashing 50% of its ad space, there’s going to be a premium on that remaining 50%. See if there’s a better way to get <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/return-investment">ROI</a> from your PPC dollars.</p>
<h2><strong>Remember the good ol’ days?</strong></h2>
<p>You’d build a website, advertise on Google and that was that.</p>
<p>Today, Google (and digital marketing) is about understanding who your audience is, where they are, what they’re thinking and provide highly beneficial information to them.</p>
<p>To Google, your website is a fountain of information designed to help people find what they’re looking for. But it’s up to you to get people to your website by any means necessary.</p>
<p>That includes search engine optimization, blogging, social media marketing, customer reviews and yes, even paid advertising.</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6181" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/We-got-this-300x300.jpg" alt="We got this" width="300" height="300" data-id="6181" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/We-got-this-300x300.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/We-got-this-150x150.jpg 150w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/We-got-this-160x160.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/We-got-this-624x624.jpg 624w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/We-got-this.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><strong>Rest assured, we’ve got this covered</strong></h2>
<p>There are two reasons why we’re telling you about Google’s change:</p>
<ol>
<li>To inform you of something you may not have noticed, but could impact your bottom line.</li>
</ol>
<ol start="2">
<li>To tell you that we’re on it to make sure that the businesses we serve continue to get the best Return on Investment from their digital marketing.</li>
</ol>
<p>If you have any questions about Google’s PPC changes or what it could mean for your business, <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/contact-us">give us a call (or fill in a form) today</a>.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/google-big-change-didnt-notice">Google Made a Big Change &#038; You Didn’t Even Notice</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
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		<title>7 Guaranteed Steps to Website Success (Video)</title>
		<link>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/7-steps-website-success-video</link>
		<comments>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/7-steps-website-success-video#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Feb 2016 15:43:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[WSI Milton]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Website Design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[content]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conversion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[email marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leads]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mobile]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[personas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[search engine optimization]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[social media marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[steps]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website success]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wsimilton.com/?p=6138</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Every website that's successful in generating leads follows the same 7 steps. What are they and why do they work? Watch this 2 minute video to find out.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/7-steps-website-success-video">7 Guaranteed Steps to Website Success (Video)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2><strong>Video highlights</strong></h2>
<ul>
<li>Your website is the hub for all your digital marketing activities</li>
<li>Any successful website must be mobile-ready</li>
<li>Each step plays an important role and can’t be skipped or rushed</li>
<li>Following the 7 steps carefully can lead to a healthy <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/return-investment">return on investment</a> from your website</li>
</ul>
<div style="width: 625px; " class="wp-video"><video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-6138-2" width="625" height="352" preload="metadata" controls="controls"><source type="video/mp4" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/7-Steps-to-Website-Success.mp4?_=2" /><a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/7-Steps-to-Website-Success.mp4">http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/7-Steps-to-Website-Success.mp4</a></video></div>
<h2><a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/contact-us"><img class="alignleft wp-image-6156 size-full" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Contact-Us-.png" alt="Contact Us Now" width="627" height="47" data-id="6156" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Contact-Us-.png 627w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Contact-Us--300x22.png 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Contact-Us--160x12.png 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Contact-Us--624x47.png 624w" sizes="(max-width: 627px) 100vw, 627px" /></a></h2>
<h2><strong><br />
Your website is the centre of it all</strong></h2>
<p>Besides occupying space on the Internet, your website is:</p>
<ul>
<li>Where customers go to get information on your products and services</li>
<li>The place where all your social media activities lead to</li>
<li>Constantly being compared against your competition</li>
<li>A reflection of your business brand</li>
<li>Taking and processing orders (if it’s an eCommerce site)</li>
<li>Always ready to do business, 24/7</li>
</ul>
<p>If any part of it isn’t up to snuff, it’ll cost you traffic and leads, which ultimately mean it’ll cost you customers and sales.</p>
<p>At <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI Milton</a>, there are 7 steps towards having a top-notch website that’s a lead generation machine. Here they are.</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6153" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Target-persona-300x200.jpg" alt="Target persona" width="300" height="200" data-id="6153" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Target-persona-300x200.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Target-persona-768x512.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Target-persona-1024x682.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Target-persona-160x107.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Target-persona-624x416.jpg 624w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><strong>Step 1: Discovery – Understand What You Need</strong></h2>
<p><strong>In other words: </strong>Your website is <em>about you</em>, but it’s <em>for your customers.</em></p>
<p>Before you start building your website, you must know who you’re building it for.</p>
<p>The best way to do that is to create customer personas: a fictional (but accurate) representation of your customers, their needs, wants and objections.</p>
<h2><strong>Step 2: Budget – Think Investment, Not Cost</strong></h2>
<p><strong>In other words: </strong>Your website will make you money if it’s built properly.</p>
<p>The days of having an online version of your paper brochure are long gone.</p>
<p>Today, when people visit a website, they expect to interact with it. The more enjoyable the interaction is, the more likely they’ll come back again and again until they convert into a lead.</p>
<h2><strong>Step 3: Planning – Crucial to Your Success</strong></h2>
<p><strong>In other words: </strong>Your website is one part (but a big one) of your digital marketing plan.</p>
<p>A great website is only great if your target audience can find it.</p>
<p>So you need to surround your website with a strong marketing plan. This ranges from <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/getting-found/search-engine-optimization">search engine optimization</a> to content, social to <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/getting-found/email-marketing">email marketing</a>. The roads leading to your website must be smooth and short.</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6150" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/website-launch-300x190.jpg" alt="Website launch" width="300" height="190" data-id="6150" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/website-launch-300x190.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/website-launch-768x487.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/website-launch-1024x649.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/website-launch-160x101.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/website-launch-624x396.jpg 624w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><strong>St</strong><strong>ep 4: Design and Build</strong><strong> </strong></h2>
<p><strong>In other words: </strong>If you’ve nailed the first 3 steps, this is where the fun starts.</p>
<p>Your objectives (who the site it for, how they’ll get to it and use it) will guide its construction.</p>
<p>This is where the designers, builders and <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/web-presence/professional-web-copy-writing">writers</a> come in to make your website appealing to the target persona you identified in step 1.</p>
<h2><strong>Step 5: Test and Debug</strong></h2>
<p><strong>In other words: </strong>Take your site for a test drive and work out any kinks.</p>
<p>No matter how tempted you are to rush this step (usually because the site is behind schedule), don’t.</p>
<p>Comb through each page and check for spelling mistakes, broken links, poor images, bad navigation or anything else that can lead to a poor customer experience.</p>
<h2><strong>Step 6: Pre-and-Post Launch Activities</strong></h2>
<p><strong>In other words: </strong>What you do before and after it goes live is just as important as the launch itself.</p>
<p>Don’t just push the button before you launch your site and then wait to see what happens afterwards.</p>
<p>Be proactive by announcing the launch of your new site. Post updates on your social channels and send an email blast too. Make sure to listen and respond to what people are saying about your new website.</p>
<h2><strong>Step 7: Analyze &amp; Improve</strong></h2>
<p><strong>In other words: </strong>Launching <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/services/web-presence">your new website</a> is just the beginning.</p>
<p>Your website isn’t a <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/set-it-forget-it.jpg" target="_blank">Ronco Oven</a>. You can’t just “set it and forget it.”</p>
<p>Once live, it’s capturing tons of information for you. You can see where users are spending their time and where they’re bouncing. Then, you can make any changes to make your website that much better.</p>
<h2><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6148" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/website-cycle-300x210.jpg" alt="Website profit" width="300" height="210" data-id="6148" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/website-cycle-300x210.jpg 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/website-cycle-768x537.jpg 768w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/website-cycle-1024x716.jpg 1024w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/website-cycle-160x112.jpg 160w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/website-cycle-624x436.jpg 624w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><strong>Now that you know the steps, isn’t time to <em>finally</em> get more money from your website?</strong></h2>
<p>Your website must follow those 7 steps above in order to be successful.</p>
<p>And by having a website from WEB ROI, it will.</p>
<p>Your first step (even before step 1) is to <strong>call 1-877-7WEBROI</strong> or <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com/contact-us">contact us for a FREE consultation</a>.</p>
<p>That’s all it takes to get your website started on the path to success and profit.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/7-steps-website-success-video">7 Guaranteed Steps to Website Success (Video)</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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<enclosure url="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/7-Steps-to-Website-Success.mp4" length="54470047" type="video/mp4" />
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		<title>Video Testimonial: Granite Transformations, Bath Planet &#038; Closets Plus</title>
		<link>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/video-testimonial-granite-transformations-bath-planet-closets</link>
		<comments>http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/video-testimonial-granite-transformations-bath-planet-closets#respond</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Feb 2016 16:17:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[WSI Milton]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Content Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conversion Rates]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bath Planet of Toronto]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Closets Plus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[content]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conversion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[design]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Granite Transformations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[management]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ppc]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.wsimilton.com/?p=6091</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>Tracy Thurston, owner of 3 home improvement businesses, explains how easy and beneficial it is to work with WSI Milton. Watch her 2 minute testimonial now.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/video-testimonial-granite-transformations-bath-planet-closets">Video Testimonial: Granite Transformations, Bath Planet &#038; Closets Plus</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2><strong>Testimonial highlights</strong></h2>
<ul>
<li>WSI consolidated all their digital marketing needs</li>
<li>Partnering with one company has helped with revenue growth</li>
<li>Better content has lead to more qualified leads and more sales</li>
<li>WSI has delivered consistently high search results</li>
</ul>
<p><iframe width="625" height="352" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NSdUuIiFrGo?feature=oembed&#038;wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h2><strong>Three different businesses with a unique solution for each</strong></h2>
<p>Owning a business is difficult.</p>
<p>Tracy Thurston owns three of them: Granite Transformations, Bath Planet of Toronto &amp; Closets Plus.</p>
<p>Before partnering with WEB ROI Powered by <a href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI Milton</a>, she had a hard time collaborating with multiple digital marketing service providers across her multiple businesses.</p>
<p>Now, she&#8217;s able to focus on her three thriving businesses while WSI Milton handles the digital marketing for each.</p>
<h2>Let&#8217;s talk</h2>
<p><strong>Call 1-877-7WEBROI </strong>to find out how we can help you grow by as much as 30% this year</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6092" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now.png" alt="Schedule a Call Now" width="337" height="46" data-id="6092" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now.png 337w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now-300x41.png 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Schedule-a-Call-Now-160x22.png 160w" sizes="(max-width: 337px) 100vw, 337px" /></p>
<p>Find out how you can plan your budget for a fully optimized, custom digital showroom</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-6093" src="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/How-much-website-cost.png" alt="How much website cost" width="500" height="46" data-id="6093" srcset="http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/How-much-website-cost.png 500w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/How-much-website-cost-300x28.png 300w, http://www.wsimilton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/How-much-website-cost-160x15.png 160w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com/blog/video-testimonial-granite-transformations-bath-planet-closets">Video Testimonial: Granite Transformations, Bath Planet &#038; Closets Plus</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.wsimilton.com">WSI</a>.</p>
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