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Eternal Energy are leaders in the commercial and domestic renewable energy sector. They provide renewable energy solutions for domestic, agricultural and commercial customers in the North East and across the UK. Eternal Energy are passionate about renewable energy and committed to finding the right solution for every customer. They came to see Design365 as they required a new brochure website to promote their services.

Work out how much you san save by going green today....

As more and more companies come online and as the amount of time to grab someone’s attention decreases (around 5 – 7 seconds depending on whose blog you last read), the need to create landing pages that will stop potential customer in their tracks, get them to engage with your website and ultimately contact you becomes ever more important.

Here are 5 principals that should help turn browsers into callers.

1.         Tell them what you do

As obvious as this sounds too many websites don’t state the obvious.  Some websites do state what they do but tie it into over complicated introduction paragraphs where they confuse visitors with endless lists of all the services they offer. If you do offer lots of services then create a page for each one and state that you offer the service on that page.  Creating clear links to these pages will also help with both navigation and SEO.

Other websites prefer to bore you with their company history.  Remember, people visiting your website are interested in their future, not your past. Yes, there is a place on your website for this information but not in your opening gambit.  When people ask you in the real world what do you do, I bet you don’t start with ‘We were founded in 1964’.  Instead, you probably state your profession or, if you’re well versed in networking, you state the ultimate benefit of your business. So a good example of an opening line on your website would be ‘We have a track record in helping companies generate more business through proven web marketing strategies’. 

2.         Be Positive

Sadly a lot of businesses undersell themselves.  If you’re really good at what you do then let the visitor know. You will need to back this up with testimonials and case studies but using positive words then you create a positive vibe to the site. Other positive techniques include the word Yes, ‘Yes we can help’, ‘Yes we have proven results’, ‘Yes you can call anytime’. Also, use ‘Remember to Call’ instead of ‘Don’t Forget to Call’ (2 negative words don’t always create a positive).  Keep it positive. If your positive your potential customers will be.

 3.         Create Trust

Most visitors to your website are seeing your business for the first time so making them feel they’re in the right place is one thing but you need to back this up by creating trust.  This can be attempted by talking the talk but people want proof they can trust your business before picking up the phone or dropping you an e-mail. There are 2 elements to this. Firstly, show them you’re serious about your business with a clearly designed website that’s easy to use and spelling mistake free.  Secondly, you can share knowledge and talk the talk but web visitors want to know you can walk the walk.  This is why testimonials are so important to your instant credibility. These need to be on the homepage, not hidden in the background and also need a credible signature. A testimonial signed ‘J Smith, Darlington’ probably won’t cut it. Instead, try for testimonials signed by Managing Directors or decision makers, don’t be afraid (with permission) to state their name and their company. And No your competitors wont approach them, they have just given you a testimonial. You probably don’t need the whole testimonial on the homepage but an easy to locate powerful statement with a link to the whole testimonial will do the job.

 4.        Limit the Offer

 Fear of loss is an amazing tool when used correctly. For example, if you are running a spa and putting on special offers then let the visitor know there are only limited places or that an offer ends at midnight. Remember when the offer does end to take it off the site, otherwise you run into credibility issues when posting your next offer.  This simple but effective technique stops people clicking off to another site or procrastinating on the offer.  Of course, if you’re feeling very proactive you can let people know the offer has expired and that if they sign up to your newsletter then they won’t miss out next time.

 5.         Clear Calls To Action

 There’s a great saying in the North East – Shy Bairns Get Nowt, which means if you don’t ask, you don’t get.  So, as obvious as it sounds (there’s that word again), you actually do need to show visitors what to do next. Whether it’s add to cart, please call, please email us, request a call back or subscribe to your newsletter, they need to do something.  The ideal scenario is they never leave empty handed.  Also, make sure your telephone number is clear and located on every page and also in Text so mobile users only need to press the link to trigger a call.

 Of course, if your website has told the visitor what you do, has shown them the end benefit, has created trust, has time limited offers, then they probably will contact you.

 Author Alan Foster

Starting your own business can be very costly. At Design365 we have come up with a solution. The Pay As You Go website includes everything you need to get your business up and running.

You will receive; 

*On-going support and marketing advice

*Continuous design updates

*Managed monthly newsletters

*An e-commerce website designed around your brief

*Links to social media pages such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

*Submission to shopping sites

To find out more, please contact Design365...

What is the importance of consistent branding?

Branding creates a personality for your business and also helps you to stand out from the crowd, offering you an advantage over your competitors. The branding should be recognisable, helping customers identify your company by your logo and branding, this is integral to a business’s success.

The first thing that people notice when looking at company literature such as a website, brochure and business card is the logo. The logo needs to represent the company message and work online and offline, across all literature.

This will enable you to have a consistent strong brand, this will add value to the customer.

For more information and help with your company branding, please contact us...

Great editorial piece in The Northern Echo showing the power of Internet marketing, two great local businesses working together. The sucessful Stone Technical Services growing their business through their website and the correct use of SEO.

Wanting to increase your sales in 2012?

With the use of smart phones the Internet is now accessible whenever and almost where ever you are in the UK. Making the idea of selling online even more appealing.

Starting your own business by selling online through an e-commerce website is now easier with Design365's Pay As You Go website. This package allows you to concentrate on managing your orders as we market your website.

For more information please contact us...

Work together to improve your web marketing;

• Use your offline marketing campaigns to point people towards your website

• Link together with other peoples websites to attract more customers to your site

• Use PR to promote your website and your products/services

• Comment on other peoples blogs to increase your visability

• Work with alongside an associated company,

• Add customer testimonials to your website to build confidence

For more information on marketing your website please contact us…

Great write up in The Northern Echo showing the power of Internet marketing, two great local businesses working together. The sucessful Stone Technical Services growing their business through their website and the correct use of SEO.

Web marketing is measurable;

• Google Analytics - allows you to find out how many people have viewed your site on a daily basis

• Web Counter - Add a web counter on to your site to see how many views the site has had

• Google Adwords - Pay as you go advertising for your website on a pay per click basis

• Downloadable vouchers - Use a specific code to measure how many times the vouchers have been used

For more advice please contact us...