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Now is the time to take intentional steps that will set up your business website for a strong finish to the year. “Huh? It’s still summertime” you say? We know. But the work you do in the 3rd quarter will pay dividends down the road.
Your website is, without question, an absolutely imperative part of your business. It is where people go to check your legitimacy, get a feel for you, your brand, and what you offer, and yes, by golly, it is where you get leads that convert to customers. It is not a stretch to say it is THE most powerful tool in your business toolbox. Chamber member Spring Insight, a digital marketing firm here in Bethesda, has a set of tips and techniques to share that will set your business website up for success this year and beyond. In this article, the experts at Spring Insight will share:
No matter how beautifully your website is designed and how well thought out the functional aspects of the site work, your site will not be able to do its all-important job of creating customers if you don’t have many people visiting it. Increasing traffic to your website is directly correlated with business growth. Best of all, there are loads of ways to accomplish this! You get to pick and choose what works best for you, your brand, your image, and your business. Online Options to Drive Traffic to Your WebsiteOne Google search for “increasing traffic to your website” yields a staggering number of results. (647 million, to be precise!) It can be overwhelming, to say the least. We are going to pare that way, way down, opting to share three online strategies that are perennially effective.
To learn more specifics about these online strategies and a set of in-person recommendations (including being a member of your local Chamber!) check out the full article on the topic here. Calls to Action that Really Convert No matter how beautiful your website is and how hard you work at channeling people towards it, what happens when visitors land on your site matters, too. This second set of tips centers around increasing the conversion rate on your website, turning more visitors into paying customers. A clear call to action should be incorporated into every piece of content on your site as well as just about every single page. Common calls to action include:
Whatever call to action (CTA) you choose to include, it should be prominently displayed and be super easy to use. You do not want people to have to click through seven pages and provide their mother’s zodiac sign and their kid’s blood type in order to get the freebie you offered. A good rule of thumb is to shoot for one click with one space for an email address. That’s really ALL you need to move forward. Want to know how to create calls to action that really sizzle? We have a list of research-based best practices and more detailed recommendations about converting clients right here. Migrating Your Business Website to Google Analytics 4 Google has announced that they will be sunsetting Universal Analytics. Even the most savvy of you might now be asking yourself, “what is Universal Analytics?” Basically, the tool that you think of now as Google Analytics is actually called Universal Analytics and it is going away. As I might say to my teenager the 50th time she leaves her bookbag strewn around the living room, it is kind of a big deal. Universal Analytics and Google Analytics 4 will operate in very different ways. Making the switch may not be as simple as you think, especially if you have heavy reliance on particular reports and performance indicators. To make the switch as seamless as possible, we recommend taking five steps (and starting the transition as soon as possible). Step 1: Take stock of what you are currently doing in Universal Analytics Step 2: Download All Reports and Data in UA Step 3: Set Up a New GA4 Profile Step 4: Spend Time Comparing GA4 Reports to UA Reports Step 5: Set Up Your New GA4 Dashboard ***for details on each step, please see our article here*** Making the switch to GA4 may feel like an inconvenience at best and a mind bending migraine at worst. If all of this makes you want to close your laptop and head to the nearest watering hole, we totally get it. In such cases, we recommend passing the GA4 migration reigns to someone else so that you can get back to doing what you do best in your business. Spring Insight is ready to help. We get this whole GA4 thing and can work behind the scenes to get your business website’s analytics ready for the switch. Contact us today and let us know you need help with GA4 migration. How are things going with your business website lately? Not sure if you are set up for success? Spring Insight is a digital marketing agency right here in Bethesda and a proud member of our local Chamber. We have an offer you won’t want to miss. We will conduct a comprehensive audit of your site to determine what is doing well and what areas for improvement exist. All for FREE. Yep, you read that right. Snag your FREE audit today and let us help you get set up for a strong finish this year and beyond.
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The Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce NextExecs are participating in an initiative that is part of the Chamber’s mission to support, inspire, and advocate for business to better our community. A drive to furnish needy Montgomery County Public School students with backpacks, complete with critical school supplies, the GIVE BACKpacks campaign raises funds to purchase backpacks for students who qualify for Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FARMS). Each new backpack comes with supplies appropriate for K-12 school students, including pencils, pens, dividers, and notebooks. The Chamber is supported by some wonderful businesses and organizations to make this happen, including Marriott International, Metro Bethesda Rotary Club, Behnam & Associates, Barre 3 Bethesda, First National Bank, and The Bethesdan Hotel. According to Allie Williams, Chamber President and CEO, “We are proud of the work we do in the community, and we love seeing the next generation of executives help the future generations through these efforts.” Greater Bethesda Chamber NextExecs are made up of “young professionals in the greater Bethesda community interested in engaging in business networking, professional development, and community service in order to position themselves for optimal career growth.” Under the leadership of Carla Young, Director of Membership and Community Engagement, is so excited about the energy and enthusiasm behind the effort. “One of our members, Anna Benham, has personally assembled over two hundred backpacks for students!” Anna, through her non-profit, Yellow Boomerang, has enlisted the support of her community to donate supplies and fundraise. We asked Anna about why she is involved, and she said, “Back to school is an important time and there are many Montgomery County families in need. I am glad that we can come together as a community and support our neighbors.” Another active NextExec is Sean Makulowich of IdeaFire™ who is also a member of the Chamber Board of Directors. He notes that “we are an active group doing good in the community, and this is a perfect initiative for us to work on.” While NextExecs are doing the hands-on work of preparing the backpacks for students, Chamber members, as well as the rest of the community, are encouraged to participate by donating a minimum of $10 to the drive. Every donation will go to help supply another student with a loaded backpack. The easiest ways for people to donate financially are through The Chamber’s Venmo @TGBCC account or a check made to the “Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce” with the memo line Backpack drive. With the monies raised, NextExecs will purchase the items from a local Chamber member to fill the backpacks and deliver them to the participating schools - ideally by mid-August leading up to the first day of school on August 29th. Please support this important cause by donating today. The NextExecs are sponsored by McKay Mortgage. The Leadership includes, Andrew Borkoski, M&T Bank, Lili Sargsyan, Cohn Snyder and Aaron Slaughter of Withum CPA.
Summer is a hot time of year for business owners. Vacations are planned down to the last detail to make sure your time away is everything you want and need to get a real break. But what about making plans to ensure your business website is ready for that summer vacation?
Chamber member Spring Insight, a digital strategy firm here in Bethesda, has all the tips you need to make sure that your business website is ready for your vacation. Taking steps to ensure your website is vacation ready will help you really relax and get away from it all. Most importantly of all? These tips will ensure that your clients can continue engaging with your business and have their needs met, even when you are miles away soaking in the sun. In this article, the experts at Spring Insight will share:
How to Make your Homepage Ready for Summer Vacation Your website is frequently the first place your clients will go to make contact with you. And if your information is outdated, your business is at risk for losing connections with those clients, which ultimately affects your bottom line. Make your homepage vacation ready in three simple steps.
For a more in depth look at homepage considerations, including what to do when you get back from vacation, check out the article Spring Insight wrote about that here. Prepare for Client Communication Channels in the Summer You will want to make sure that every visitor who wants to engage with your business can do so easily and satisfactorily this summer, no matter where you are or what you are doing. Spring Insight has two recommendations to help.
For more information on these important communication considerations, check out an article that Spring Insight that gets into the topic at a deeper level. Consider Automation or Outsourcing Small businesses have to stay connected to their clients to maintain revenues or, better yet, grow them. Business owners can benefit greatly from automation or outsourcing of critical communication channels. You may want to consider automating or outsourcing your email, newsletter, and social media communications.
Spring Insight understands that business owners need partners they can rely on to keep their businesses running effectively no matter what. To learn more about outsourcing and automation, click here. Need help staying in touch with your clients this summer? Get in touch with Spring Insight. They are an established web development and marketing strategy firm, who are proud Chamber members in Bethesda! |
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