The Blog - Where Business Collides with Human Nature

How to Boost (And Keep) Your Website Conversion Rates

You have probably heard a lot about website conversion rates and how important they are, but perhaps you have not investigated them more than that. Let's examine some basics about the conversion rate for your website, and how to increase — then maintain — yours.

Topics: Inbound Marketing Conversion Rate

How to Develop a Blog Outreach Plan & Execute With Style

What is blogger outreach?  

It’s the process of developing a communication strategy that helps you reach out to bloggers with strong influence online for the purpose of promoting your content to their target audience.

Outreach programs can be tedious and some say "take too much time". As a result, software tools such as Ninja Outreach, BuzzStream and BuzzSummo that help to reduce the amount of time to research may help.

Topics: Link Building SEO Business Blogging Inbound Marketing

Definition of Guru and is it GobbledyGook

Guru is a buzzword in business and internet marketing you may use to describe someone.   Or maybe it is a term you use to describe yourself. 

Interestingly, the word guru originates in Sanskrit. 

- Gu indicates darkness.
- Ru indicates destruction.

A guru is considered "a dispeller of darkness".

Anyone able to shed light (dispel the darkness) on a topic for another might be considered a guru.

Topics: Inbound Marketing Leadership Definition Personal Development

Online Business Model Checklists for Your Success

What is your business model online?  How successful will you be if each of the tasks you see on the business models below were on your personal to-do list?  Can you be an expert in each of them?  How long will it take to become proficient? The Internet is not simply a phone book and is much more complex than you may realize.

Below you will see a variety of business models which you may be using.  As you look at each type of business models, understand how these might match your needs. 

Topics: Online Marketing Business Success Inbound Marketing Business Planning

Website Pop-ups - Do they align with the inbound marketing ideology of not being obtrusive?

Before I share with you a great pop-up tool, let's talk about that party at your home.

When you have a party at your home... you greet people personally, with enthusiasm, and make special offers to ensure their comfort.

  • You provide service, take their coat, offer something to drink and celebrate their arrival.

In a sense, you "pop-up" into their face and it is accepted and appreciated. Your offers are helpful and the intent is obvious.

And then came the website page - where Internet marketers are about "getting" more.

Topics: Business Software Inbound Marketing

Guerrilla Marketing Checklist & PR to Start the Adventure of "Famous"

Here is a potential guerrilla marketing checklist to get you started in the adventure of becoming "famous".  Guerrilla marketing works 100% of the time if executed well.

To that end, if you are starting from scratch and are hoping to become "famous" but low on funds (and in a hurry), this outline might prove helpful.  It is based heavily on guerrilla marketing tactics with an inbound marketing mindset.

Topics: Guerrilla Marketing Ideas Marketing Plan Inbound Marketing

Keyword Ranking Tools

The keyword ranking tools listed below will save you a long search through the Internet. If you are a professional, you probably already have the tools. 

If you are a DIY entrepreneur, you search for great software or services to stay up to date with the latest website ranking strategies and tools. 

Beyond keyword ranking tools are resources for blogger outreach programs. I have included NinjaOutreach as a resource to consider it an option in your marketing plan.

Topics: Business Software SEO Keywords Inbound Marketing

How to Embed RSS Feed into Website for DIY Entrepreneurs

For the DIY entrepreneur who wants to embed RSS feeds into their website, instructions and resources are listed below.  

What is RSS?

RSS (Rich Site Summary) is a format for delivering regularly changing web content. Many news-related sites, weblogs and other online publishers syndicate their content as an RSS Feed to whoever wants it.

Note: Not all of these are simple/easy. I share them with you in case you have someone on your team who has the expertise to get it done.

Topics: Software Internet Marketing Inbound Marketing Webdesign

The Basics of Conversion Rate Optimization for Websites

"Keep it simple stupid." - Coined by Kelly Johnson

"Don't make me think." - Steve Krug wrote the book.

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated." - Confucius

"It is always the simple that produces the marvelous." - Amelia Barr

"In building a statue, a sculptor doesn't keep adding clay to his subject. Actually, he keeps chiseling away at the inessentials until the truth of its creation is revealed without obstructions. It is not daily increase but daily decrease; hack away the unessential." - Bruce Lee

You have heard wisdom about "simple" a thousand times but your brilliant and complex mind wants to add to the puzzle while you are hoping to provide a solution. A website page (aka landing page) is created to deliver awesome to someone interested in the topic. A conversion happens when someone shares contact information because they see the relevance, understand and believe. An over complicated mind can add more than what is necessary which makes people pause vs greasing the proverbial wheel to get an introduction.

Topics: Inbound Marketing Conversion Landing Pages

The Trick to Creating Content

The trick to content:

  1. Don’t think.
  2. Listen to the questions.
  3. Answer them.
    Done.

Those who think before they listen can get lost in the possibilities.
The deeper they think, the bigger the possibilities.

Topics: Inbound Marketing Content Marketing

Learn if Your Website is Mobile-Friendly with a Google Test in 30 Seconds


There is a big buzz going on related to "mobile-friendly". Since Google announced "mobile friendly" will become one of the criteria for ranking, many website designers and software sales people are overly excited with a new reason to sell small businesses and entrepreneurs the next website.

Google have announced their campaign to get website owners and webmasters ready to update their websites for changes in mobile friendly ranking factors, with a deadline set by the firm of the 21st April 2015.

As of this date Google has advised they will be expanding their use of “mobile-friendliness” as a ranking signal, and that it will affect all mobile searches worldwide. There is expected to be a significant impact in Google’s search results so we are advising below what website owners can do to ensure they are ready in plenty of time.  

Topics: SEO Inbound Marketing Google Mobile Marketing Webdesign

Content Farms

"My website is not a content farm!" "What do you mean I am farming content?"  "My website is a review site, not a content farm!"  The exclamations and indignations are rampant.  Sensitivity and embarrassment are mixed with anger and regret.  Have you heard someone say:  "Sure, I borrowed a bit, took short cuts, and why not?  It is America!  We are free to pursue happiness and capitalism."

When the search engine companies have reputations to keep and the results are nothing more than fluff or misdirection which leaves those searching feeling frustrated, their "customers" are not happy.

Topics: SEO Inbound Marketing Content Marketing Google