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A Detailed eBook sharing the 6 Secret tips for effective, successful websites. From search engine optimization to social media, you will learn the tools to create and manage your businesss content and to attract new leads.

Why Inbound Marketing?................................................ 2 Secret 1: Home Page Design......................................... 9 Secret 2: SEO....................................................................... 14 Secret 3: Blogging........................................................... 24 Secret 4: Social Media................................................... 32 Secret 5: Landing Pages............................................... 41 Secret 6: Lead Nurturing............................................. 48 Take-Away............................................................................ 56 Contact Us!.......................................................................... 57 Citations................................................................................. 58

Table of Contents

Why Inbound Marketing?

Over 75% of adults in the United States use the Internet1. Experts estimate that 8 new people come online each second 2. At least 10 billion Google searches are performed each month3 and one third of the population spends at least 3 hours online each day4. Highly effective websites know the internet has changed the way people make purchasing decisions. Maintaining an active brand presence online is essential. Inbound Marketing lets companies get found by the people that matter.

FACT
THE INTERNET HAS FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGED THE WAY PEOPLE FIND, DISCOVER & SHARE

Source: 120 Marketing Stats, Page 5

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Did You Know?

61% of global Internet users

research products

ONLINE.

Source: 120 Marketing Stats, Pg. 26

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search engine optimiz

Its a fact that consumers worldwide are rapidly adopting major search engines as the top way to begin making purchase decisions. The internet is beating out newspapers and magazines and quickly becoming the top way that people perform research. Can your customers find your company online? Inbound Marketing shifts your focus from finding prospects to being found by people who want to be your customers. Best of all? Inbound marketing works, and its cheap. Its a fact that outbound marketing just doesnt work like it used to. The average consumer is bombarded with between 3,500 and 5,000 marketing messages each day5. People have become experts at tuning out traditional modes of advertising.

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Blogs, social media and email marketing will take your marketing budget a lot further than traditional interruption advertising campaigns. The average inbound lead now costs significantly less than an outbound lead6.

Source: 120 Marketing Stats, page 10

What Are You Waiting For?

Inbound marketing costs per lead than traditional outbound marketing.

61% LESS
INBOUND

OUTBOUND

Average cost per lead = $346

Average cost per lead = $135

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Inbound Marketing Works

Blogs, social media and most importantly search engine optimization will increase your reach and provide you with the most value for your marketing budget. Inbound marketing isnt a fleeting fad or a one hit wonder. Youre simply adjusting your approach to meet the changing needs of modern consumers. The world is changing, and inbound marketing has become the smartest way to get your companys message out.

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Go inbound or go home.
In this eBook, youll learn the 6 secrets of effective websites who know how to be found by the leads that matter. From social media to SEO, youll learn the tricks to building relationships with customers that count. Just having a website isnt enough, so listen closely and commit to taking your company to the next level. Jump into action with a commitment to building an online presence so you no longer have to worry about finding business. Let your future business leads find you!

THE BOTTOM LINE

Source: 120 Marketing Stats, Page 22

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HOMEPAGE DESIGN

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SECRET #1: Homepage Design

Your website homepage will be the first time the majority of visitors to your company website meet your company. Getting the design right is crucial for giving a professional first impression. Pack as much information as possible into this homepage. Hubspots 12 crucial components of effective home page design will yield the best possible results.

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12

Critical Elements

Every Homepage Must Have

Success Indicators

Headline

Sub-headline

Navigation

Benefits

Supporting Image

Primary CTAs

Content Offer

Features

Resources

Customer Proof

Secondary CTAs

Click here for more information

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punch. The goal is to incorporate as much information into the descriptions of your company as possible. Within paragraphs, website visitors should know what your company does, why it matters and how it can help them. Make it visual. Display your company logo in a prominent location and include visual representations of your business, especially if your product or service is a little complex.

Getting Started with Building an Impressive Homepage 1: Write on-page content that will pack a big

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On the Go To Meeting virtual business meeting website, visitors are offered a clear image that depicts a way that Go To Meeting can be used.

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Offer a variety of ways to connect. In addition to links to the company blog, calls to action and more information about your products and services, allow your customers to take the connections off the website with visible links to your social media profiles.

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Dont be modest. Your homepage is a perfect place to boldly display most impressive customer testimonials and awards your company has received. List the logos of any business associations to which you belong. The Bottom Line is your company homepage is a first-impression for many of your customers, so make sure you put your most professional face forward.

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SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

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SECRET #2: SEO

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

If search engines cant find your website, your prospects cant either. While the majority of modern consumers are using the web to find the best deals and products, the overwhelming majority of your customers arent going to look too hard. Highly effective websites know that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the very best step towards developing a visible online presence. If your company doesnt take the time to achieve and maintain a high ranking in major search engines, you could be losing loads of business to your competitors.

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Did You Know?

We already mentioned that consumers worldwide perform a staggering 10 BILLION GOOGLE SEARCHES each month. Beyond that, 44% of consumers begin their pur chase by performing research on a major sea rch engine ? Thats around 4.4 billion searches each month from people who just might need your companys product. Smart websites know that in order to get traffic from qualified leads, they need to be visible and in the TOP PAGE of search results.

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never scroll past the first page o f search results.

75% of users

Thats right, 75% of search engine users never scroll past the first page of search results8. 60% of organic traffic goes to the top 3 rankings for search results9. If your website comes in 4th or on the 2nd page of searches, you might as well not be online at all. The solution isnt to resort to pay per click online advertising. 70% of all web traffic is organic10, meaning it comes from people who are using search engines to find their own answers and solutions. The average consumer looks increasingly like someone who is smart, savvy and makes purchase decisions by performing their own research. The trick to placing your website where it can be found by people who matter is adopting SEO.

Source: 120 marketing stats, page 33

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FACT
GOOGLE IS THE NEW YELLOW PAGES
Its a fact that Google is the new yellow pages, and top search ranking is more effective than paid advertising. In order to achieve and maintain a high ranking in major search engines, you need to adopt keyword analysis. Keep an eye on industryrelevant keywords and produce quality website content that incorporates these keywords. The most effective websites take advantage of page descriptions, alt text, meta tags and meta descriptions to use top keywords. Think of keywords as the best way to introduce your website to search engines. The more information and relevant keywords you provide to search engines, the more likely they are to introduce you to qualified leads.

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Figure out your starting point by summarizing your company in a single search term, whether you are a Dentist in Denver or an Esthetician in Edmonton. Plug this phrase into a major search engine, and see what happens. If you arent listed on the top page of search results, you are losing at least 75% of your prospects to competitors.

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Getting Started with On-Page SEO:

SEO best practices require using keywords everywhere you can while still maintaining smart, valuable content with a great flow. Learn to maximize your keyword density by identifying the prime real estate for keywords on each web page.

URL. Your page URL should accurately describe the content and include the primary keyword. Check out this example from Inbound Marketing Agents top-performing blog content, You Cant Eat a Facebook Like: The primary keyword, Facebook Like is a clear member of the URL, adding an extra punch of SEO. Page Title. If SEO was an introduction, page titles would be the name. Pick a title and give your content a little extra SEO mileage by including an H1 tag, defined as an in-text introduction to your content. Through the use of an H1 tag, weve been able to include the primary keyword twice.

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Alt text includes keywords. Alt Text is SEO for your on-page images. Write a short sentence that briefly describes the content with the primary keyword:
We post content through the Hubspot module, which allows us to simply and easily tag images with a short, pithy description centered around the primary keyword

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Keyword Density. Track your keyword density in the on-page text, aiming for a target of about 2.53.5%. Producing content within the range of this target density will maximize the visibility to search engines without sacrificing quality. Use secondary longtail keywords, defined as key phrases that are at least 3 words in length, in addition to the primary keyword for more targeted SEO.

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Meta description. Use your secondary keyword and a third keyword. Write a sentence or two that accurately describe the content without exactly replicating the title. This is a perfect place for including longtail keywords.

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This is a sneak peek into the meta keywords and meta description aspect of the Hubspot module. You can see that weve clearly differentiated the meta description by including a longtail keyword, in this case value of Facebook like.

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FACT
THE MORE KEYWORD-RICH CONTENT YOU GENERATE, THE MORE SEARCH ENGINES WILL FIND (AND LOVE) YOU.

The bottom line is that your search ranking counts big, so optimizing isnt optional.

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BLOGGING

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SECRET #3: BLOGGING

Smart inbound marketers know that SEO isnt a one-time effort to pack as many keywords as possible onto their websites. Maintaining a highquality company blog offers an opportunity to release keyword-rich content that matters on a regular basis. When it comes to being noticed and earning high search rankings, blogging really works. Business to Consumer companies who blog generate 88% more leads each month than those who dont11.

Source: 120 marketing stats, page 37

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Just having a company blog isnt enough. How do you make sure your content gets along well with search engines and impacts your bottom line? Dont forget your FAC E!
and bulk of content. Post at least 3 times a week for best results. Blogging frequently offers the benefit of releasing new content to match changes in consumer needs and industry-wide trends. business blog is the ability to establish expertise in your field. Strive for blog entries that are between 600-1000 words in length and offer real value and insight to your readers.

FREQUENT Your website is ranked by the frequency

AUTHORITATIVE one of the top benefits of the small

CITED - if you didnt personally snap the image, crunch

the numbers or state the idea, credit the source with an in-text link. Citing sources is good business and you may even receive some link-love back!

big in search engine results. Make sure your content isnt just quality, it inspires followers to share the information within their own networks or add opinions in the comments. Asking interesting questions is a top way to spark engagement on your business blog.

ENGAGING - Comments, shares, +1s and tweets count

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Develop a content calendar for your business blog based around a variety of topics and keywords that matter to your future customers, and stick to the plan. Tutorials, frequently-asked customer questions and Top 10 lists are all a great starting place for content of value.

r a d n ale

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Use your company blog to network with other savvy marketers in your industry whove adopted inbound marketing practices. Trade guest posts and share links in hopes of earning inbound links. Inbound links count big when it comes to major search engine ranking. While Googles algorithm is a well-kept secret, its estimated that inbound links could matter as much as 70% more than your on-page SEO strategy12. Your blog content should matter to customers and be smart enough to spark discussion off site.

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Are you among the 2/3 of marketers who say their company blog is critical or important to their business 13 ? Make sure your blog pays off by delivering content of real value to your readers. Write great content by shifting your focus towards your customers and keeping it there.

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Getting Started with Blogging:

Keyword Analysis. Pick great topics that will give your blog plenty of SEO mileage. Choose specific keywords that are easy to rank for. Keeping an eye on trending topics will allow you to deliver content that matters to your readers. Content Calendar. Develop one that will guide you through getting started with blogging. Hubspot recommends planning out content at least a month in advance; citing the fact that most print magazines know what theyll be covering in a year. Work on including a variety of topics that are inspired by high-potential keywords in many different styles. Tutorials, frequently-asked questions and top 10 lists are all an excellent starting place for content.

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Deliver content. Commit to do so on a regular basis. Write 600-1000 word long posts packed full of interesting, valuable information that matters to your readers. Try and give yourself a little insurance for a consistent blog presence by scheduling posts in advance and always having several posts in reserve. Reach and Traffic. Expand yours by actively promoting the content on social media networks. Build relationships with other industry bloggers to exchange guest posts and invaluable inbound links.

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Source: 120 marketing stats, page 41

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SOCIAL MEDIA

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SECRET #4: SOCIAL MEDIA

Even though the Internet is now dominating purchase decisions, relationships still matter. Building real relationships with your customers is still essential, but the conversations are now taking place on major social media networks. if youre wondering whether social media is just for teens, the answer is definitely not.

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93% of US adult Internet users are on Facebook14. Facebook boasts over 845 million members, 57% of which visit the site daily15. Twitter has at least 175 million users16 and there are 170 million people on Google+17. Most impressively,

1 out of every 7 minutes spent online is on Facebook18

If youre wondering what the average Facebook user looks like, there isnt an easy answer because social media penetration is high and shows no signs of stopping.

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MILLION

41.2

146.5

MILLION

Source: 120 marketing stats, page 59

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FACT
SOCIAL MEDIA HAS REAL BUSINESS VALUE.

Social media networking is the way modern businesses connect, engage and share with their leads and customers. This platform has more than tripled over the past 6 years19. Marketers who spend at least 6 hours a week engaging and sharing on social media see 52% more leads 20. Companies that use Twitter on average will double the amount of leads per month above their competitors who dont tweet21. Are you willing to take your company to the next level with a commitment to going social?

Source: 120 marketing stats, page 62

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Getting started on social media will position your company to connect with the millions of Americans who use social media on a regular basis. Even though your consumers likely spend hours each week connecting on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, you dont need to. Social media monitoring can be done in as little as 20 minutes per day. The key is to pick the major platforms that matter and develop a customized approach to each network. Whether you choose Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Google+, learn best practices for each website and stick to them. Social media isnt the time or place for a hard sell, but rather for building relationships that matter. Ask questions, respond to feedback and share highvalue information to engage with your leads and customers. Engagement, shares and retweets are a strong indicator that youre producing content that counts to your followers.

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Getting Started with Social Media:

Choose Wisely. If your time for engaging on social media is limited, choose 2-3 major social media networks to use consistently instead of 4, 5 or more where you would only have the time to maintain a spotty presence. We highly recommend Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+ due to the fact these social media networks have a high number of engaged members. Best Practices. Learn them for each social media network. What works for Twitter wont necessarily work for Facebook, because the life of a Tweet is significantly shorter than a Facebook share. Try to maximize your reach by developing a customized approach that works best for each network.

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Create a Good Profile. Create profiles that reflect well on your brand. Use your company logo as your profile picture, and include as many descriptions of what you have to offer, contact info and links as possible.

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The official Twitter account of major grocery store chain , Safeway, is an excellent example of an optimized business profile. Safeway delivers an accurate, thorough description of their company using brand-specific language within the networks bio limit of 160 characters or less. Viewers are provided with the brands logo. Smaller organizations should include a specific geographic location and link to the company website for extra mileage. Optimize your profiles for a professional, trustworthy appearance.
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Tools and Tricks. Maintain an active presence on social media 24/7, especially on Twitter where Tweeting 22 times a day is optimal. HootSuite allows users to schedule social media shares across multiple networks. If your market is bigger than your timezone or you ever want to step away from your smartphone, scheduling Tweets and Facebook posts is crucial. Engage. Ask your followers questions that can help you connect and build relationships. Social media isnt the time or place for a hard sell, its the perfect forum for connecting with your fans and followers on things you have in common.

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Its time to go social.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Source: 120 marketing stats, page 78

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LANDING PAGES

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SECRET #5: LANDING PAGES

Once youve attracted qualified leads to your site with your high-octane SEO strategy, amazing blog content or social media networking, are they able to easily express interest? Highly effective websites take time to build landing pages with call-toaction buttons that allow website visitors to take advantage of great offers. If you dont have callto-action buttons or free offers packed with value, you could be losing qualified leads to companies whove unlocked the power of optimized landing pages.

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Its a fact that the modern customer only wants to engage with a sales representative during the last one third of the buying process. Convert your website visitors into leads with landing pages that are free of distractions and centered around an eyecatching call-to-action button.

Freshbooks offers an exceptional example of a landing page that counts. The page layout is simple and the eye is drawn towards the call-to-action button. Emulate Freshbooks success by ensuring your on-page text is simple and to-the-point. Your call-to-action buttons should look like buttons and lead site visitors towards a simple form.

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Never underestimate the intelligence of your future customers. They dont want to share their contact information with just anyone, so think of landing pages as a way to trade something valuable for their email address, name and phone number. Whether youre offering an eBook of gluten-free recipes or a 30-day software trial, you need to have something irresistible and free in order to convert leads.

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Getting Started with Landing Pages:

Irresistable Offers. Offer something that you can trade with your website visitors for their contact information. If a reader chooses to download information on your products and services, its a safe bet they need what you have to offer. CTAs. Design call-to-action buttons that are bright, noticeable and centered around simple, actionable text such as count me in! or Sign up now! The call-to-action button should always resemble a button. Landing Pages. Build a clean landing page centered around a call-to-action button. Keep your text simple and value-oriented. Bullet points organize information into bite-sized pieces while drawing the idea towards the call-to-action button. When it comes to landing pages, less is definitely more.

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Continually A/B test elements of your landing page in order of importance. Call to actions matter more than headlines, and headlines matter more than text. Smart marketers know that even the very best landing pages can be optimized.

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Check out Inbound Marketing Agents landing page for our eBook The Social Media Tuneup. Weve effectively minimized distractions with a clean design and well-organized text packed with action oriented words. Your eye is drawn towards the call-to-action button, which clearly stands out from the rest of the page and is also filled with fun, action oriented text.

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LEAD NURTURING

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SECRET #6: LEAD NURTURING

Effective websites know that few first-time visitors are ready to buy, and there is no amount of clever blog content or optimized landing pages that can change that fact. As many as 60-65% of qualified leads just arent ready to buy during the initial conversion22. This doesnt mean you cant get their business. Lead nurturing through a seamless series of marketing emails is the secret to keeping your company in the front of your leads. Email marketing often has a bad name among consumers, but smart marketers know they can change this image by offering lead nurturing campaigns centered around content that matters.

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Source: 120 marketing stats, page 8

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Lead nurturing through marketing automation typically result in a 20% increase in sales opportunities23. Companies that excel at lead nurturing generate 50% more sales-ready leads at a 33% lower costs24. Consumers may want or even need your product, but you cant trust that theyll remember you once they leave your website. Lead nurturing delivers your companys value to their inbox after the conversion process.

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The secret to effective marketing automation is to avoid sending the same content to everyone. Segment your email list by interest and demographics to deliver content that matters. Adopt the concept of a funnel when it comes to lead nurturing and stick with it. Initial emails to leads should focus on more valuable, free information and gently move towards suggesting a sale with information on upcoming specials. Use the unsubscribe rate, the rate at which your readers opt out of email communications, as a real indicator of how youre doing. Your unsubscribe rate should never exceed 5%25.

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Source: 120 marketing stats, page 44

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Getting Started with Lead Nurturing:

Change it up. Quit sending the same emails to everyone in your list and start delivering content that counts by segmenting your email list into sections tailored by a persons interests. The landing page that originally converted the person into lead is a great way to start building information about their needs, pain points and objections. Resemble your website. Develop a simple template for marketing emails formatted very similarly to your companys landing pages. Email marketing templates should be simple and centered around drawing the eye towards a link. Be memorable. Draft pithy content and eyecatching subject lines. People are busy, so stick to email messages around 400-words in length packed with the same value-driven statements used on your companys landing pages.

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Customize. In your approach to leads, pay close attention to how theyre reacting to your emails. If a lead takes the time to click on links or continues taking advantage of special offers, you may want to maximize the potential for sales by making a personal phone call. Make your leadnurturing emails count with a catchy subject line, appealing visual design and sticking to no more than 400-600 words in the email body.

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Takeaway: WHAT WEVE LEARNED

1: Home pages matter, so design a powerful first introduction to website visitors that gives a professional impression within seconds. Draft a concise, comprehensive description of your company, and surround it with opportunities for website visitors to head towards landing pages or connect off-site on social media. 2: Your website isnt a powerful tool unless search engines can find it. Develop a strong SEO strategy that takes advantage of keyword density, ALT text, meta descriptions, H1 text and URL text to maximize 3: When it comes to blogging, dont forget your FACE. The best blog content is frequent, authoritative, cited and engaging. Use keyword analysis to identify the topics that matter to your market, and stick to delivering valuable information on a regular basis. 4: Social Media isnt a fad. Its a revolution. Pick several major social media networks to build a professional profile and engage 5: Call website visitors into action with effective landing pages centered around strong call-to-action buttons. Remember to include a simple design, value-oriented text and an irresistable offer. 6: Nurture your leads into customers through marketing automation. Use every bit of information you have about your leads to segment your email list and ensure the content in their inboxes matters. Follow their cues to close sales and increase your companys bottom line.

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LETS CONNECT ONLINE!

Inbound Marketing Agents is a team of digital marketing geeks with a passion for educating small businesses to crush their competitors with the secrets outlined in this eBook and more. Adopting the secrets of effective websites is just the beginning of inbound marketing. Connect with us for more secrets that will take your business to the next level!

agent@inboundmarketingagents.com (877) 716-0902

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CITATIONS:
1. Blogher, April 2011 2. Internetworldstats.com, 2012 3. ComScore, June 2011 4. The Media Audit, October 2010 5. Yankelovich, June 2005 6. State of Inbound Marketing, Hubspot, March 2012 7. Interconnected World: Shopping And Personal Finance, 8. Marketshare.hitslink.com, October 2010 9. Marketing Sherpa, February 2007 10. Marketing Sherpa, February 2007 11. State of Inbound Marketing Lead Generation Report, Hubspot, 2010 12. Hubspot, June 2010 13. State of Inbound Marketing, Hubspot, March 2012 14. Blogher, April 2011 15. Facebook, February 2012 16. Twitter, April 2011 17. Source: Google, April 2012 18. Source: Comscore, December 2011 19. Source: Netpop Research, April 2012 20. Source: Social Media Examiner, 2011 21. Hubspot State of Inbound Marketing Lead Generatio Report, 2010 22. Source: Heinz Marketing, February 2012 23. DemandGen, January 2012 24. Forrester Research, January 2012 25. Source: Hubspot, July 2011

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