As we shift to a more social web, businesses should know that on-page Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) still works and is still relevant in boosting one's online rankings. This article will talk about … [Read more...]
Online Storage and File Sharing Solutions
Do you use more than one computer and need to share files across them? How are you currently storing your important documents? Do you share documents with other team members or people outside of … [Read more...]
Using A Text Expander Can Save You Time
I recently discovered a fantastic time saving tool that all you MAC users out there have probably known forever, it's a text expanding tool. I couldn't believe my eyes and I couldn't believe I have … [Read more...]
Google’s guidance on building high-quality sites
Google recently posted on their Webmaster Central Blog a great article outlining the guidance to building high-quality sites. Below is a bullet point list from that article outlining what count's … [Read more...]
Web Ranking Software Review
Advanced Web Ranking It’s now been almost 12 months since we started using the Advanced Web Ranking seo software package and to be blunt we would now be lost without it! It’s been an … [Read more...]
Increase Your Website Subscriber Conversion
One of the best ways to grow your email marketing list is via an optin or subscriber form via your website. As your list (and your relationship with that list) grows, it also becomes one of the most … [Read more...]
Get Content, Get Customers = Blockout Blinds Video Customer Service
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Another example of a company that has made the mind shift from advertising to content marketing is Melbourne based Blockout Blinds. They will show you that creating great content is easy, and as the … [Read more...]
Get Content, Get Customers = Car Service Tips
Following on from our post about the new book Get Content, Get Customers we wanted to show you some examples of customers who have made the mind shift from advertising to content marketing. A great … [Read more...]
Get Content, Get Customers
In May this year McGraw Hill published the new book from Content Marketing Gurus Newt Barrett (Content Marketing Today) and Joe Pullizzi (Junta 42) - Get Content, Get Customers. Content Marketing is … [Read more...]
Lead Generation: Are you wasting your time trying to generate more traffic?
In lead generation, data really puts things in perspective. In 2008 we found a trend with one of our customers that looked like this: Web Leads up 75% Sales from web leads up 29% These … [Read more...]
Economic stimulus for your website – Kevin 37
Kogan Technologies launched a cheeky PR campaign this week aiming to win their share of the Australian Government’s $40 billion economic stimulus package. The Kevin37 campaign is named after the … [Read more...]
Can you produce your website KPIs for me in 10 seconds?
OK, it's time to come out of my Melbourne winter hibernation with this important question... "Can you produce your website KPIs for me in 10 seconds?" "What are they?" You wouldn't be alone if you … [Read more...]
Australian businesses are still spamming Google Maps
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It's unfortunate that we continue to see Australian businesses choosing to spam Google maps. Mike Blumenthal first reported spam local businesses listing on Google Maps on the 27th July 2007. It's … [Read more...]
eBay backs down, but was that the strategy in the first place?
Since we reported on eBay's recent move to force PayPal on all of its online auctions in Australia, you may have heard that eBay has compromised on the second part of its plan to eliminate all … [Read more...]
Google Website Optimizer is only as good as your ideas
Google Website Optimizer is an awesome tool that allows you to test different versions of your web pages to see which ones work better. Here's what the Google Website Optimizer home page says about … [Read more...]
Is there such a thing as bad advertising?
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If you're involved in marketing, then you'll probably have heard about the ABC's show about advertising, The Gruen Transfer. Last week, comedian and host Will Anderson asked the panel to talk about … [Read more...]
Retention Myth: People remember 50% of what they see and hear and only 10% of what they read.
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I received an email this morning that made the startling claim that "People remember 50% of what they see and hear and only 10% of what they read." Interestingly I read this quote (and for that … [Read more...]
Real Testimonials – Not Blind Faith
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Do people believe that the testimonials on your website are real? We often hear people express the view that testimonials on websites are contrived or made up. Sometimes with good reason. Let me … [Read more...]
Is shipping costing you sales? – How to boost your conversion rates with shipping
Is shipping a mystery on your online shopping website? Lack of clarity around shipping is one of the biggest conversion killers in eCommerce. Fortunately there are some simple conversion techniques … [Read more...]
Has Word 2007 Mashed Up Your Email Marketing?
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Have you noticed that your Email Marketing piece looks real funny in Outlook 2007? That's probably because Outlook 2007 now uses Microsoft Word to digest a HTML email. Previous versions of Microsoft … [Read more...]
41.82% Conversion Rate for Piano Removalists
We're happy to say that we've set a new conversion rate record for our lead generation websites - 41.82%. That means that for every 100 people that visit this page, at least 41 of them will … [Read more...]
eBay wants to force you to use PayPal
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You may have heard that eBay recently announced its intention to force buyers and sellers to use PayPal on its monopoly online auction site. eBay currently allows users to use other payment methods … [Read more...]
The 7 Keys of High Conversion Lead Generation Websites – Part 2
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This is part 2 of our article on The 7 Keys of High Conversion Lead Generation Websites. Key 5 :- Design for conversion A website that is designed for conversion will be: Easy to read - why do … [Read more...]
Can’t find your website in Google? Baby steps for Google rankings.
If I had a dollar for every time I've heard this: "I can't find our website in Google." The real question usually is, "what did you search for?" Waiting for your new website to show up in Google … [Read more...]
Is SPAM an obsolete concept?
Bizreport published findings from a Q Interactive / Marketing Sherpa report today that show that the general public view of what spam is poles apart from the accepted technical definition of spam. … [Read more...]
Is a picture really worth a thousand words?
We all know that a picture can be worth a thousand words, but it's not always the case. Words are the most fundamental blocks of our communication. To prove this Jeff Sexton at Future Now asked, "What … [Read more...]
How can Australian businesses beat a recession?
Here in Australia, some economists have been spinning the yarn that our economy is "decoupled" from the US economy. They would have you think that your business will not be affected by the US … [Read more...]
The 7 Keys of High Conversion Lead Generation Websites – Part 1
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Why do some websites generate leads better than others? Having developed a number of lead generation websites that convert over 20% of visits into enquiries, we know that asking this question is a big … [Read more...]
Piano Removalist Blasts Off With Huge Conversion Rates
Piano Removalists - Network Piano Carriers - entered the online removals world late last year with their first website. To their great credit, this highly professional piano removals company … [Read more...]
eCommerce Website Benchmark – What is a visit worth to you?
One of the simplest metrics that you can use to benchmark your eCommerce website is the dollar value of a visit. Often this metric is called "Revenue Per Visit," but I just find that it feels better … [Read more...]
Google Maps Spam Update – Spammer Removed
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We recently wrote about a Melbourne mobile mechanic who was spamming Google Maps with several hundred Local Business Listings. After our post, several blogs reported on our post and added their … [Read more...]
Google Maps is a Haven for Spammers
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Mike Blumenthal first reported Local Business Listing SPAM on Google Maps last July. Seven months later it seems that Google has no answer for the spammers filling up the Google Maps Local Business … [Read more...]
How to measure your eCommerce Website
With all of the information that is available from measuring websites with tools like Google Analytics, it's easy to get distracted. A typical eCommerce website has it's own unique set of KPI's … [Read more...]
Truck signage is a traffic oppportunity
Sure, truck signage is an great opportunity to engage your audience on the road, but what about creating traffic to your website? A recent study* on radio advertising showed that 80% of listeners … [Read more...]
Google Maps – New Format For Local Business Results in Google
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Have you noticed that the format has changed for Google Local Business Results? The above example was from a Google web search on Storage Melbourne. We're now seeing about 10 listings in the … [Read more...]
Google Maps – Local Business Listings – Is your business on the Google Map?
Last year, Google Maps quickly became the number one online map directory service in Australia, surpassing whereis.com.au. Did you know that you can put your business on the Google Map? If you … [Read more...]
Is Google really the end of the Yellow Pages® Directory?
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Newt Barret explained an important shift in his blog post today, "Real World Experiment Explains Impending Demise of Yellow Pages" Talking about the Yellow Pages® he says, "Their old slogan, 'Let … [Read more...]
Microsoft’s Live Search Has a Huge Size Problem
A number of our clients have noticed that their websites have completely dropped out of Microsoft's Live Search Engine recently. It was first brought to my attention by Gavin Hodges from Flexitank in … [Read more...]
Don’t Get Lost in Translation
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We've been working with the translators at Meaningful Exchange, helping with their email marketing for a little over a year now. We recently launched a new website targeting companies that are needing … [Read more...]
Real Example: How can I generate more leads for “Development Loans”
I was meeting with William MacLean from McLean Finance today and we found that his website is on page one in Google for the term "Development Loans." He's been getting a number of leads through his … [Read more...]
WHOIS: Is Your Domain Name Really Yours?
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What every company needs to know about their domain name... Imagine that you are moving into a new office today. Your furniture is moved in, the phones are being connected, offices … [Read more...]
Lessons in Customer Service from an Acoustic Guitar Shop
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One of my personal goals for 2008 is to get a new acoustic guitar. I've been playing guitar for about 3 years now and I love it. Now that I can hear the difference, I've decided that it's time to get … [Read more...]
The Google Maps van is in town – And I snapped it!
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I wrote a post about the new Google Maps "Street View" feature after seeing this funny image recently. The Street View feature was introduced on Google Maps last year in the US, but the peering eye of … [Read more...]
Web Design – Don’t Sweat The Home Page
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You're working on a new web design and you're fussing over the home page. You've got very limited space. Just 1024 x 768 pixels to play (minus toolbars and scroll-bars). Every pixel matters. … [Read more...]
Is Your Web Design a Platform for Performance or a Serious Liability?
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The pinnacle of web design is where form and function work together. A good web design is a platform for performance. On the other hand, a bad web design is a serious liability. Note that it's … [Read more...]
Email Marketing Preview Pane Gallery – The Good Examples
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It's been several years since images started being blocked in the preview pane of your email client, however most email marketers have not yet adapted to the change. Having said that, I've put … [Read more...]
Email Marketing Preview Pane Gallery – The Bad Examples
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Since our recent article on Email Marketing and the Outlook preview pane, I've been collecting both good and bad examples of the email marketing that I receive. Unfortunately, the scales are … [Read more...]
Yellow Pages® Online – How can you make platinum ads work?
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Many of our clients use the Yellow Pages® Directory and the Yellow Pages® Online to generate leads for their businesses. Over the last year we've had a chance to to try out the Yellow Pages® … [Read more...]
Web 2.0 Hype Busted by Jakob Nielsen
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Through the haze of excitement about Web 2.0 Jakob Nielsen has articulated what serious web marketing people have been saying for a long time. Get Web 1.0 right before thinking about Web … [Read more...]
Only geeks will laugh at this…
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Okay, this is a little off the conversion rates topic, but it made me laugh. For those who aren't aware, you will soon have to display a sign like this in your front yard to stop Google from … [Read more...]
Customer to Marketer – I Want a Divorce
I was speaking with Copywriter Meri Harley today about how many business marketers seem to have forgotten the very people who made them big... Their customers. It's manifest in their website copy … [Read more...]
Selling on price – Are your customers really price sensitive?
"Our customers are price sensitive." "Our product is a grudge purchase." I've been hearing this quite a bit in one of the industries that we've been working with recently. Now, I'm not going to … [Read more...]
Part 1: The Copywriting Formula for Business Websites
"We are the leading provider of ..." Would you like a dollar for every time you've read that on a business website? On many business websites, copywriting like this is common. Do all these … [Read more...]
Part 2: The Copywriting Formula for Business Websites
So what is the formula for writing great website copy for your business website? Well, let's cover the basics. Good copywriting addresses each of the following five questions. 1. Who is the … [Read more...]
Email Marketers: Ignore the preview pane at your own risk!
I'm really trying hard to look for email marketers who care about what their email looks like in the preview pane. It's too easy to find bad examples, and I'm caved into the urge to expose them! So … [Read more...]
eCommerce Websites – What do you need to maximise conversion rates?
Ever wondered what it takes to get the most out of your eCommerce website conversion rates? Well, let's start with the basics. You must give your website visitors all of the information that they … [Read more...]
Email Marketing – Missy keeps it simple
Since I wrote about email marketing and the Outlook preview pane two weeks ago, I've been on the lookout for good examples of email marketing. It turns out that Missy Higgins has an email … [Read more...]
Pointless Website Polls – Have your say!
Have you ever seen a website poll like this one? I can't remember where I found it, but it's a little embarrassing don't you think? Online polls are often sold as one of the "whiz bang" reasons … [Read more...]
Using LivePerson to Boost Conversion Rates
I've had two completely opposite experiences this week with LivePerson chats. LivePerson is a software package that allows you to chat with your website visitors (like instant messaging). Used … [Read more...]
Email Marketing: What will it look like in the preview pane?
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Since Microsoft introduced the image blocking feature in Outlook 2003, the question that every email marketer should be asking is, "What will this email look like in the preview pane?" It's surprising … [Read more...]
Banner Blindness – Eyetracking Studies Expose Fancy Formatting
The massive take up of eye-tracking in website usability studies has revealed some interesting information. It's a phenomenon known as Banner blindness... Well, it's not a revelation that website … [Read more...]
Fort Knox expands Melbourne Self Storage
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I recently met with the team at Fort Knox in their Melbourne Self Storage facility. In the last 2 years with Fort Knox we've managed to have the website overtake the Yellow Pages® as the number 2 … [Read more...]
Conversion Killer! Forced shopping cart registration
Number one on my list of eCommerce conversion killers is the shopping cart registration page. It really bothers me that so many online shops ask you to "sign up" or "register" before you enter the … [Read more...]
48 Hour Google Listings – Know what you are signing up for!
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I received this email today promoting guaranteed listings in Google and Yahoo in 48 hours. I think it's unfortunate that many people in the search engine marketing industry feel it's okay to prey on … [Read more...]
Cool flash websites – Impress or Convert?
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Most people who have worked with us know that we're not a big fan of "cool flash websites" for businesses. Well, we don't apply this rule to everyone. There are some professions where being cool … [Read more...]
What’s the big deal about getting into Google?
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Much of the focus of Australian website owners is still on search engine optimisation and getting into Google. Because we haven't moved past this, Australian businesses risk lagging behind on … [Read more...]
Check your website before running your Radio Advertising Campaign!
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I met with John Tellis of www.tailor.com.au last week to talk about his website. Since John's company has recently been running a highly succesful radio advertising campaign on SEN (Melbourne AM Radio … [Read more...]
Website Rescue – How your Radio Advertising can generate visits to your website and convert them to leads
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I had a number of people call me this week to say, "Have you heard this radio ad for 'Website Rescue'?" Well, I hadn't heard the ad, so while I was still on the phone I said, "I'll go to Google and … [Read more...]
eCommerce Website Search – 10 rules to better search results and higher eCommerce conversion rates
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A simple way to boost your eCommerce website's conversion rate is to make sure your visitors can actually find what they're looking for. It's highly likely that a visitor to your site will use your … [Read more...]
eCommerce Websites – 10 rules to better internal search results
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When you're running an eCommerce website you spend so much time optimising your site, improving your product descriptions and fussing over your web design that you sometimes don't notice the little … [Read more...]
Want an effective website? See your marketing consultant first.
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Hiring a marketing consultant can be a smart move. Particularly if you run a business that doesn't have a marketing department (i.e. most small businesses). Often B2B and professional services … [Read more...]
Google Maps
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Australians have recently been introduced to Google Maps and Local Business Search in the search results of Google.com.au. If you go to Google.com.au and perform a search on "Self Storage … [Read more...]
eCommerce Websites – How to handle eCommerce problems and save your customers
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US company Tealeaf recently released some interesting research related to errors on eCommerce websites. "42% of online consumers abandon or switch after experiencing online transaction … [Read more...]
Are long URLs a turn off?
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According to the Marketing Sherpa Search Marketing Benchmark Guide 2008 long URLs are on the nose. "What we discovered was that long URLs actually work as a deterrent and stop viewers from doing … [Read more...]
Conversion rate review – Metal finishes website
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We recently conducted a conversion rate review on a website for a company that creates metal finishes for non metal objects such as doors, signs and other building elements. To introduce our readers … [Read more...]
Burn carbs not carbon
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In a push to make Bitemark green we've developed the "burn carbs not carbon" program. Basically, this involves encouraging the team to ride their bikes to work rather than driving. So far our … [Read more...]
The search engine keyword challenge – Can your website copy make sense?
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Getting your search engine keywords into the right places in your website copy doesn't always come easily. We're working on a website at the moment whose keywords include the terms "life planning" … [Read more...]
Conversion rates – The basics
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In this article on Clickz, Bryan Eisenberg of Future Now discusses the basics of conversion rates. It's interesting to note that for all of the technical wizardry that you can use to optimise the … [Read more...]
You have to pay to get into Google right?
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"You have to pay to get into Google right?" Too often there is confusion about what's paid and what's not in Google. It's time to set the record straight. Click the image to the left to see which … [Read more...]
We’re number one in Google for number one in Google :-)
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Every business that takes web marketing seriously wants to be number one in Google. So we recently published this page - Number one in Google: The Secret Techniques that will get you there! Now we … [Read more...]
Franchise websites – Are franchises missing the web marketing boat?
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We've spoken to many franchises about their websites in our travels and have come to the conclusion that franchises are sitting on the biggest opportunity in web marketing today. In the trenches, … [Read more...]
Email Marketing and SPF
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There has always been a clear difference between opt-in email marketing and SPAM. Unfortunately for web marketers, the email SMTP protocol (the language that email servers use to talk to each … [Read more...]
Content is king in web marketing, but what on earth is it?
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Ask any company that is successful at web marketing and they will confirm the proclamation, "Content is king! All hail the content!" Although it's specifically written about website … [Read more...]
Franchise Web marketing – How do you market your franchise online?
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Are franchises sitting on the biggest opportunity in web marketing today? One of the real advantages of franchised businesses is that you have local people with local knowledge running a big … [Read more...]
Web marketing – The easy way to select a company to market your business on the web…
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If you're looking for an easy way to identify a web marketing company that can help you to achieve an effective working website, then take a look at their home page. Do they talk in terms of you, … [Read more...]
Getting to the top of Google takes more than techniques
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There was an interesting article from Dan Skeen in the Age yesterday about Google, Search Engine Optimisation, black hats, white hats and Matt Cutts... If you want to know what any of those things … [Read more...]
Number one in Google: The Secret Techniques that will get you there!
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OK, so you want your site to go to number one in Google, and you’re looking for the secret techniques to get you there? Well, the thing is, they’re not really that secret. Ten minutes of … [Read more...]
Online selling and international orders
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One of the fantastic things about the internet is that selling online has enabled many small businesses to access international markets. At the Small Business Expo in Melbourne last weekend I … [Read more...]
Read this before you accept international orders from your website
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If your business sells online, receiving your first international order can be thrilling. One of the great things about selling online is the ability to reach markets far away for a low cost. But … [Read more...]
Google Listing Guarantee
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I recently wrote a page about guaranteed Google listings that went straight to the top of Google. I've been taken aback by the response that it generated. If you are looking for a company that … [Read more...]
Tablet PC’s – Has the next generation laptop slipped in the back door?
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I've been a user of Tablet PC's for about 5 years now. Yes, I had one of the really bad version 1.0 Tablets. For those of you who don't know what a Tablet PC is, essentially it's a laptop that you … [Read more...]
Bamboo Floors – A sustainable alternative to Hard Wood
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Did you know that Bamboo can grow up to 4 ft in one day? I didn't until I met Ken and Lyn Acheson at Crikey Bamboo. They've been in the flooring business for over 30 years and they introduced us … [Read more...]
Mag Wheels – New and Used in Victoria
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Canterbury Tyres are specialists in new and used mag wheels. At their 3 retail sites in the Melbourne suburbs they house the largest collection of second hand and rare wheels in Australia. If … [Read more...]
Online Video Production and Corporate Video for websites
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Online video is fast becoming a mainstream requirement for website projects. Since we've just completed a new website for a video production company, we thought we'd publish our guide to using … [Read more...]
Using online video to increase conversion rates
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Can online video boost your conversion rates? Video is becoming an important feature of many websites. Here are a few examples of websites where we've used an online video: Digicast -Video … [Read more...]
Selling is not telling – Ask questions
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Wayne Berry of Top Gun Business Academy taught me that "selling is not telling." Over the past 5 years I've learnt an enormous amount from Wayne about selling. One of the fundamental keys to … [Read more...]
Lead generation – Can you ever have enough leads?
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If you're not generating leads from your marketing well, then this question is a no brainer. If your marketing is working well, you may be comfortable that you're generating enough … [Read more...]
Lead generation Funnel – Why generate more leads?
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Generating more leads is a consideration even when you have enough leads. If you had more than enough leads coming in, then you would never have to worry about making a sale to someone that you … [Read more...]
Web Marketing = Branding, Design, Web Development, Search Engine Optimisation, Lead Generation?
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So what does it take to create an effective web marketing website? Our experience shows that it takes a range of expertise from fields such as: Branding Web Design Web Development Web … [Read more...]
Case Study: Mobile Mechanic – Monster Conversion Rates!
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Ace Mobile Mechanics provide mobile car service, mobile auto electrician service and breakdown assistance to Melbourne and surrounding suburbs. Like many businesses, Ace mobile had a website … [Read more...]