Your 8 Step Process For Having A '2015 Ready" Website!

Hello ....

You have been hearing a lot about the  2015 needs of a website.  So, it seems fitting that you know what you would experience if you chose to work with us here at Today's Way when creating your 2015 website!

When working with Today's Way,  "you" enter into a partnership with a graphics and programming expert and myself, a communications "connections" expert.   The three of us, together, initiate a process that can be as ongoing as the life of the website requires!  But ... the process to get you from start to the finish of an initial  "2015 ready" website includes 8 steps!

Before we cover the 8 steps, it's important to know that Today's Way websites are custom designed, both in content layout and presentation and programming.  And, all our new websites  use a wordpress fully responsive software platform. If required, we can also provide copywriting services.

Now ... let me walk you through the Today's Way 8-step experience: 

1. You tell us about your business. Then you are asked to pretend that you will be speaking to an auditorium full of your ideal clients and we ask you three questions:
   1)  Who is in the auditorium?  What are the demographics?
   2)  After you speak, what actions do you want them to take? Can be from one, up to any number.
   3)  What do you offer to make them take those actions?
   Upon mutually agreeing upon your answers, we proceed to your website content and layout.
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2. Next step: What is your "core" solution to what problem. What is your primary purpose? Given that website visitors decide very quickly if they will stay on your website OR click off your website, we next identify the primary "hook" that is needed upon landing on your home page to connect your ideal buyers to your website.
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3. Where do visitors want to go after connecting with your hook? Upon identifying the "hook" on the homepage, we must determine where visitors want to go next.  This depends upon what level of the buying decision process your visitors are at. So once again, together, we identify each stage of your buyers decision making process and with that,  identify what they need to see on the website to connect with you for their onsite content needs and/or offsite needs (access to social media, youtube channel, etc)
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4. Now we build your HUB.  How will your visitors easily see and connect to where they want to go next? Once we have all the pieces of the above step we can begin to assign and place your content to areas on the website and build your HUB.  Right now Today's Way is only building wordpress websites so there are choices of pages, posts, pages with posts, and sidebar widgets)   Also which formats and resources  will best support the content so that communications can take place - forms, slide show, video, photos, video galleries, photo galleries, live feeds, etc.
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5. Navigation comes next.  How many navigation menus do we need/want, how should they be constructed and where should they be placed. What will allow your visitors to easily see "their" unique next step choices for learning about your business.
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6. Design elements are now finalized. What are your colors?  What design features, touches, accents, etc will enhance the content and allow it to be seen!  It's all about the content!
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7. Throughout the process you see the website and give your approval and/or your suggestions. Seeing is knowing.   We've learned over the years that what you "might" think will look good, will not look so great and vice versa!  No matter what, the customer is always right. We go with what you want.  Suggestions will be made, but bottom line, our clients will have what "they" want.
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8. Last but not least - training!  Upon the completion of your new wordpress website you receive up to five hours of free telephone training for using your website..  Yes, you may split it up.
 

That's the Today's Way 8 step process! Again, all our current wordpress websites are custom designed and  custom programmed on a wordpress fully responsive software platform, allowing  viewing on all sizes of screens and mobile devices.   We review all content with you, providing our insight on it's layout and presentation for the best connectivity. If you need it actually "written" for you, copywriting services are also available.
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Here are links to some of our wordpress websites:
http://www.ServeTheGoddess.com
http://www.TimeshareLocators.com
http://www.FlightPathMuseum.com
http://www.AngelWalkAbouts.com
http://www.dmnphoto.com
http://www.dougrappoport.com

If you would like a complementary discussion for your 2015 website contact me at 310-306-1453 or margieh@todaysway.net. I am happy to discuss how Today's Way can make your 2015 more successful. 

In the mean time,
Keep your business garden growing ....
margie

www.todaysway.net

The

How Well Do You Know What "Triggers" The Need For What You Provide?

Happy Friday!  

Just wondering how well you know what "triggers" the need for what you sell?   

Why worry about that?  Because it's never been so important to find ways to "connect" to your buyers in the very early stages of their need ... ideally BEFORE they have a need!! 

Now you probably are really asking WHY. Think about your own buying choices.  When  you "need" something, do the providers that you have already heard about  have a better chance of being bought? Maybe not always but overall in the big picture?

Also, with the Buyer 2.0 you have people who are doing their own research on what they will buy.  If you have been out there connecting to the very early, early layers of their need(s), they already have a connection with YOU!  Who do you think they will favor? 

So how do discover these triggers?  Work your way backwards.  What needs bring people to you? Once you get that defined, ask yourself, "What circumstances, happenings, changes, etc occurred for the need to show up in the first place?"

If you create some social media presence that connects to the "triggers" of the needs you have solutions for, you show that what you do relates to the associated situations.  When those "triggers" occur in your buyers life, you hopefully will come to their mind!  Now put that awareness and familiarity next to solutions that they have to research from point zero, which solution would you say has the better chance of being bought?  Yours, of course!

Sit down and really think about your buyers.  Interview them. Give them questionnaires!  Do what you need to do to know the triggers that generated their need for your products and services!!

Find out more about this topic in my weekly mailing for this past week. Click here!

In the mean time,

Keep your business garden growing!
margie

Is Your Website Ready For Buyer 2.0 Connections?

Oh that Buyer 2.0! 

There are soooo many ways they want to get to know our businesses!  They research and find the answers to their shopping questions on their own! 

What does this mean for business owners? You have to have content out there on the internet that can make a "connection" to each decision making stage of your individual buyers so that you get found by them in the early and ongoing stages of their buying process.. AND you have to know what they are "really" looking for ... what is their "real" need or want!  Think outside of your normal box and discover what surrounds the decision to buy your goods! 

So how do you do that?  With lots of online communication activity, good keyword application, and an understanding that goes beyond the boundaries of your products and services.

Regarding your website specifically, here are some ideas for opening & making connections:

Emotions: 
What emotions and feelings are associated with your products & services?  Romantic, happy, sad, loving, angry, etc.  Does you website reflect these emotions?

Energy:
Do your products & services play into a certain type of energy?  Busy, eclectic, quiet, sleepy, wild and crazy, etc?   Add that type of energy to your website!

Experiences:
What type of "happening" is associated with your offerings?  Marriage, drive in the country, promotion, moving,  new job, sports, etc.  Are any of the experiences that surround the needs you provide solutions for reflected on your website?

Stories:
Does your website have a way to share stories, short & long, that lead your buyers from their initial needs to what you offer?  Maybe a video?  Audio? Or a 3 sentence story highlighted in a scripted font?

Welcome video:
Do your prospective buyers get to know you?  See you and hear you so chemistry can do its magic thing!

Interaction:
At a minimum your website should have clearly marked icons or links to social media sites that you participate on.   If appropriate to your site's energy,  a live feed from a social network can be beneficial.

Questions & Answers:
Q & A sections show that you understand your prospects and buyers and what they might be needing answers to.  A form for submitting questions is also a plus.  Many people do not want to search through a bunch of questions & answers and not ever find exactly what they want an answer to.  Providing a form is convenient and shows you are thinking of your buyer, not yourself.

Easy Navigation:
The Golden Rule of online communications success is to remove the need to "think" when a website visitor visits your site!  A great way to make a strong connection with every website visitor you have is to have a clear and distinct navigation for them to use.

Visual Presentations:
A picture is worth a thousand words!  Do you have great images on your website professionally reflecting what you offer?

Value-Added:
You never ever know exactly why someone buys from you! Make sure your website includes all the value-added pieces of doing business with you!  If you are a restaurant with lots of free parking, mention that!  An online store with shipping included should be in clear sight!  The value-added pieces can often be a requirement before your product is even reviewed. For example, take the restaurant.  If you want to go out to eat you might say, "which restaurants have lots of free parking?"  When you find the free parking, BINGO!  That will be the restaurant of choice - who cares what the food is!! :-)

Return Policy or Warranty
What comes after the sale? That can be something researched by your buyer 2.0 clients.  They want to know your post-sale terms, pre-sale!

 Are you getting the idea?  Think you can now go forth and start preparing your website for your Buyer 2.0 shoppers!   Please leave your comments here.

In the mean time,
Keep Your Business Garden Growing
margie
www.todaysway.net

The 2015 Website - A HUB To All Your Online Communications!

Hi there ....

Have you started to see the role of your website changing?

It used to be that our websites were the "go to" place to find out all the details of our business. The website's content was pretty permanent  requiring updates only from time to time. Actually, more updates were done for acquiring more up to date design elements than content.

Enter social media, blogging, smart phones, tablets, and more!  The internet has never been so busy! AND, you as a business owner need to be out there where the paths your buyers take can cross with what you offer!

As your buyers get to know you from maybe a social media site, article you've written, or mention via a mutual acquaintance/friend,  they may want to pursue knowing more about you in additional ways.  This is when they look for your website address and visit your site! 

Then what happens?  Is it easy for them to choose where they want to go next in getting to know about your business?  Can they find out how to connect with your communications on specific social networks?   Go to your blog to get to know your "inside scoop?"  Join your mailing list to stay in touch with your news  and announcements?  Explore your products and services and understand their "value?"  See or learn about "real time" uses for what you offer and why you?  Find out how credible and reliable your business is?  Hear what other people have to say about you?  Know how you service your clients? See a demo?  Be invited for a conversation?  Know about a seminar or training you have?  

There are so many "different" reasons people will go to your website!  Do you have solutions for these reasons/needs? Do you have avenues for your website visitors to take, no matter where they are in the buying cycle?  And is it easy for your website visitors to see, know about. find and connect with that "specific" they may be seeking?

In 2015 it is a must for you to know how your buyers might choose to be in touch with you and what they will be looking for from your business.  Which layer in their decision making process are they at? What do they need to know about your business per their level of interest each time they visit your site AND ....is what they are looking for easy to find?  They may be able to find what they want from your business in other online locations, BUT your website still serves as an anchor and point of reference out their in cyberspace.

In that regard, do think of your website as a HUB.  Buyers cross-connecting to and from all your communications platforms and building confidence and satisfaction in doing business with you!  Think about why "you" visit websites. Personally the most often reason I go to a website is to find a telephone number and/or their social media sites!  The message being:, don't overlook the practical nor the tiny pieces of your site. Have a clear phone number and make those social media icons be visible!!

Old style website platforms are difficult to support the constant communications that comes with buyer/seller connections of today. You can make it work, especially with small businesses,by using clear navigation layouts, sidebars with links, and headers with links.  Don't think you have to create a new site.  However, if it's in the budget, do look for content management type websites that allow you to make changes easily and store data that can be easily accessed and if possible include a "search" function by your visitors. Wordpress is a popular choices but there are others.

Bottom Line: Make your website 2015 ready .... make it be clear, easy to navigate and a HUB for whatever the communications and information that your buyers will be looking for from your business.

Keep your garden growing ...
margie
www.todaysway.net