Chris Mole's Blog
My company manages the online marketing for two florists. One of the florist websites has consistently outsold the other during the past two years, and I’ve driven myself mad trying to figure out why.
The better-performing site is actually based on a design done by another web company a few years ago (I put a new back end on the site ...
Continue reading »
Recently I agreed to help a client with an email marketing campaign to generate leads for his business.
He had purchased a large list of New Zealand business owners, with names, emails etc. He wanted me to send out a mass email to this list with his offers.
Now, I am aware of the spam laws in New Zealand but I thought ...
Continue reading »
Since 2003 I have built more than 200 websites – mainly for small businesses who want to SELL more of their products and services by using the Internet.
I have always regarded website design as being primarily about marketing – about selling. A website should not be simply a work of art that you can look at and admire. It should ...
Continue reading »
I’ve just had an invitation to connect with someone on Google+. If you haven’t already heard, Google+ is Google’s newest entry into social networking. Many in the ‘geek’ world are talking this up as a serious challenger to Facebook, Twitter and skype combined. Others are dismissing it, saying why would anyone bother to switch from Facebook and Twitter when ...
Continue reading »
Recently I noticed a comment on my blog from another Christchurch web design company. It was congratulating me on my “interesting and informative” post and saying how good it was to read such valuable content.
“That’s nice of them,” I thought. Until I looked at my visitor statistics and saw that this comment had actually been posted in India. Of course, ...
Continue reading »
In case you are misled by the title of this post, I want to say straight up that I believe email marketing is one of the most effective ways of selling on the Internet. Any yet many people complain to me that they’ve tried email marketing and “it doesn’t work”.
The reality is, most people are doing email marketing wrong. And ...
Continue reading »
I’ve just received Google’s latest newsletter and this issue is focused on the rapidly growing trend towards browsing the Internet on mobile phones.
The message is, the world has gone mobile. From smartphones to tablets, mobile devices are quickly becoming the best way for people to find products and services when they’re on the go. During the past year, the number ...
Continue reading »
Over the years, I’ve dabbled in search engine optimisation (SEO) and have had some reasonably good results. Nevertheless, I no longer personally do any serious SEO work for my clients. I still offer the service – but I get a true expert to do the actual work.
The reason is, search engine optimisation is becoming much more difficult. And it will ...
Continue reading »
I recently bought Ben Hunt’s booked called ‘Convert: Designing Websites to Increase Traffic and Conversion’.
If the subject of building websites that actually make money is of any relevance to you, this is a ‘must read’ book.
In some ways, there’s nothing new or ground breaking it. It’s just the basics – explained very simply and clearly. As I read it, I ...
Continue reading »
During the past 12 months, the number of people accessing the Internet on their mobile phones has grown exponentially around the world. This trend is going to continue in the coming months and years, until we reach the point where more people browse the Internet on their phones and other mobile devices (such as iPod Touch, iPads, etc) than ...
Continue reading »
Q. How many SEOs does it take to change a light bulb, light bulbs, energy saving light bulbs, low energy light bulbs, light bulbs nz, led light bulb, cheap light bulbs, led light bulbs, light bulbs online, energy saving light bulb, halogen light bulbs, light bulb types, candle light bulbs, incandescent light bulbs, philips light bulbs, incandescent light bulb, buy ...
Continue reading »
I have a confession to make. During the last seven years or so, my success in building websites that actually make money for their owners has been largely hit and miss.
Certainly, I’ve had some great successes and these have helped to build my reputation as a web marketing expert. But I’ve had some failures too. I’ve built sites that look ...
Continue reading »
I’m predicting a major change will take place in the web industry during the next few years. As businesses start to demand results from their websites (in terms of generating new enquiries and sales), web companies will be forced to sharpen their act as marketers.
No longer will it be good enough to simply rely on graphic designers and IT geeks ...
Continue reading »
Quite often I get asked by prospective clients if I can do them a “special deal” on their website or copy writing. The reason is, usually, they’re just starting out in business and are short on cash. Or things are “a bit tight” at the moment but they’re confident they will improve shortly.
Sometimes, the client will propose that I ...
Continue reading »
I’ve just launched a new website for a company that sells a revolutionary solar-powered wireless driveway and perimeter alarm system in the New Zealand and Australian market.
The site is www.solarbeam.co.nz. It is designed from a marketing viewpoint, with a clean and simple design, and careful attention to the layout – particularly the vital area “above the fold” at the top ...
Continue reading »
I’ve just read a fascinating and valuable report by Michael Campbell, an Internet marketing expert whom I highly respect.
It’s called ‘The Ultimate Heatmap’ (the term heatmap is used to show the areas on a website that are “hottest” in terms of catching visitors’ interest.)
Michael tested 21 website templates to find out which ones produced the highest conversion. He was ...
Continue reading »
I’ve just been listening to a classic Pink Floyd song from the 1970s, called ‘Wish You Were Here’. If you’re old enough to remember the song (like I am), you have my sincere commiserations.
There’s a line in the song: ‘Running over the same old ground. What have you found? The same old fears.”
Which got me thinking. That’s what most people ...
Continue reading »
These 6 simple secrets come from Ben Hunt, someone who’s ideas on web design – and business – I value highly.
The Secret to Business - Find out what people want, and give it to them.
The Secret to Selling - Find out what people value, and show them that your solution is worth more to them than it costs.
The Secret to ...
Continue reading »
The title of your web page is one of the most important factors in search engine optimization.
These are the first words that Google (or other search engine) sees when it visits your web page. It tells the search engine what your page is about.
Furthermore, the page title performs another important function. When people are searching the web, your title tag ...
Continue reading »
Honestly, I’m amazed by how quickly most people give up when they are trying to sell anything.
This has been brought home to me particularly this week, because I have been contacted by several people asking for advice on how to sell a particular information product by direct mail.
Now, here is the interesting and crucial thing. All of these (so-called) salespeople ...
Continue reading »
I’ve just read a great post on Aaron Wall’s blog about search engine optimisation. Aaron is one of the leading experts on SEO and just talks plain common sense.
Here is an edited version of his blog post:
“There are so many blogs on search marketing.
Then there are so many forums.
And Tweets.
So much SEO noise, and so little time. So how does ...
Continue reading »
More and more businesses are discovering pay-per-click advertising on Facebook is a cost-effective way to get traffic to their websites. Generally, Facebook advertising is less competitive (and cheaper) than Google Adwords.
In fact, one of the ‘gurus’ of Adwords advertising during the past 5 years, Perry Marshall, is now turning his attention to Facebook. Perry has launched a new website - ...
Continue reading »
These valuable resources have been provided by Michel Fortin, one of the world’s top Internet marketing consultants.
If you are in the web business, or interested in it, you will find this list to be a goldmine.
So here are some of these articles…
1. 20 Best WordPress eCommerce Themes
If you ever wanted to setup an online store using WordPress, in a way ...
Continue reading »
This video interview with one of America’s top website conversion experts, Bryan Eisenberg, first appeared on Web Marketing Today (www.webmarketingtoday.com). In the interview with Dr Ralph Wilson, Bryan discusses three of the secrets behind top-converting e-commerce websites.
He looks at the some of the best-converting online stores, such as VitaCost, GoToMeeting, MailChimp, and L.L. Bean, as examples of how to set ...
Continue reading »
I’d like to share this through-provoking article by Chris Crum, published originally on WebProNews.com
Can You Be Successful Without a Website?
I don’t think there’s any question that you need a web presence to survive in today’s business climate. But do you still need a traditional website, or has the web moved on in that regard?
First off, let me be ...
Continue reading »
If you’re struggling to make enough sales in your business, this video by Brett McFall will stimulate you to think in ways you probably never have before about what makes your business unique.
Hardly anybody in business puts any effort into thinking about their Unique Selling Proposition. Those who do, will walk all over the competition.
Most business websites are “me too” ...
Continue reading »
Website owners often think they can boost their sales by hiring a search engine optimisation expert to get them more traffic.
While more traffic is always good, you need to bear in mind the advice of Bruce Clay, who is regarded as the world’s leading expert in search engine optimisation.
To quote Bruce: “It is not the job of search engine optimisation ...
Continue reading »
We really do love our clients… but some can test our patience just a little. Someone just sent me this video which basically sums up the experiences I have with a some clients.
If you’re in the web industry, or any kind of creative industry, you’ll identify with this video.
And if you are a client working with a professional designer, please ...
Continue reading »
If you’re a business owner with a website, here is a question…
How many new leads and/or sales has your website brought in during the past week, the past month, or the past year?
If your website is bringing in a significant amount of new business on an ongoing basis, you are in the minority. Most small business websites are almost worthless ...
Continue reading »
I’ve just launched a new website for C-Style Homes, a Christchurch company that sells a great range of steel frame kitset homes at amazingly low prices.
This website project is the first of what will be many more as part of a new business relationship I’ve developed with MARKITABLE, a Wellington company.
The website is built with the Joomla open source content ...
Continue reading »
I have just published a new report called ‘How to Recession-Proof Your Business Using the Internet’. The report is too long to post here (about 9 pages). So I’m offering it to you as PDF to download. The report is free and you don’t even have to give me your email to get it But if you find ...
Continue reading »
If you are sending out an email newsletter or promotion, it’s tempting to go for a “flashy” high-tech design, rather than “boring” plain text.
But my experience over several years has convinced me this is usually a big mistake. In fact, it was confirmed recently when I designed a slick, professional-looking email newsletter template according to my client’s directions (and against my ...
Continue reading »
If you’ve ever tried to buy something online and have been asked to set up an account first, before you can make the purchase, you will appreciate this article by Jared Spool of www.uie.com.
The $300 Million Button: How Changing a Button Increased a Site’s Annual Revenues by $300 Million
It’s hard to imagine a form that could be simpler: two fields, ...
Continue reading »
I have just finished writing a brand-new handbook for New Zealand businesses, called “Winning Websites for Small Businesses”.
I don’t believe there’s any other publication in New Zealand quite like this handbook because it’s aimed specifically at the unique needs of the New Zealand marketplace.
If you have a website for your business and it’s not getting you the amount of visitors, ...
Continue reading »
By Harvey Segal
What is the best way to attract visitors to your website? Everyone agrees on this point – it is by providing Free Information.
Let’s see how to do this and why it works so well. Suppose you are a supplier of video recorders. Hopefully you will be the owner of a professional sounding domain name, such as VCRworld.com.
You write ...
Continue reading »
During May, I am offering a FREE website assessment to anyone who has a website but it’s not bring in the amount of leads or sales you were hoping for.
I will look at your website and give you a brief report about how I think it could be improved. I’ll be looking particularly at factors such as the headline on ...
Continue reading »
I’ve just launched a new website for a client in the UK and early results look very encouraging.
The company is selling a range of services to help people who are in debt. This is (unfortunately) a growth industry at the moment in the UK and most of the developed world. So there is a strong demand for such debt consultancy ...
Continue reading »
By Amanda MacArthur from Mequoda Daily
Test your landing pages, because 9 times out of 10, snap judgments will prove you wrong
In case you haven’t heard, Susan Boyle is the unlikely star of Britain’s Got Talent, a televised talent show over in the UK .
On April 11th, Susan Boyle’s audition was aired, a beautiful rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from ...
Continue reading »
If you want to learn one new skill that will grow your business faster than anything else, it’s this.
Learn to write persuasive sales copy.
This is by far the most powerful and effective component of any effective marketing system – on the Internet or anywhere else.
Writing sales copy comes more naturally to some people than others. If you’re ...
Continue reading »
Since 2004 I have been helping people to sell online. I specialise in writing hype-free sales copy that works powerfully to build trust. And because my low-key style of sales copy is believeable, it causes customers to respond.
In fact, one of my clients tells me his website is on track to turn over more than $12m during 2009. And he ...
Continue reading »
People today are bombarded with advertising. If you’re in business trying to sell anything, you face a real battle to cut through the hundreds of other voices competing for your customer’s attention.
Consumers today are also highly sceptical of anything that looks like it’s trying to SELL them something. They want to see rock solid PROOF of your claims. Otherwise, they’ll ...
Continue reading »
Web marketing experts have done some fascinating research into how people read web pages.
Using eye tracking studies, they’ve found people tend to scan pages in an F-shaped pattern. It’s worth bearing this in mind when you are writing the content for your website. Unless your content is very compelling, most of it won’t get read. It’s sad … but true.
One study, by ...
Continue reading »
Each month, Nielsen Online puts out a list of the world’s “top converting” websites. They base the results on the number of people who buy something from a particular website, versus the total number of visitors to the site.
One website consistently comes out on top – ProFlowers.com, an American site selling flowers. ProFlowers.com consistently has a conversion rate of between 30% ...
Continue reading »
I recently worked with a client who has developed a hugely successful business selling nutritional supplements and skincare products to the US, Asia and Europe, from a small office in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Virtually all his products are sold via the Internet and he gets about 30,000 visitors a month to his website. Furthermore, he doesn’t spend a fortune on Google Adwords ...
Continue reading »
Most business people have heard of the term ‘unique selling proposition’ (USP). It’s something every marketing expert talks about. But the reality is, 95% of businesses have never developed a strong USP!
That’s incredible. In fact, if you have a clear idea of your USP, you’ll be streets ahead of most of your competition.
The main reason businesses don’t develop a clear USP ...
Continue reading »
Changing the look and feel of your website can make a massive difference to the response rate (i.e. the number of sales you make).
In the early days of the Internet, people discovered this by trial and error. Today, there’s a growing ‘science’ around web page conversion. But few website designers have any real idea of what makes a web page ...
Continue reading »
Many small business owners have a great aversion to marketing. They confuse marketing with the stereotype of a pushy salesperson and with the thought of “selling” themselves.
But the reality is, if you want to succeed in business, you won’t get far without marketing. Fortunately, the Internet has opened up a whole new world of marketing opportunities, where integrity combined with ...
Continue reading »
There’s a trend in Internet marketing to present buyers with what are known as “upsells” after they have ordered a product online.
It works like this. A buyer clicks on the Order button but instead of being taken directly to a place where they can enter their credit card details they are faced with a special ‘one-time’ offer. This is usually ...
Continue reading »
Ken Evoy’s ‘Make Your Site Sell’ was first published in 1999 and then revised in 2002. That’s a long time ago in Internet terms but the fundamental principles in this book are just as relevant today as they were in 2002.
‘Make Your Site Sell’ is a classic that you must read if you are serious about selling on the Internet. ...
Continue reading »
Why do you have a website?
That’s a question you need to consider carefully in the age of e-commerce.
Almost every business has an online presence now. But few are making the most of their sites. Most are a virtual replica of the company brochure – with product and service information, photos and contact information.
There’s nothing wrong with that. But if ...
Continue reading »
Dont be daunted at the prospect of writing your website copy. Here’s a simple outline that shows you how to compile the framework for a successful business website - and it shouldn’t take more than 60 minutes.
If you’re like most small business owners, the prospect of writing your website fills you with dread. You don’t know where to start and you’re ...
Continue reading »
If you’re looking for a website designer it can be confusing trying to choose the right one. Go through the Yellow Pages in any town or city and you’ll find a long list of web designers. Look on the Internet and you’ll discover even more.
Perhaps you have a friend who knows a bit about web design and has offered to ...
Continue reading »
Meta tags are a vital part of your website. If you want to get a top search engine position, you must put the right content in your meta tags.
Meta tags optimisation is not magic. In fact, to get top search engine rankings there are just a few simple things you need to know. They set apart successful meta tags from ...
Continue reading »
Keywords really are the key if you want to get top search engine rankings.
Selecting the right keywords for your site is one of the most important areas of Web marketing – and one that’s sadly too often overlooked. When you combine the right keywords with well-constructed meta tags you are virtually guaranteed to get a top position on search engines.
And ...
Continue reading »
When a visitor arrives at your website, you have just a few seconds to make a good impression. Otherwise … click … they’re gone, probably forever.
One of the biggest factors in whether your visitor stays or leaves is whether they think you site looks trustworthy.
People tend to be wary of what they see and read online. So, you need to ...
Continue reading »
By Mike Tekula –
Got a brand new website? That’s great, but nobody cares.
OK, maybe that’s a little harsh. The truth, however, is that just having a website doesn’t get you much.
Many business owners I meet are surprised to find, once we look at the numbers, that the shiny new site they had built not too long ago gets little to no traffic ...
Continue reading »
Hundreds of new business websites are springing up every week. The owners of these sites are full of optimism that their venture into e-commerce will transform their business by bringing in new customers and boosting their sales.
But the reality is that most websites fail abysmally as sales tools. Why? Because the owners of these sites have spent a lot of ...
Continue reading »
If you have a website, sooner or later you’ll get interested in search engine optimisation.
It’s the art (or is it a science?) of tweaking your website copy and links, so your site ranks higher in the search engines.
There are many professional search engine optimisation firms (commonly known as SEOs) who will charge you substantial amounts of money to improve your ...
Continue reading »
If you’re looking for the real facts about how to get your site onto page one of Google, I recommend this excellent e-book. It’s 90 pages long … and free! Parts of the book are a quiet sales pitch for the software the author sells. But whether or not you want the software, you can still get an excellent education ...
Continue reading »
