Author: earthskater

Consider These Points Before Starting your Website

E-commerce, SEO, Web Design

For your business to have the greatest chance of big success, your online store software should feature a top notch design as well as be super user-friendly.  Your online store website needs to be more than just a basic catalog of your products, it needs to compete with your markets leaders in terms of functionality and web design

Here, we are going to give you a few tips which you should consider while creating your online store website.

Domain and Host

A domain is your identity. You can either make it very simple or be creative with it; either way, it has to be something that sticks to memory but is also easily accessible. Take our domain name, Earth Skater. We chose a name which created intrigue for our customers similar to Web Surfer.  When choosing a domain name for your business, remember that it needs to click for your customer so they stay and explore your business.

Minimalist Design

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when creating your website is overcrowding it.  Messy websites can dilute the value of your call to action message (for example, your buy now button or lead generation form).  With a clean design which not only gives the proper information but also, does not overwhelm the senses, you can give customers a positive user experience and encourage their return.

Colors & Theme

Colors make all the difference in the world. There is a reason why many popular websites use specific shades of blue, and that is because blue has a calming and comforting influence for the user, and thus, the user of the website feels more attracted towards the site. Color schemes are influenced by many factors such as the target audience, brand logo, company’s message and chosen scheme. So if you want to create a successful website, then taking time out for some color based research can make a big difference in how visitors perceive your website.

Easy Access

If the customer finds the website difficult to navigate through, then they will leave. Along with keeping a minimalistic design, if you want to create a positive customer experience, then you need to make sure that your website visitors can access all public areas of the website at will. If the site is user friendly and has a mobile friendly responsive design, then your potential customers will be more likely to venture into the other tabs of your website, and even read the blogs you’ve written to help them out.

Appropriate Loading Time

This is a mistake many web designers make and flaw many online store software’s suffer from. Testing your website can give you a chance to look at some of the issues that may be prevalent on your website.  Page or slideshow slow loading time will only make customers frustrated, so by making sure that everything loads quickly to efficiently service customers.

SSL Security

Customers will not shop on your website if the site does not have security measures like SSL security and/or a name brand merchant account in place.  Customers want and need to be sure their transactions will be safe and secure.  A secure website is a trustworthy website to your customers.

The best online store software comes with real service behind it, Earth Skater uses all these tips and more to its advantage when servicing our clients websites.  We strive to provide customers with services that will ensure success for their businesses.

Social Networking: Making The Right Connections

Marketing, Social Media

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As an entrepreneur, networking plays an important role in building your business.  Even if you could do it all on your own, you would still need to network, and the sooner you start building your network, the better.

Building a network of entrepreneurs both in and out of your field starts to tell a story about who you are professionally, what opportunities you are seeking, and what inquiries you may have interest in hearing.  You can connect with everyone from industry thought leaders and influencers to potential partners and clients. First making the connections and then following your connections puts you in the position to reach out proactively so that you are prepared when a perceived opportunity arises.  The best networkers research their connections to understand them better so that they can take the right action, at the right time, with the right contact.

What does it tell you when someone does not accept your connection?  Maybe they did not get to it yet… that’s unlikely.  What is likely, is that they researched you, checked your profile, and not accepted your connection.  This can give you valuable insight as well.

Your hopeful contact chose not to accept your connection which can mean multiple things.  I’ve listed these red flags in the order of likelihood based on my experience in not connecting.

  1. Spammy looking profile (no photo, few if any connections, red flags are going off when googling you)
  2. Your approach may have been at the wrong time or if you sent a message it may have been off target  (were you soliciting first or were you bringing something to the table first
  3. You may be perceived as a direct competitor and potential threat
  4. They may see themselves as a valuable contact and not want to lend you the credibility of the connection

BONUS TIP:  If you didn’t make the connection the first time around, and you believe it is an important connection to make, don’t be afraid to try again, build your value, pick your timing, adjust your message, and try again.

Personally, I accept almost all of the connection requests I receive, but I definitely avoid #1 almost always (sometimes it’s hard to tell so I give the benefit of the doubt)… so with that, please feel free to leave your comments and questions and I look forward to connecting with you!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sener Korkusuz is the Founder and CEO of EarthSkater.com, dedicated to helping small business owners succeed online with unbeatable web design, web hosting, and online store service.

Becoming an Influencer by Blogging

Marketing

achieve-success

As a CEO, you are already the thought leader of your organization.  Your thoughts drive the actions your company takes.  Ultimately, you are the ONE responsible for leading your team, or pushing yourself, to continuously take the necessary actions to achieve success.  The goal is to increase the scale and range of your influence as a thought leader and to leverage your following and network of connections to create new bigger opportunities.

You are already the thought leader of your organization.

At this point in your career, your mind may have already shifted towards the bigger picture. Using your thoughts, your expertise, your experience, to gain influence in your market to attract new clients, partners, and opportunities.  On the other hand, you may just be beginning to get started with social media, social networking, and even the idea of blogging, let alone becoming an influencer.

JUST DO IT!

In either case, the solution is the same, as the slogan goes, JUST DO IT!  The point is to start blogging… PERIOD.  You have the passion to promote your business.  You have a likeable personality and will increasingly become more  effective in networking and making business connections.  Lastly, you have built up the feverish obsession to become successful in your business and blogging and becoming an influencer will only help you to achieve greater success.

Do not expect to, nor will you, become a national or global thought leader overnight.  But, take comfort in knowing your unique perspective holds true value to those in your industry, whether to potential clients, partners, investors, or other interested parties like press and media.

That which you are seeking is causing you to seek.

You should already be thinking about things you could blog about related to your market.  As you get involved in social networking and make new connections you will get additional ideas on what to blog about relevant to your community.  You will attract the opportunities you are seeking.  As the saying goes “that which you are seeking is causing you to seek”.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sener Korkusuz is the Founder and CEO of EarthSkater.com, dedicated to helping small business owners succeed online with unbeatable web design, web hosting, and online store service.  He is the co-founder and CEO of the A7FL, American 7’s Football League.  He is the Co-founder and CTO of LinkedOpinions.com, a free tool used to survey your LinkedIn connections.

Small Business Tip of the Day – Blogging

E-commerce, Marketing

I am often asked by small business owners, how can I get more traffic to my website…

…the simple answer to getting more traffic to your website is in BLOGGING.

Often, there is very little to no budget available for PayPerClick, social media advertising, or other paid advertising.

On the other hand, business owners with passion are willing to do the work themselves, the thing is, they just want to know what to do…

After working with expensive strategic advisors and marketing experts, I can tell you that the simple answer to getting more traffic to your website is in BLOGGING.

A blog is just a silly word for a web page.

Your blog can be built into your website or hosted on a different domain name entirely.  Your blog is organized by date and category, which is why you need to use a blog content management system like WordPress or similar because it will ensure your blog posts are in the proper format and organized for your readers.

It is up to you, just like the sharks of SharkTank, Mark Cuban and the like, have become expert bloggers.  They’ve defined the  idea of becoming an influencer, of becoming a thought leader, and if they can do it… then why can’t you?  There is NO reason why, it’s a rhetorical question!

I myself, personally, am starting right now, with this, my first post of what I anticipate to be a regular stream to follow.  I am opening up, reaching out, and helping small business owners/entrepreneurs through the benefit of my background and expertise as a CEO in e-commerce.

My aim is to help entrepreneurs through my unique point of view and perspective on e-commerce and provide food for thought on how to compete in increasingly competitive marketplaces.

So, to sum it all up, start your blog, post your perspectives on the marketplace, share those posts on your social media accounts, and get active on the platforms you are posting to, build your community, and the rest will follow.

Look for more posts on these topics and others related to e-commerce, online stores, marketing and advertising, and visit me at www.earthskater.com to learn more.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Sener Korkusuz is the Founder and CEO of EarthSkater.com, dedicated to helping small business owners succeed online with unbeatable web design, web hosting, and online store service.  He is the co-founder and CEO of the A7FL, American 7’s Football League.  He is the Co-founder and CTO of LinkedOpinions.com, a free tool used to survey your LinkedIn connections.

Quick & Deadly Social Media Mistakes to Avoid

Marketing, Social Media

Social media is now mainstream.  Businesses across the globe use it to promote their wares.  Today, it forms an integral component of brand marketing.  Above all, it is a simple and valuable tool that can generate substantial investment returns for companies.

Yet, a majority of social media marketers continue making some deadly mistakes that stunts business growth.  In this blog, we will explore some of these mistakes and suggest ways to address them:

No strategy

A well-developed social media strategy enables companies to effectively deliver their desired message. It helps build more powerful and impactful social media campaigns.

Having a comprehensive social media strategy makes it plausible for marketers to set goals, frame a roadmap to achieve them, and most importantly, measure results.

Posting without thinking

Too often, marketers post whatever comes to their mind. It is crucial to reflect on the message that firms intend to convey to their audiences.

Before posting content, social media marketers need to think of ways to improve each post. Ultimately, online users want engaging and thought provoking content that adds value to their lives.

Too many social media platforms

Although each social media platform has its own significance, businesses should avoid using too many social media marketing platforms. Small businesses, in particular, should focus on one platform before branching out to the next.

And most importantly, marketers should refrain from promoting the same product on all of their platforms. As most people follow their companies on multiple channels, they will receive duplicate content that won’t go down well.

Not interacting with followers

Social media is all about interaction and engagement with followers. Aside from posting information about brands, interacting with followers builds trust and a long term relationship.

But remember, social media interaction requires time and effort. Marketers should strive to do it at least once a day and then gradually increase the interaction rate. It is possible that this interaction rate will be low in the beginning. However, it will build up as time passes.

Not focusing on brand value

From startups to established companies, almost every business is on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram these days. With so many brands out there on social media, marketers need to focus on their key value proposition. They should strive to show the audiences what makes them different from their competition.

Not converting followers

It is critical to convert followers into customers. Conversion is essential for business growth. Hence, firms need to develop engaging posts that can compel their followers to make a purchase. Equally important is to identify and engage those followers who regularly share product posts.


There is more to social media marketing than simply posting content on Twitter or Facebook. Successful social media marketing requires concerted effort and planning.

If you need help with setting up your social media account, we can help.  As one of the best website design companies, we offer valuable services for website set up as well as its marketing and advertising. Click here to contact us.

The Art of Converting Visitors into Loyal Customers

Marketing, SEO, Web Design

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Have you ever walked into a shop and grabbed the first item on your list without even looking at it because you know that it’s your go-to item, no matter what? Your complete trust in that product is what makes you a loyal customer. As someone who works in the industry of providing customers with the products and services they need, the first thing you need to understand is the mentality of a basic customer. So why is it that your business hasn’t garnered loyal customer base? Why can’t the product or the business hold on to a visitor?

As we discuss the process of converting visitors into loyal customers, we shall learn some of the strategies which can be used to make sure that these customers stay long term, along with some of the mistakes that should be avoided so that the customers stay connected to the product.

Engaging Web Design

If you do not have a professional web design that boasts your product in a positive way then it won’t matter how good your product is. For example, as one of the best website design companies, we at Earth Skater try to create a versatile web design which is not only aesthetically pleasing but also clean and crisp enough to give the customers all the information they need at first glance.

Reason for Return

If you have an online store setup, then you might notice that many customers leave their shopping carts without purchasing anything. According to fairly recent research, it is found that 37% of customers leave their carts because the product is either too expensive, or they were just browsing. The best way to have a loyal customer base is to give them a reason to actually want to come back. Study the numbers you get from your own economic plan and try to give customers near to what they need so that they are more tempted to return.

Building a Connection

Studies show that only 32% of customers place more orders in their first year as a customer, and most do not even visit again. The reason behind this is because they do not maintain a connection with the company. If a customer signs on to a website, they supply their name, contact information, their likes and interests and what they’d like to see. Using this information to send them important news such as new arrivals or deals can give the customer a chance to come back and buy a product that sparks their interest, thus creating a connection between them and the company. Also, if a customer asks something, give prompt feedback so that they know that you value their opinions and questions.

Rewards

One strategy which cinches the deal is that of giving the customer something extra. Everyone likes gifts and rewards, and if you want a customer to have a long term relation with your company then you need to give them a reason to opt for the membership. Movie tickets, coupons, free samples or latest releases of products are just some of the deals that would surely cinch a loyal customer membership.

The whole package needs to be proper if you want to convert visitors into loyal customers, and by using these strategies, you will find that the customer will actually bring in more revenue and new customers with them if you value their importance in the first place.

Common SEO Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Online Business

SEO

SEO is the key to creating steady traffic to your website.  Some people call this free traffic, but the fact is those days are over, it’s going to take a lot of time and effort or 3rd party marketing services to achieve organic results in today’s market.

Search engines aka Google are a very lucrative way to gain traffic to your online business.  Advertising gets you instant traffic, but SEO gets you organic traffic if done consistently over an on-going period of time.  If done erratically, SEO can actually ruin traffic for your website due to too many changes being made and your site losing ranking when statistics inevitably get reset.

Here, we are going to discuss some of the most common SEO mistakes which you avoid to at least have a chance at being successful on the web.

·        Too Many Keywords

In the old days, ten years ago, companies could stuff their webpage content with keywords and rank well on numerous search engines, but with such search engines becoming smarter when spotting proper web pages, those days are over.  Although keywords are still required, using them in the natural flow of a sentence rather than forcefully placing them in between words works much better today.

·        Lack of Keyword Research

For customers to understand the purpose of your website, keywords need to be relevant to your business.  Web page titles and Meta descriptions should contain the appropriate keywords that can improve your site ranking in the search results.  You must do your research on the keywords market leaders user and place them sparingly in your web page content while creating lots of content that uses those keywords.

·        Copying Content

Copying has always been a no-no since the days of elementary school.  Imagine going on Google to search for your own website and typing a topic and suddenly instead of just one link you get several with the same title and the same description from different websites. The content of your website needs to rank better on search engines, but with duplicate content, you’ll never get there. Not to mention trademark and copyright complaints you’ll receive.

·        Slow Updates

Take our website, for instance.  At Earth Skater we create modern websites for our clients and they are able to update the content regularly on their own.  The websites are not only up-to-date but are also designed to feature the information that customers need.

Along with the best web design, something similar to the market leaders, your website needs to introduce new content on the regular.  Your customers know what’s up and are keeping an eye on the activities of your business and they want to work with fresh active organizations.

Now that you know some of the common SEO mistakes which could hinder your website, contact Earth Skater, one of the best website design companies around for help in the development of your online store.

HOW TO Engage Your Business Community

SEO

1. Build a community around your audience

You can not force a community to coalesce, therefore you must let it happen naturally.  The first step is to find fans on social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  For example, if you’re finding more people are tweeting about your brand than posting about it on Facebook, focus on developing your community on Twitter.  Your audience will be more willing to join your community when it fits easily into their lives and schedule.

2. Get your audience involved

Community is all about sharing stories, and chances are your followers are already doing just that. Join the conversation and encourage your followers to share their experiences with your brand and give their feedback. Try running contests and ask questions to get more people involved. For every positive review or response you get, don’t forget to say how much you appreciate it with a simple “thank you.” This small gesture goes a long way in promoting a positive brand reputation.

6 Ways to Get More Followers for Your Business

SEO

1. Stick To A Theme

Choosing a theme and sticking to it is one way to make your Social Media accounts a success. Brainstorm a few ideas by first thinking about what attracts your current customers and what you’d like to achieve next. For example, if you’re a restaurant hoping to get more patrons in the door, feature behind-the-scenes posts of your chefs in action or give sneak peeks of new menu specials.

2. Keep a Posting Schedule

By pushing out new visual content each day or at least each week, or even each month (but you have to do more), you’ll not only increase your chances of getting noticed, but followers will start to truly “follow” your posts as well.  According to research conducted by Latergramme, the best times to post for the most engagement are 2 AM and 5 PM EST.  While others say it’s 8ish AM and 8ish PM.  You will have to experiment for yourself to see what works best for your audience.

3. Mix It Up

Stick with your business related theme, but come out of your shell because on social media boring does not sell.  Mix up your social feed with varying angles, backgrounds and moods.  If you’re bored by your own gallery of widget portraits, chances are your followers are too.  If you are a pet adoption center, get your animals in action by posting videos of them interacting with visitors or playing outside.

4. Motivate With Messages

Remember, Instagram is all about storytelling. You have to include a description to give your picture background. Tying motivational or inspirational messages to posts is an extremely successful posting method, especially if your theme or brand revolves around personal improvement. Check out Nike account for some great examples.

5. Stick to a Few, Simple Hashtags

Hashtags are a simple way to connect your post to a larger theme or global project. But be careful of spamming followers with too many common hashtags like #tbt or #love. You can easily lose more followers than you gain depending on how you utilize hashtags to boost your post visibility.

6. Follow Others and Like Often

Like the relevant content that similar accounts or brands are posting. Follow those who inspire you. Look at the “suggested users” list to find more accounts to follow.  An easy way to find new followers is to add your Facebook friends’ accounts – these users will almost immediately add you back if you follow them first.
* This blog post is based on content which first appeared in a newsletter by a very prominent social media marketing firm.

Why Small Businesses Must Take SEO Seriously

SEO

Some of the best things small business owners can do for their company is focusing on Search Engine Optimization.  Search Engine Optimization has grown in popularity as online presence and visibility continue to grow in importance. Regardless of how small or big a company is, everyone is fiercely competing to obtain a first page rank at the top of search engine results.  It’s the first page that matters, nothing else!

Where you may have been on the first page for many keywords years ago, today, the competition has consolidated in many markets driving the small business owner off the first page and often past the second page and further.  The best remedy is a paid advertising campaign combined with SEO to get back on page 1.

No wonder mega companies like Wal-Mart and Home Depot manage to obtain top ranks in Google’s search results – millions of inbound links, bulk of content and a recurring base of online visitors. If you are wondering how a small business with a limited experience can counteract market leaders and competition of this level, then read below to find out about the miraculous benefits of SEO:

A User-Friendly Website

Many of you might not be aware of this but SEO helps create a faster, better and a more user-friendly website. Search Engine Optimization is not just for search engines but the spotlight is on the end user. If you make your users happy and content, then the probability of your appearance on the top of search results stands high. All in all, to enhance the user experience and draw in short and long term benefits, SEO is an essential tool.

Help the Business to Grow

Every business is established with a vision to grow and flourish. The purpose of SEO is to gain high rankings in search engine results, which further translates into greater targeted visits and ultimately leading to a broadened customer base.  Making sure the content on your sales pages is short and to the point and that you are using social media are all low cost and effective actions you can take today.

Helps To Create Brand Awareness

One of the hidden advantages of SEO is that it indirectly creates brand awareness for lesser known businesses. A common notion is that customers tend to trust brands that appear higher in the search results rather than brands that don’t have a regularly updated web and social presence. Small businesses that are seeking effective ways of creating brand awareness must invest in SEO to obtain top positions for the terms related to their business. In this digital age, search engines play a crucial role in building or destroying a brand image.

At Earth Skater, we provide our clients with an opportunity to market their newly set up online stores via Search Engine Optimization which is a part of our marketing and advertising services. Furthermore, we offer Landing Page Optimization, Social Media Accounts setup, Pay per Click Advertising setup and more. If you are interested to set up an online store affordably, then Earth Skater could be your ultimate online store builder.

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