If your website was your Girlfriend…

We’d all like to think that our website is a brilliant work of art, but sometimes we need to take a step back and take a good, hard look at the online persona we’ve created.

Now I know that self-criticism is not easy – but it is necessary for continued growth and success. To make the process a little less painful, let’s pretend your web site was your girlfriend… juuust for fun 😉

Apologies to all you ladies out there – but don’t worry, all the info will still apply!

Now go to your web site, take a deep breath, and ask yourself…

1) Does she talk too much? (…or not enough?)

While it may be tempting to cram every piece of information you can onto your website, this is definitely a step in the wrong direction. In a world of excess, simplicity is key. If you find yourself swimming in a sea of irrelevant and wordy content, you need to make a change. Find a way to get your message across in a succinct and palatable way.

Of course, ensure you’re not being too ‘succinct.’ A website bereft of content will leave visitors frustrated (and negatively impact your SEO). Take the time to consider who your key audiences are, and why they are coming to your site. This will give you a better understanding of how to tailor your content to meet their specific needs.

2) Is she pretty?

It is human nature to respond positively to anything that is pleasing to the eye. Ensure your website is turning heads by using high quality, web-optimized imagery.

3) Does she get what she wants?

The entire point of having a website is to incite users to perform some type of action. ‘Calls to action’ are a critical aspect of your website and can include anything from ‘read more,’ or ‘contact us’ to ‘buy now!’ Make sure your website gets what it wants by including clear calls to action.

And most importantly…

4) Are you giving her the attention she deserves?  

When things first started out you spent so much time together… You were so attentive and made sure she had everything she needed (updated content, optimized imagery, swift responses to inquiries).

But perhaps things have changed… You’ve let the relationship slip a little. Maybe other areas of your business have got you busy and don’t have enough time for her anymore.

Our advice? Find a way to make time. Rekindle the website romance that once was, and you will be repaid in kind.

Facebook for Small Business – Are you missing out?

With the astronomical success of Facebook, it’s likely you have put together some type of page for your small to medium sized business.

But are you really making the most of it?

Facebook presents an excellent opportunity for businesses to lower marketing spends while still reaching their target markets. This post will provide practical, relevant tips that you can start implementing right away.

Mango Marketing Insight: Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Ensuring your web site is search engine optimized can be a confusing and daunting task.

Where to start?  What to do?  What exactly is SEO anyway?

Selfishly we would always recommend you work with an agency (like Mango Marketing) to take care of your Search Engine Optimization for you, but over the coming weeks we’ll be giving some tips/tricks and thought starters of things you can do to immediately take care of the basics.

Optimizing images for web – choosing the right file format

Optimizing your images for web is an integral aspect in creating an effective online presence. The quality and speed at which your images load directly impacts page abandonment.

With so many formats available, it can be confusing trying to figure out which to use when. This post will focus on choosing the ideal file format for the situation to ensure an overall best user experience.

Mango Marketing Insight: Free Shipping is Key On Your E-commerce Site

Did you know that free shipping is the number one reason why someone will decide to purchase (or not) from your web site.  Having a clear shipping policy (i.e. free shipping on orders over $80) will help improve conversions and online sales.

Here’s a great example of a site that clearly promotes their free shipping policy, reducing pre-shopping anxiety and serving as a nice incentive to shop:

Mango Marketing Launches New Web Site

If you saw our previous “coming soon” page, you’d know that it was full of excuses for why we didn’t have a proper web site up and running.  Well the excuses are finally over and we’re happy to announce the launch of our new site!

Mango Marketing is a digital agency that specializes in the strategy and execution of web, mobile, and social media programs for some of North America’s most respected brands.

Feel free to check it out at www.mangomarketing.ca

Feedback is always welcome!