And for most, starting with visual design elements is starting in the wrong place entirely and they will likely end up with a new website that looks different, but probably performs no better than [...]]]> Many businesses faced with the challenge of bringing new life to their website will call in their local graphics agency or web designer.

And for most, starting with visual design elements is starting in the wrong place entirely and they will likely end up with a new website that looks different, but probably performs no better than the old one.

By contrast, an Internet Consultancy such as WSI Chester will look at how the internet fits within the overall business strategy and agree the business objectives for the website, target visitor types and the required outcomes.

We help the client to step back from analysing menu systems and colour schemes and focus initially on their business needs and the requirements of their site visitors.

The priority is ‘what should it do for my business?’, and not ‘what should it look like?’ – decide strategy first, then you can choose the most appropriate tactics.

For example, the same website promoting annual holiday insurance would be styled significantly differently if it was targeting 18-25 age group than if it was aimed at the 50+ segment.

For a no-obligation discussion about your current internet strategy and options for the future, call Andy of WSI Chester on 01928 787026 today.

Pew found people were becoming much more likely to look up their own names in search [...]]]> While the recent announcements from Google and Facebook have caught the headlines, a survey by Pew Internet & American Life Project found that internet users are now less concerned about the amount of information available about them online, than in 2006.

Pew found people were becoming much more likely to look up their own names in search engines to manage their ‘reputation’, rather than check their privacy.

This shift toward a less private internet is movement towards with the ‘radical transparency’ privacy vision of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

But when you are gathering and collating  individual visitor information, then there are always privacy concerns. While Google is adamant [...]]]> Google Analytics is now the dominant force in monitoring visitor activity on websites, providing useful information to website owners on the effectiveness of their site. Its estimated to be installed on 30% of the top million sites.

But when you are gathering and collating  individual visitor information, then there are always privacy concerns. While Google is adamant that the information is secure and never shared, some people would prefer not to give that information to Google in the first place.

In the light of this, Google announced this week that it is providing a browser extension for the three most popular browsers – Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome that will enable users to prevent website visit information from being sent to Google Analytics.

At the same time, it provided a facility for website owners to partially anonymise the visitor IP data sent to Google Analytics by masking the last octet of the address. This gives website owners the chance to measure site traffic without having to ship complete IP addresses off to Google.

Google is leading the industry by offering these opt-outs, and it will be interesting to watch how its competitors react.

For some businesses dependent upon Google Analytics data, this announcement may cause them to question the long-term validity of their data and perhaps trigger a move to a different analytics technology which users cannot opt out of.

Time will tell.

As part of the fact-find to understand the underlying business objectives, we often ask for a client’s input on the keywords a prospect might use. However after listing their company name [...]]]> Most businesses at some time will want to raise their profile online and some will call upon the skills of consultants like WSI to deliver results.

As part of the fact-find to understand the underlying business objectives, we often ask for a client’s input on the keywords a prospect might use. However after listing their company name and some products or services, their eyes often glaze over!

So here are a couple of ideas to help you think to understand the motivation of your customers:

1. Listen to them! Particularly When someone calls a company, they will often describe the problem they wish to solve rather than ask for a specific solution? Such as “I’d like sell more through my online shop” rather than “I’d like some search optimisation”. So ‘increase ecommerce sales’ could be a useful keyphrase.

2. Ask your team. What are the most common requests you get from customers? How do they describe your products and services?
English is a rich language and often clients don’t use ‘industry terms’ to describe a product or service but more generic or vague layman’s language. You may be a ‘waste management company’ but the prospect will call for ‘weekend skip hire’.

Discovering and understanding the language used by your customers is a major step in researching the best and most productive keywords for a website and associated internet marketing campaigns.

If you would like assistance in raising your company’s online profile and getting better returns from the internet, please call us on 01928 787026.

Video is fast becoming one of the most effective ways to engage and market to online buyers.

In fact recent studies show that online video grew 124% in 2009, having over 18.9 billion views. This massive growth is changing the way we should [...]]]> Find Out How Video is Changing the Way We Find Prospects and Convert Sales Online

Video is fast becoming one of the most effective ways to engage and market to online buyers.

In fact recent studies show that online video grew 124% in 2009, having over 18.9 billion views. This massive growth is changing the way we should think about doing business online and is opening up new opportunities that are helping business drive online sales growth.

WSI will be hosting a FREE  webinar on Online Video Marketing on Thursday, April 29th from 2pm to 3pm.

Click here to reserve your place, or visit http://getwsipowered.com

The webinar will be recorded. So if you are interested but unable to attend, please contact WSI Chester.

Very logical and understandable, this simple fact has major ramifications for any company trading internationally and wanting their website to be visible in each local market.

As properly localised sites are definitely preferred by users, Google will aim to  deliver to local users the best [...]]]> People in non-English speaking countries search for and surf local and localised websites.

Very logical and understandable, this simple fact has major ramifications for any company trading internationally and wanting their website to be visible in each local market.

As properly localised sites are definitely preferred by users, Google will aim to  deliver to local users the best possible search results. Often, those results will be pages that are localised, for the user’s location and/or in the user’s language.

It is therefore vital that thought and planning is put in to website design, structure and content to obtain local search engine visibility. Then appropriate internet marketing strategies can be put in place, such as search optimisation and pay-per-click advertising to promote the site locally.

As this recent Google Webmaster Blog post illustrates even your choice of domain can have a major impact on whether your website will be seen by searchers in other countries and languages.

If your company is operating and marketing internationally and you would like the visibility of your website to be improved in those markets, call WSI Cheshire for a free initial consultation. We have the expertise and experience to get results.

WSI is part of the UK Export Marketing Alliance

With over 95% of Britain’s roads now available in panoramic view, Google Map users can not only see a street on a map, view it from the air, and look for [...]]]> After driving around the highways and byways for the past couple of years, Google has finally launched nationwide coverage of the UK with Google Street View.

With over 95% of Britain’s roads now available in panoramic view, Google Map users can not only see a street on a map, view it from the air, and look for traffic problems, but also see what it actually looks like driving at street level. So go and check out the technology – find your business, your house, go for a virtual journey.

If your business is already ‘pinned’ on a Google Maps search, your pin will also appear on the Google Street View image. (Although accuracy appears to be variable)

But if your business does not appear on Google Maps, then give WSI Chester a call on 01928 787026 and we can help your business to be found by local searchers.

The opening keynote address from Google set the tone for the whole meeting by focusing on the challenges of marketing to people whose [...]]]> Last weekend, WSI held an international conference in Birmingham, UK. It brought together over 140 WSI internet consultants from the UK  and the rest of Europe, South Africa, the US, Canada and even Panama.

The opening keynote address from Google set the tone for the whole meeting by focusing on the challenges of marketing to people whose lives are becoming increasingly entwined with the internet – searching, surfing and socialising.

Other technology partners took up and expanded this theme in their sessions, looking at how WSI consultants can deliver real results to their clients in this rapidly changing world. Internet marketing is expanding to become digital marketing and advertising, embracing online media as diverse as YouTube and digital billboards!

However the real strength of the conference was the sharing of experience and best practice, knowledge and insights between the delegates in both formal sessions and informal networking. Case studies ranged from  improving the profitability of a van hire company in Bristol to launching the latest BMW across Central America, with lessons applicable to everyone.

It demonstrated the power that WSI can deliver to a client, whatever their size and wherever their market – The “Power of Many”.

Contact WSI Chester today on 01928 787026 to learn how we can help you.

- Most companies focus their interent marketing on being found when prospects are searching.

-BUT most people spend 95% of their online time ‘beyond’ search!

As another speaker stated in a subsequent session, internet users spend most of their time surfing sites and socialising [...]]]> In the keynote address at the WSI Conference last weekend, Google made this interesting observation:

- Most companies focus their interent marketing on being found when prospects are searching.

-BUT most people spend 95% of their online time ‘beyond’ search!

As another speaker stated in a subsequent session, internet users spend most of their time surfing sites and socialising online.

So ’search marketing’ is an important part of a broad internet marketing strategy. However a well-structured campaign should  also target potential prospects when they are surfing third party sites and socialising on Facebook etc . This could be through use of the Google Content Network, display advertising and even using online ad remarketing techniques.

If consumers visit a website but don’t buy, remarketing or retargeting technology enables retailers to serve them future ads on other sites to try to entice them to return and to remind them what they have left behind.

Broadening the reach of your online marketing to cover search, surf and social use of the internet can raise brand awareness and bring quality traffic to your website.

To find out how to implement such a campaign for your business, call WSI Chester on 01928 787026.

So it was interesting and disturbing to read a recent survey published in eMarketer of senior marketing executives in the US. They were asked which web site measurements or metrics were of most interest [...]]]> Ask most people running a business whether they focus on activity or results, and most will be results-orientated. They measure things like profit.

So it was interesting and disturbing to read a recent survey published in eMarketer of senior marketing executives in the US. They were asked which web site measurements or metrics were of most interest to them.

59% said ‘return on investment’, ‘conversion rate’ and similar results-focused measures were least important, but ranked ‘time on site’ and ‘unique page views’ as most important. They thought ‘ website engagement’ of more interest that ‘website results’!

Perhaps its lack of knowledge, but those Execs are missing the biggest benefit of internet marketing over traditional marketing of being able to directly measure and drive business results.

If you would like to avoid the mistakes of these Executives and get your website focused on delivering business results, please contact WSI. We aim to provide the best internet marketing  and SEO services in Cheshire.