Sell thru Facebook, Twiiter and more!  We came across this jem today, which seems perfect for B2C sites.  For a nominal transaction fee, you can sell your products in-line within social media posts.  Imagine what will happen to your conversion rates when someone purchases without even having to enter your site…. zero visitors with one sale.  By my math, that’s not computable.  Couple this with re-targeting ads through the Facebook Exchange!

Read more from the source: ribbon.co

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Feedblitz is an All-In-One solution for email and social media automation.  And if you have heard that Google is sub-setting Feedburner, then you may be looking to an alternative.  Here is a list of features that may make Feedblitz a good alternative to Feedburner:

• Get blog subscribers
• Easily migrate from Feedburner
• Have reliable delivery to all subscribers
• Access knowledge and expert, human technical support
• Integrate with Facebook, Linked In, Twitter, Google+ in a single service
• Allow subscribers to be able to share on modern services like Pinterest and Google+
• Choose RSS delivery schedules
• Have list automation, shopping cart integration and auto-responders
• Design custom branded emails
• Receive reliable metrics

Read more from the source: FeedBlitz

Compare FeedBlitz functionality with FeedBurner

We created a detailed list of features offered by FeedBlitz so you can directly compare us with FeedBurner. Under the following headings you can see what you can get from FeedBlitz.

• RSS feeds
• Email subscriptions and list management
• Subscriber management
• Subscriber emails
• Corporate commitment and support

Contact Reap for help getting this Feedburner Alternative implemented for your site!

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Web usability testing with GhostRec. Increase your website usability. Watch recordings of your visitors surfing your website. Perform advanced usability tests with ease.

Benefits & Considerations of GhostRec:

Quick usability study
Quick install ghostrec and record your visitors to quickly discover usability problems.

Task usability tests
Invite selected users and record them performing pre-defined tasks.

Heatmaps
See which parts of a page customers use, by looking at pretty pictures.

Fast and easy installation
Install on your website by pasting a few lines of code – just like installing Google Analytics

Works everywhere
Works on all websites. Intranet, member-only pages and AJAX too.

eCommerce Optimization
Observe ecommerce customer behavior and increase product sales.

Time Consideration
The one thing you have to be prepared for with GhostRec is the cost of time.  It does take an investment of potentially a few hours sorting through the (potentially) hundreds of recorded videos to uncover repeated patterns identifying a real issue.  You’ll also need an unbiased analyst to review the recordings and make a sound recommendation on how to tackle the issue without having to worry about other opinions and emotions within the organization.

Contact Reap today with help getting GhostRec implemented and analyzed for your site!

Read more from the source: ghostrec.com

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These are questions that zero in on the mission and higher purpose of a company. Think of them as “mission questions.”Most companies, of course, articulate their missions by way of formal “statements.” But often they’re banal pronouncements (We save people money so they can live better. –WalMart) or debatable assertions (Yahoo! is the premier digital media company) that don’t offer much help in trying to gauge whether a company is actually living up to a larger goal or purpose.

The following five “mission questions” are designed to keep a business focused on what matters most.

1. Why are we here in the first place?

2. What does the world need most that we are uniquely able to provide?

3. What are we willing to sacrifice?

4. What matters more than money?

5. Are we all on this mission together?

Read more from the source: Co.Design

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Google has spent the better part of the last year trying to convince marketers that mobile ads are a crucial part of their advertising mix. Now, in hopes of getting businesses to buy more search ads, it has teamed with Nielsen to provide some insight into how mobile searches drive people into stores, get them to call a business, and ultimately make a purchase.

The study had 400 people log their searches on their mobile phones, a total of about 6,400 queries over a couple of weeks. That immediacy may give the study a little more weight than the usual recall studies, which may ask people weeks later what they did. Jason Spero, Google’s head of global mobile sales and strategy, says the study will be used to persuade marketers that Google’s recently introduced ad services such as proximity-based bidding and a metric that counts calls made from an ad as a conversion are worthwhile.

In any case, the study showed, perhaps not surprisingly, that people searching on smartphones tend to make queries very close to the time they intend to make a purchase or at least check out a product in a store. Some 55% of conversions-that’s marketing-speak for a desired action by the consumer, in this case a purchase, a store visit, or a call to a store-happened within an hour of the search query.

The study also showed that while most people use their smartphones to search outside the home, some 77% of mobile searches actually happen at home or work. That, says Spero, means that marketers need to make sure their ads are aimed not just at people while they’re on the go, but potentially any time of day.

Another interesting stat: About 45% of mobile searches are made to aid in making a decision, but that rises to two-thirds when people are in a store-meaning ads need to be especially targeted to people while they’re inside a store.

Read more from the source: Forbes

The post Mobile Advertising Prompts Fast Purchases, Store Calls And Visits appeared first on Reap Marketing.

The Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a daily ranking of the world’s richest people.

Read more from the source: bloomberg.com

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The Digital World has evolved to become increasingly more visual. Just look at Digg.com, one of the most popular content aggregator websites out there. Comparing old Digg vs. new Digg, you can see how new generations are consuming media in a more visual way. Even Facebook’s new Timeline should be a good indicator of this transformation.

Start With a Goal-Driven Strategy

This sounds like something so basic, yet so many people don’t do it. I often see businesses following a path that looks something like this:

• We need to make a Video!
• What should we do a Video about?
• How should we make the video?
• Where should I host and distribute my video?

When REALLY they need to be following a path that looks more like this:

• We need to improve “X”
• What’s the best way to this?
• Video is the best solution.
• Choose best Video type & distribution.

4 Goals & Strategies of Video Marketing

In Digital Marketing, there are generally 4 different goals to consider when pursuing video, which are as follows:

1. Rich-Media Google Listings
2. Attracting Links & Social Shares for SEO
3. Increasing Website Conversions
4. Increasing Brand Awareness

Read more details on each of these 4 items from the source: atmosmarketing.com

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You love your website, it’s like your baby, and it represents your startup perfectly — except when it doesn’t.

From an outsider’s perspective, your website might not be delivering the message you thought it was. Here are five of the most common startup website mistakes that I see founders make when creating their own website or hiring a designer to create it for them — and what to do about each:

1. Designing for the “Cool” Factor

You want your startup to stand out from all the others out there, so you design your logo and your site with lots of flair. Figuring that a flashy design will stick in people’s minds, you forgo clarity.

While people may think your site looks good, they won’t remember what your service or product is all about. They might not even grasp your concept while they’re on your site, causing them to hit their back button or move on without a second thought.

Ouch. Visitors can be fickle, so make sure to focus on explaining what your startup does and how it will help make your customers’ lives better.

2. On-Page Overwhelm

In an effort to tell people all the reasons they need to sign up for your service or product, you might go overboard and cause more harm than good.

If you have more than three major pieces of information or options on a page, you’re likely overdoing it. When it comes to designing effective websites, keeping the visual options to a minimum always results in better conversions.

Instead of packing your website with the 20 different reasons to try your product, focus on the big three benefits that you can deliver. Think of what your startup helps people get more of, or get less of, whether that’s getting more sleep, or getting less anxiety.

3. Not Testing On All Devices

Your website looks great on your computer and maybe your phone too. But have you tested it on a variety of different devices? Or, have you considered making your website design responsive, which means that it will resize based on the dimensions of the screen?

These are all great questions to consider before you hit publish on your new startup website, but it’s worth going back and checking different browsers and devices even if your site is live.

4. Forgetting to Ask for Contact Details

Most visitors who land on your website will not buy your product or service. It’s just not going to happen — but it doesn’t mean that you should let these curious folks walk away into their busy lives, never to return.

Instead, make sure you have a simple and prominent way for them to stay in the loop with your startup’s progress. Make the offer to join your email list an inviting one by focusing on what benefits they will get from hearing about your startup.

If you can’t think of anything, consider creating free content in the form of articles or videos that you think will be of interest to your ideal customers. No one can turn down a highly targeted freebie that’s designed to solve their exact problems.

5. Not Offering a Taste Before Asking for the Sale

Speaking of freebies, do you have anything on your website that people can try before they buy? Depending on your product or service, you might be able to offer a taste before asking them to commit by plunking down their credit card details.

If you offer an ongoing service, it’s a great idea to let people get used to your software or services because they’ll be hooked and won’t want to stop using it. Try offering a free trial, and be generous – if you did your job right in creating your offering, people will take you up on your paid version, too.

Think outside the box on this one, because offering a sample is one of the best ways to get people open to buying from you.

Do You Make Any of These Mistakes?

Now that you know what to watch out for when creating or updating your startup website, it’s time to be honest with yourself and assess your own site. And if you need an unbiased opinion, ask a friend or colleague — someone who isn’t as close to your “baby” as you are.

Read more from the source: Forbes

The post 5 Common Website Mistakes That Are Hurting Conversion Rates appeared first on Reap Marketing.

I’m the color queen. Well, almost. But it turns out I’m not the only one moved by color… According to KISSmetrics, color is the “strongest and most persuasive” factor in influencing buyers.

Wow, really? That’s kind of a big deal.

Let me guess: you’ve been wanting to test some new colors on your site? Well enjoy a few color takeaways:

• Red: Associated with energy & creates urgency.
• Blue: Trusted and secure. Often used by banks & businesses.
• Orange: Aggressive & clear call to action.
• Black: Often used to market luxury products.
• Purple: Soothing. Used in marketing beauty products.

Color isn’t the only factor in the buying process. Sluggish load time and poor navigability can be detrimental to sales and overall traffic.

And if you want to command attention, don’t forget your power words: I guarantee you’ll love this sale.

Go forth and test some new colors.

Read more from the source: kissmetrics.com

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