Practical Application of Web Technologies for Consultants

Web Site Technologies
for Consultants
Making effective use of the internet

Your Presenters Today...
Dave Horan
dave@inductormedia.com
Rob Marriage
rob@inductormedia.com
W: http://inductormedia.com
Tw: @inductormedia
Fbk: facebook.com/inductormedia

Take aways
● Understand how a website can benefit a business, regardless of the type.
● Understand the evolution of a web site over time.
● Know the essential elements of a web site
● How social media ties in with your web site
● Why mobile sites are becoming more important than ever.
● How to find a good web technology partner for your consulting practice.

Overview
● Why do you need a site?
● Evolution of a web site
● Essential elements of a successful site
● When to hire things out
● Mobile
● Social media
● SEO

Why have a Website
● 24x7 sales force
● Answers prospects’ questions
● Filter out the riff raff
● Publish your unique message and curated
content
● Establish expertise in your field
● Your competition has one

Business Card Site
● Contact Info
● Photo
● Links to social
media profiles

Business Card Site
● Better than
“Under
Construction”
● Might be all you
need

Business Card Site
about.me/robmarriage
● about.me is free
● Point your
domain at it

Brochure site
● Multi-page site
● Relatively static

Brochure site
Pages Include:
● Home
● About
● Contact
● Our Services
● Our Products
● News

Brochure site
● Update
occasionally
● Offline Call to
Action (i.e., call)

DIY Solutions
● Google Sites (free with Google Account)
● WordPress.com (free)
● Wix.com (free. $8/mo. for own domain)
● Squarespace.com ($9/mo.)
● Weebly.com (free. $4/mo. for own domain)
● Jimdo.com (free. $90/yr for own domain)
http://www.websitebuilderexpert.com/wix-vs-weebly-vs-squarespace-vs-jimdo/

Hub site
● Takes brochure
site to the “next
level”

Hub site
● Contains active
blog, offers,
analytics, etc.

Hub site
● The center of your online
world

Destination Site
● Focus is on your COMMUNITY
● Go-To resource in your niche

Destination Site
- Publishing
● Content, content, content

Destination Site
- Application
http://forecast.io
● Like a desktop app

Summary
● Starting out small is good. You can test
things out.
● Your site will only grow.
● As your site grows, add more functionality as
customer needs grow.
● Call the experts when needed. This is an
investment in your business.

Essential Elements of Every Good
Business Site
● Show prospects who you are
● Show prospects what you’re selling
● Guide prospects to take the next step

Who are you?
● Domain Name
● Site Title
● Tag Line
● Intro Text

What are you selling?
● Product/Service Name
● Benefits (not features)
● Hero Image or your image

Call to Action
● Make it EASY to buy
● Short statement
“buy now”
“sign up”
“request a quote”
Pro Tip: Notice the person in
the hero image is looking
at the call to action.

More Tips
● Simple trumps “busy”
● Design is NEVER more important than
content (unless it’s bad design)
● Don’t give your visitors too many options
● Don’t forget mobile (more on that…)

Even More Tips
● Home link (not required on the homepage)
● Clear navigation menu
● Site search box
● Breadcrumb links for large sites
● Clear content category links
● Archive page
● Relevant images for blog posts; capture interest of the users
● RSS feeds for blog content
● Contact form
● Social media links; promote yourself!
● Social media feeds; give them a taste of the social content
● Blog categories
● FAQ
● If you collect info, even emails…
○ Privacy policy
○ Terms of use
● Copyright statement
● Credits for images as needed
● Contact information
○ email(s)
○ phone (skip fax unless you need it for
business)
○ physical address for shipping or
postal mail
○ map and directions to office
● “About us” page
● WHAT DO YOU DO? Why should the user
pay attention??
Or just hire a pro to worry about this
stuff for you.

Getting the work done
● Do it yourself
● Call a relative, phone a friend
● Use a DIY tool online
● Hire a part time freelancer
● Hire a professional

When hiring out the work
● Don’t hire a plumber for painting
● Don’t do something yourself that you can hire someone
to do it better than you.
● What is your time worth? This can determine when you
outsource.
● Be specific with your needs and wants

When hiring out the work
● Get quote in writing before committing
● Get a contract with protection for you
● Use an escrow service if you are concerned
● Ask for referrals and/or work samples
● Treat hiring for web site work like they are working on
your house.

What to look for in a Web Developer
● Look for a partner, not a ship in the night.
● Ensure they have established experience in their field.
● Ensure they are flexible in both process and technology.
● Ask about their team (even solo freelancers get help).
● Do they know YOUR business?

Summary
● Ensure your site includes as many of the
“essentials” as possible.
● Leverage DIY tools early on, as you are
able.
● Hire out one-off jobs if you want, but use
common sense.
● Find a dependable partner that can grow
with your business.

Social Media
How many are you on?

Social Media Metrics
● Appx. 73% of online adults now use a social
networking site of some kind.
● Some 42% of online adults now use multiple social
networking sites.
● The fastest growing demographic on Twitter is the 55-
64 year age bracket.
● YouTube reaches more U.S. adults aged 18-34 than
any cable network.
● Every second, 2 new members join LinkedIn.
http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Social-Media-Update.aspx
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/belle-beth-cooper/10-surprising-social-medi_b_4325088.html

Social Media Marketing
Uses for social marketing
● Announce (new content, events, products)
● Share (info your audience wants to know)
● Converse (engage your audience)
● Learn (what are your customers’ concerns)
DON’T SPAM

Social Media Marketing
How to do it?
● Go where your customers are
● Take a stand. Be clear on your message.
● Post messages (mainly) within your topic area; they will
come to know you for it.
● Use social media management tools
○ Hootsuite
○ SproutSocial

Summary
● Establish social media presence on the
media your clients frequent.
● Promote your content through social
channels.
● Leverage online tools to make management
easier.
● Hire out the work if needed, but insist on
results and metrics.

Mobile
Your website will be viewed on a mobile
device.
2013
Mobile Ready
2014
Mobile First
How it looks is up to you (dun dun duuuuuun)

Mobile Option - Responsive Design
Content automatically arranges itself for the screen viewing it.

Mobile Option - Mobile Version of
Site
● Content looks native, but is
really in a web browser
● Users get streamlined content
● Site can take advantage of
mobile device hardware: phone,
maps, GPS, camera, etc.

Summary
● Customers expect mobile now.
● Determine if responsive or mobile version of
site is right for your business.
● Ensure your solution works on all platforms.

Search Engine Optimization
not
equal
to

Rankings are Dead
RIP
RANKINGS
● Rules Change All The Time
● My Top 10 is different from
your Top 10
● Black hat gets discovered
and penalized

Successful SEO
● Proper tagging of content
○ Titles, headers, descriptions, few selected
appropriate keywords
● Image descriptions
● Submission to search engines
● Updated site maps
● GOOD, RELEVANT CONTENT

Analytics
● Track who comes to your site
● Track what they do when they’re there
● Create content on popular subjects
● Use Google Analytics, Clicky or JetPack
(WordPress only)
● Use CrazyEgg for Heatmaps

Summary
● “Rankings” are dead. Traffic and
conversions are important.
● Use web analytics to measure traffic and
other data about your users’ interactions.
● Use basic SEO strategies, centered on
regular, relevant, readable, and relatable
content. (R4
approach)

Practical Application of Web Technologies for Consultants

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