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On Pineapples and Pages

17 January 2010

Post image for On Pineapples and Pages

Landing Pages, to be more specific. And pineapples? What do landing pages have to do with pineapples?

If you’re from one of the original 13 colonies it’s almost impossible to travel to any historic site and not see pineapples everywhere. From table decorations to weathervanes, carved door lintels, fence posts and furniture, pineapples became the symbol of hospitality throughout Colonial America.

A pineapple symbolizes “welcome.” It shows visitors that you’re glad they came. Which is just what you need to do when someone happens upon your website. Rather than sending them to your website’s home page, you want to give them a special greeting and show them around a bit; just as you would a first-time visitor to your home.

So exactly what is a landing page? It’s any page on your website where you send traffic to, typically for some specific purpose. In this instance it’s to introduce yourself, to make the visitor feel welcome and want to learn more about you and your establishment. To encourage them to sign up for your newsletter. And to make them want to come back.

And where would that traffic be coming from? Likely candidates might be your Twitter profile, your Facebook page, or Google Local.

To get started, create a new page on your site. If you’re using WordPress, be sure to create a new Page rather than a Post. You won’t want this showing up in your date, tag, or category archives. Be sure to give your page a meaningful title; you’ll be including this in your link.

Not sure what to write? Try this:

  • Thank them for stopping by
  • Include a brief overview of who you are and what your business is about
  • Highlight a few of your product offerings, particularly any that are unique
  • Point to two or three interesting articles on your website or blog (recipes, tutorials, etc.)
  • Explain how to sign up for your newsletter, follow you on twitter, become a fan on Facebook
  • If they came from your Twitter profile page, tell them what you tweet about and how often you tweet
  • If they came from Google Local, remind them about the coupon (you do have a coupon on your Google Local page, right?)

Don’t make it too long; you don’t want to scare them away! Since this page isn’t intended to be ‘found’ by the search engines — it won’t actually be linked from anywhere within your site — you don’t need to worry about keywords and meta descriptions.

There’s no reason to exclude your common website navigation elements; you want your visitors to be able to freely explore the rest of your site.

Once you’re happy with your page, copy the URL to your Twitter, Facebook, or Google Local profile.

NOTE: Do not use a shortened URL (bit.ly, su.pr, is.gd, etc.) in your profiles. These are typically seen as spam. Let your visitors know exactly where they’ll be going when they click on the link.

To see a Twitter landing page example, visit the BlogArtisans custom landing page by clicking on the link.

Be sure to check out the Twitter for Brick & Mortar Businesses eCourse — it's a step-by-step guide to setting up your Twitter account, getting followers, and marketing your business 140 characters at a time.

Get your Business on the Map!

29 November 2009

… the Google map, that is.

It’s hard to beat Google Local for getting your brick & mortar establishment found. You don’t even need a website to take advantage of this service, and it comes at absolutely no cost to you.

What you’ll need: a Google account.

What to do:

  1. Point your browser to Google Local Business Center.
  2. Enter your login information in the box on the right.
  3. Fill out the form.
  4. Before submitting your entry, double-check the map on the right. If the marker isn’t in the right place you can reposition it to more accurately reflect your exact location.
  5. Verify your submission by mail or phone.

It’s that easy! Follow these tips as you fill out the form to reap the greatest rewards.

website: what if you don’t have a website? Hurry on over to here or here to get yourself one! In the meantime if you have a blog you can enter that URL instead.

description: juicy, mouth-watering, and irresistible

category: take advantage of all 5 categories; you aren’t limited to the pre-configured categories although you should include at least one or two

hours of operation: list your hours for each day of the week and be sure to note which days you’re closed (if any). The last thing you want is someone making a trip to your shop only to discover you’re not open.

photos: be sure to include a great photo or two; an exterior shot can be helpful when someone is trying to locate you. If it’s not a great photo, don’t use it.

videos: it’s easy to create a very short video with a flip or other digital video camera. Include some people in your video. You don’t need to capture conversations but you want to show that your establishment is a thriving, vibrant business.

additional details: be sure to note anything that makes you stand out from the crowd.

HOT TIP: Create a coupon!

As an added incentive to visit your business, include a coupon. It could be a discount on a certain item, a small gift with purchase (you might want to set a minimum amount), or any other creative approach you dream up. To make it even more valuable, update the coupon offer frequently with a short-term expiration date (one week to one month). Just remember to update your offer so you always have a valid coupon on display.

Be sure to check out the Twitter for Brick & Mortar Businesses eCourse — it's a step-by-step guide to setting up your Twitter account, getting followers, and marketing your business 140 characters at a time.