Posts from — January 2010

http://www.billcobbsuccess.com/ - Easily Add or Embed Video To Websites and Blogs With Easy Video Player

The basic purpose of any business is to gain returns on investments. Whether you have an online business or an offline business, the main objective of your business is to grow and flourish in this troubled economic scenario. People adopt several methods to promote their businesses, but promotional strategies for online businesses are completely different than that offline business. For an online business, your website needs to be perfect and should be able to divert maximum web traffic. The web presence and the promotion of your site should be such that it has a good conversion rate. Your website should be precise and informative helping people to get what they are looking for. Generally, SEO for websites helps your business to get target web audience, as visitors can find your website easily provided your website is optimized for major search engines. But there is another effective promotional strategy that will certainly add value to your websites and blogs. This highly successful marketing activity is adding Video to your Websites and Blogs.

Well, this may sound incredible, but you can improve your business up to ten folds and take it greater heights just by adding video to your websites and blogs. Videos on Internet has gained great significance as more and more people watch the video and then decide to buy your product or service from your website. Video clippings help the customer to know the product better as he can see how the product works. Usually, video helps to improve the conversion rate as the customer is more satisfied about the product and readily purchases it. Adding video to your website attracts the potential customers to your site, thereby improving your business. This happens because the visitor is seeing the product, its operation and its working by himself. He gets the real idea about the product and its utility if the video is informative and made to the point.

This promotional strategy has gained immense significance in the world of online business. Business owners are developing new and better quality videos that reveal all the details about the product just by viewing the video clips that are attached to your website or blog. But there are certain things to keep in mind before you add video to your website or blog so as to get target audience to your website and improve conversion rate considerably:

- Firstly, your video clipping should not be too long. Three are people who can load it due to slow dial up and if your video promotion is too long, they may get bored and lose interest.

- While adding video to your website and blogs, check that it is informative and encouraging. It should be enough to pass the relevant message to the customers. It should add value to the product or services you promote. Moreover, it should be clear to hear and understand, and the picture clarity should also be perfect.

- The video play can be automatic or can start by clicking on the image. The choice is yours. Usually, if the person is really interested will click on the picture to see how the product works. Or it can also happen that if your video starts working automatically, the customer might be more interested and would get converted easily. But for some it may be annoying as there are a few people who love to read about the product without any disturbance.

- Lastly, you need to add the latest information in your video. People don’t like to watch or hear stale news. So try to make your video creative and unique with something different yet interesting.

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http://www.billcobbsuccess.com/ - Casy Hibbard: Five Hottest Ways to Use Customer Stories in 2010

I found Casey Hibbard’s new post to be both interesting and helpful: Five Hottest Ways to Use Customer Stories in ’10. Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Video….it’s all changing the way we live and interact with people. I couldn’t even tell you the last time I sat down to watch TV, don’t have the time and there’s not much morally good for the soul on TV anyway. But, I will say that from 2008 through 2010, I am building deeper and broader relationships and at least keeping more intouch with those I’ve met much more frequently.

Click on Casey’s photo at top right to visit her profile. This is as posted from the Web 2.0 Blog Feed Post and is quote below:

“Ever walked through the living room when someone else is watching TV (on your way somewhere else), and just had to stop right there and watch? I’d be willing to bet it was a compelling story that drew you in (if it wasn’t some sultry hamburger ad). Humans have always told stories and it’s still the best currency for communication. If anything, we rely on stories more than ever to be seen or heard in a sea of messages. What’s changed are the media we use.

So what’s hot now in sharing customer success stories and case studies?

Here are my 5 predictions for the hottest ways to use your stories in ‘10. Drop a comment on your top ways.

1. Blogs
An estimated 77% of active web users read blogs. They’ve proven to be powerful drivers of search engine traffic. Even better, those following your blog are interested in your particular topic, giving you the perfect target audience. Share your best customer stories on your blog – either in full or linked back to the full story on your website.
Focus on the customer’s experience and path to success, not just tooting your own horn.

Here’s a great example.

And finally, be sure to get the customer’s permission before you publish anything with their name on it.

2. Twitter
Enticing Twitter content gets fresh eyeballs on your blog or website. A decent percentage of my own web traffic comes from Twitter. Customer stories are among the more interesting pieces of content you can share. Mention a compelling customer story and link back to it on your blog or website. Several of my clients regularly Tweet their customer stories, proving to be a source of new traffic to their sites. Be sure to give it a compelling headline, and keep the Tweet short to encourage Retweeting. Remember to follow what has become Twitter protocol of sharing more helpful links/Tweets than self-promotional ones.

3. Video
Video continues its hot streak. Consider capturing short versions of your customer success stories and comments on video, or use video technology that allows viewers to navigate to chapter marks. Some surveys indicate two-thirds still prefer written stories, but if possible, have multiple ways that your audience can consume your stories. Then post the videos on your website, blog, YouTube (the third largest search engine) and other sites like Viddler.

Check out more video tips here.

4. Sales Conversations
Sure, you may have your video and written stories nicely displayed everywhere.
But you don’t really know whether those powerful stories have reached the right prospects. Make sure those hot prospects know your best customer successes. Encourage sales reps to tell them in sales conversations. To that end, communicate clearly and often to reps where your customer case studies and success stories reside on your website or intranet. Discuss those stories in sales meetings. Do everything you can to ensure that when a rep talks with a prospect, she knows just the perfect story to mention in conversation.

5. Awards
I’m big on awards these days – after seeing some Fortune 500 companies jump at the chance to tell their stories for awards opportunities.
Why? We all like to be recognized for our efforts. Your customers are no different.
If they’re doing cool, best practices things, and your solution helps with that, find relevant awards programs and ask their permission to submit them.
You might be surprised how on board they get for an awards submission when they might not publish their story as a case study.
If your customer wins, their story gets natural publicity through the awards process.
Also, once you have all the juicy details, ask if you can make that public on your website.

What are your predictions for the hottest ways to use customer case studies and success stories right now?”

http://www.billcobbsuccess.com/ – Easy Video Player Hostgator Installation Help. In this video, Bill Cobb explains how he was able to install Easy Video Player on his Hostgator hosting account.

http://www.billcobbsuccess.com/ – Wordpress Video Blogging and Easy Video Player 2010. In this video, Bill Cobb explains how he was able to install Easy Video Player on his Hostgator hosting account.

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