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anding Page Mistakes – Easy to Make; Easy to Avoid According to recent U.S. Census data, only 48.8% of the new establishments started between 1977 and 2000 survive to age five. What’s even more startling is the failure rate for “startups” is even worse- research suggests that 90% of startups will fail within the first 5 years of operation. It is impossible to pin down the exact answer as to why startups have such difficulty catching foothold in today’s consumer environment, but to deny the correlation between having an efficient, well designed, functioning website and the success of a business is intentionally turning a blind eye to an elephant not only in the room, but basically sitting in your lap. We can all see from personal experience just how important the internet has become in regards to our consumer habits- brick and mortar establishments are slowly, but surely, giving way to online retail giants like Amazon and Ebay. We’ve discussed in various articles just how important having a responsive website or mobile capabilities are for your business, but today we will take an insider’s approach and examine some of the most common landing page mistakes made by inexperienced designers which can be potentially fatal to any marketing plan. 1.) Bland CTA Buttons It’s no secret that Americans are struggling with an ever depleting supply of attention. Even half a second of inconvenience can mean the difference between a successful transaction, and a potential consumer navigating away from your website. A common landing page mistake made by countless websites is having a CTA button that blends into the web design. Here is an example of a page that, at first glance, seems to be okay. Generally speaking, it is- it has a good use of whitespace, its not overly crowded with too many colors or distractions, the lines are organized and neat- cta-blends-into-background but take a look at this same image with one small change: cta-button The CTA button is bold, easy to find and can be discovered instantly. There is definitely something to be said about having a sleek design for your landing page, and it is important to have a certain cohesion with colors, but a CTA button should be the central feature and should be in contrast to its environment. 2.) Over-Use of Stock Photography Many businesses have this idea that using stock images of people gives their website an air of authenticity-but using too many stock images takes away a human feel, and can make a website seem less trustworthy. While having professional photos is absolutely a must, and having a stock photo here and there isnt of any real detriment, having only images of plastic looking, perfect people can make your website seem…. disingenuous. stock-business-man Stock photo of a senior executive. Instead of making the landing page mistake of over-crowding with stock photos, its better to use a logo, or other image that relates to you, your business, or your consumers. 3.) Info Cramming We get it- as a small business owner you want to utilize those precious seconds that someone may be visiting your page to explain why your company is the absolute best, and explain all of your offers or plans or ideas; but stuffing a site with too much info is one of those landing page mistakes that will inevitably cost you costumers. You have to think with text in terms of snap shots. Today’s society is all about instant information, and the true function of a landing page is to entice the consumer to perform an action- most often to continue into the website to explore and gain more information. A well built website has concise, easy to follow information that is relevant, and allows consumers to make the choice to get more information if they need it. clutter Overwhelming, right? Use the KISS principle… keep it simple.. 4.) Over Use of Social Media Share Buttons When a new or potential customer gets to your landing page- chances are it is their first interaction with your company. It is a bit presumptuous to ask your visitors, many of which aren’t even customers yet, to do you the favor of making the personal investment to market your business by sharing it to their social media. This is one of those landing page mistakes that is so easy to make, and even easier to avoid. Having social media share icons is good business, but at least when it comes to the place where your potential consumers will have their first interaction with your business- go for small, out-of-the-way social media share icons. landing-page-mistakes This is a great experiement by Taloon.com (read the article here) in which they limited the location of their social media sharing icons, and it translated to obvious conversions. Social media share icons are important, but moderation is key. 5.) Default Photoshop Effects Remember the KISS principle we covered earlier? One of the most common landing page mistakes we see made over and over is the use, and over use of default photoshop effects. Its a symptom of inexperienced designers: over-complicating or styling with too much css or photoshop.The result? landing-page-mistakes-default-photoshop Your website screams “home-made”, “unprofessional” and feels like a relic from the 90’s. Your business deserves better. 6.) No Hierarchy As we discussed earlier- if your landing page isn’t easily interpreted at a glance, then you’re losing potential customers. If visitors don’t get their answers fast- they will leave. You would think that this is one of those common sense things that would be inherent to any designer- but sadly poor hierarchy, or lack there of, is one of many landing page mistakes that can cost you BIG. When there’s no pre-planning, you could end up with a landing page that looks like this: example-bad-hierarchy Pre-planning a website is crucial. You should know what information will be on each page as well as the importance of that content. Then, you use contrast, color, spacing, and size create that hierarchy. This is how potential consumers know where to direct attention when, and what is the most important information available on your website. Don’t let lack of hierarchy ruin your landing page! 7.) Inconsistent and Random Colors Its easy to spot sloppy website design by the use of too many, and inconsistent colors. It’s another one of those landing page mistakes that is a symptom of an inexperienced designer. You will see the headline one shade of blue and then the logo is a slightly lighter blue- close enough to seem like an attempt at matching colors, but definitely a miss… Pick a color scheme- say 3-4 colors, tops- and stick to it. Landing Page Mistakes Happen- and there are so many more than what we have listed here. The bottom line is- imagine yourself in the consumer’s position. How do YOU react when you arrive on a landing page? What makes a website seem trustworthy to you? These landing page mistakes are easy to make- but equally easy to avoid. They key is to make sure your website is built by professional web designers- the alternative is a recipe for disaster for new startups and small business. for more, visit us onlinw http://pixelsolutuiions.biz

Marketing Conferences are a great resource for valuable information – As a small business owner, you know that the market place is a vicious competition for being noticed, and as more and more start ups crop up in homes across the country; the competition is only becoming that much more intense. The central theme; the holy grail of growing any business is marketing. Don’t believe me? Check out these statistics: The marketing industry is projected to have a revenue of $110.1 billion in this year alone. That’s $110,100,000,000 Falling second only to television marketing, digital marketing is expected to earn $67 billion this year Digital advertising spending is forecast to increase from nearly 50 billion U.S. dollars in 2014 to around 67 billion U.S. dollars in 2016. (statistics provided by statista.com) marketing in us 2016 With so much money thrown into marketing, it’s clear to see that companies across the world covet finding the newest, and most efficient marketing strategies that are out there. There is no instance in which having a great marketing strategy in place is more essential than in the homes of countless small business owners trying in earnest to realize their vision, and expand their companies into the public eye. That being said; it is a fair assumption to think that you, as a small business owner, use absolutely every tool at your disposal to gain whatever competitive edge exists for marketing your company or your brand to the world. However, there is a vast, invaluable resource for small business owners that often times goes unnoticed, and grossly under-utilized : conferences. Yes marketing and media conferences. Perhaps there is an underlying assumption that one must be an active player in the corporate world to attend, or perhaps there is a worry that these conferences will be mind numbingly monotonous, reminiscent of spending 2-3 days fighting to stay awake while a clone of Ben Stein rattles off technical details that no one should know… Either way, these assumptions are generally incorrect. Los angeles, being the city that it is, is a virtual Mecca of conferences that touch on every single aspect of technology and marketing, from “how to run a facebook page” to “Best practices when developing an effective adwords campaign”, these conferences have something for everyone at every skill level. Some of the best tech and marketing conferences in the world pass through Los Angeles, however, these conferences happen in basically every major city on a very regular schedule. Here is are some resources regarding the best digital marketing conferences due to pass through SoCal in the near future: Digimarcon West When: June 15th- 16th 2016 Where: Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel Website: http://digimarcon.com/west/ Digimarcon West is one of the biggest digital marketing conferences in the country. Showcasing the most audacious, and thought provoking speakers in the digital marketing industry, this conference provides attendees with emerging strategies, the latest innovative technologies, best practices, and insights from successful digital marketing campaigns. Whether it’s building customer loyalty, increasing sales, improving lead generation, or driving greater consumer engagement, the DIGIMARCON WEST 2016 program has been specifically designed to help attendees develop their audience. Attendees will learn how to build traffic, create brand awareness, improve customer service and develop better use of digital tools internally to drive more productive business outcomes. The conference has panels and keynote speakers covering subjects like Content Strategy, Web Experience Management, Usability/Design, Mobile Marketing, Customer Engagement, Social Media, Targeting & Optimization, Branded Search, Marketing Automation, Analytics & Data; all of which are truly the life-blood of any small business that intends to be successful in todays digital culture. Start-Up Summit When: June 13th-14th Where: Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel Website: http://startupsummit.co/west/ In the same family of conferences as Digimarcon West, Start up summit is another really great marketing conference for any business owner, regardless of size. Startup Summit 2016 is a fast paced, highly curated program featuring the best of the Startup community, featuring awesome keynotes, expert panels, actionable insights, success fundamentals and best practices from industry leaders – top entrepreneurs, educators and investors across industries – all in a dynamic, community-based setting. Their website says: “Conventional thought will be challenged, new ways of thinking will emerge, and you will leave with your head and notebook full of action items and ideas to lead your Startup to even greater success. With plenty of networking opportunities, it is the perfect place to build a professional network, find business partners, generate new ideas, and learn. Whether you’re planning or building a high-growth tech Startup, a mobile app, a piece of hardware, working in a non-profit or large bureaucratic organization, Startup Summit 2016 is designed for you to support continuous innovation and sustainable growth.” Techspo LA When: June 13th-16th Where: Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel Website: http://techspo.co/la/ This conference is a bit more technical, as you can imagine, and has a stronger focus on software and hardware innovations on the bleeding edge of the field. Showcasing the next generation of technology & innovation; Contextual Tech, AR, VR, IoT, Wearables, Mobile, Internet, 3D Print & Emerging Technology, Exhibitors have the opportunity to show off their companies to thousands of consumers, the highest caliber investors, hordes of press, the most sought after talent, and the greatest pool of tech enthusiasts looking to celebrate emerging venture. Be prepared to be inspired, amazed and educated on how these evolving technologies will impact your business for the better. Gartner Digital Marketing Conference When: May 17th-19th 2016 Where: Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego Website: http://www.gartner.com/events/na/digital-marketing Great for anyone seeking to build a greater online presence, this conference in San Diego covers topics like: Customer experience design Data-driven marketing Content marketing Customer journey analytics Multichannel marketing Social marketing Mobile marketing Digital commerce Emerging tech B2B and B2C Best Practices All of which are essential to an emerging business trying to establish a real presence in the community. The conference was created by tenured executives with many years of experience in their respective industries. STC Summit When: May 15th-18th 2016 Where: Marriott Anaheim Hotel Website: http://summit.stc.org/ The Summit is made up of two major parts: The Education. Organized in tracks, these sessions begin Monday morning and continue until midday on Wednesday. Sessions are offered in a variety of formats, including traditional presentations, workshops, progressions, and lightning talks. The Expo Hall. This opens on Sunday evening and features numerous companies, all prepared to unveil and demonstrate new and exciting products, services, and technology to the world of technical communication. The Summit will come to a close on Wednesday with a closing keynote to wrap up three busy and exciting days of learning and networking. The information is out there- It all depends on pro-active business owners who want to make the investment not only in their companies, but themselves. Regardless of years of experience, expanding our personal knowledge bases and growing our skill sets should always be central to daily life. These marketing conferences provide a wealth of untapped knowledge and the ability to spend time around, and network with equally driven and motivated people with which you can share ideas and perhaps generate beneficial business contact. Los Angeles is not the only city to house such conferences, its up to you as a business owner to seek out these treasure troves of knowledge and make sure that you give your small business every single possible advantage by being knowledgeable and up to speed on the tools and trends that drive industry. For more, visit us onlinwe http://PixelSolutions.biz