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How to Write an Effective Call to Action for Your Landing Page

When writing landing page copy for or your business’ site, nothing is more important than a strong call to action. Whether you want readers to click, call, or sign up, without a strong call to action, your conversion rates will suffer.

Even if you write a brilliant piece of copy, it will be rendered useless without a good call to action. But how do you create a strong call to action?call to action

Use Command Verbs

Your call to action is all about being direct. Using strong command verbs will let your readers know exactly what you want them to do. For example, ‘buy’, ‘shop’, ‘download’, or ‘find out how’ are all concise and strong.

Reduce Risk

When a visitor finds themselves on your landing page, they’re probably not ready to sign their life away. Including language like ‘no obligation’ or ‘FREE trial’ puts the visitor at ease, making it easier for them to follow through.

Keep it Brief

The longer your call to action is, the more likely you are to lose the reader’s attention. Keep it short, sweet, and to the point. “Click now to increase your site traffic today!”

Have a Deadline

It’s easy for visitors to think ‘I’ll just come back later.’ Including a deadline will encourage them to act sooner rather than later. “Limited time only!” “Sale ends soon!”

Entice Your Audience

Have you ever been to a site that immediately asks you to enter your credit card info? How likely are you to jump right in? Not very. Instead of asking your visitors to buy right away, consider enticing them first by offering a free trial, directing them to a video, or a demo. This eases them into the decision to buy and allows you the opportunity to educate them on your product or service.

Get Creative

creative call to action
okcupid’s landing page has a strong and creative call to action that perfectly reflects their services.

You never know if something will work unless you try. Don’t be afraid to have fun and get creative with your call to action. Having a unique call to action will catch more attention than something generic. You can always change it if it isn’t working. Here’s a great example from the dating app, okcupid.

By following these tips, you can write a stellar call to action for your landing page. But what about the design and hosting? For a truly killer landing page, to use in your marketing campaigns contact the web development experts at MLT Group today at sales@mltgroup.com or (507) 281-3490.

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5 Benefits of Adding Professional Video to Your Website

When a visitor comes to your business’ website, you have about 7 seconds to capture their attention. If they are faced with nothing but a huge block of text, your chances of keeping them on your site are slim, which is the opposite of what you’d want from a successful SEO strategy. But how can you capture a visitor’s attention quickly and keep it? Adding a professional video to your site may be the answer. professional video Twin Cities MN

 

How Professional Videos Improve Your Website

 

  1. Increase Engagement: Visuals are more engaging than plain text, meaning you can hook your audience right away with a video.
  2. Easily Communicate Your Message: A video on your home page or your company blog that explains who you are, what you sell, and what you do is a quick way to introduce new visitors to your business, saving them from scrawling through text to try and find the answers themselves.
  3. Make You Memorable: People retain information better when accompanied by images. This means visitors are more likely to think of you when it comes to making a purchasing decision.
  4. Improve SEO: Having a video that is optimized for search engines will boost your site’s overall SEO. Make sure the title and tags incorporate keywords and geotargets relevant to your business. If you have multiple videos on your site, optimize them for different terms and geotargets for additional reach.
  5. Give Your Business a Face: Did you realize that the human face is powerful? People are able to better empathize with human faces than other images. Videos are a great opportunity to give your business a face. Whether it be the founder or a spokesperson, utilizing people in your video will help your audience better identify with your business and see themselves using your product or service.

Including videos on your website is a great way to get your message out there and engage your audience. Ready to step up your website with a professional video? Contact the videography experts at MLT Group! Whether you need animation, drone footage, or a commercial, we’ve got you covered. For a free quote, contact us today at (507) 281-3490 or sales@mltgroup.com.

 

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5 Web Design Strategies to Maximize Conversions for Your Site

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Your St. Paul business’ website has one mission- get visitors to act. Whether that be making a purchase, joining your mailing list, or downloading content, if visitors aren’t following through with your desired action, your site isn’t doing its job. Your site’s design plays a significant role in driving conversions. Learn how you can boost conversions with your web design alone.

  1. Highlight Your CTA: Your call to action (CTA) is the ultimate tool in generating leads. It tells visitors exactly what you want them to do. “Sign up now!” “Get your free demo today!” “Start shopping now!” But if your CTA isn’t prominently displayed in your site’s design, visitors may not follow through.

 

  1. Test Your Site: When a new visitor comes to your site, how will they respond? Will they be able to easily navigate your site and find what they’re looking for? The best way to answer these questions is to ask someone who is unfamiliar with your site and your services to test it. Have them go through your site and take the desired action, recording their questions or any issues they run into. This will give you great insight into what your visitors experience and how you can adjust the web design to make their experience easier, better guiding them to take action.

 

  1. Use Negative Space to Your Advantage: Negative space is any empty space on your website. This can be space between large visual elements or even the space between paragraphs. Using negative space appropriately will make your site easier to read, benefiting the user. You can even use negative space to draw the reader’s eyes exactly where you want. For example, if you want your readers to be drawn to a particular area, make it stand out by using negative space around it.

 

  1. Utilize an F-Layout: Users naturally look at a page, starting at the upper left-hand corner, moving to the right, then working their way down in an F shape. But why isn’t this an E shape? Because oftentimes, readers won’t get all the way through. They are just looking skimming for important details. This means the area of the page that gets the most exposure is the upper left-hand corner, while the lower right-hand corner barely gets any. Placing the most important information in the upper left-hand corner will ensure users will see it. Otherwise, if it’s in the lower right-hand corner, it may not be seen at all.

 

  1. Use Personable, High Quality Images: Images are an important design element of any website. They promote your brand and make your site look professional, but did you know they can also increase your conversions? Using images that feature people that are representative of your target audience helps visitors to better identify with your business and services.

Does your St. Paul website follow these strategies? If not, you could be missing out. MLT Group offers custom web design for desktops and mobile. Contact our expert web design team at sales@mltgroup.com to learn how to maximize conversions on your website today!

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5 Ways to Build a Facebook Following for Your Business

You’ve set up your business on Facebook. Now it’s time to sit back and watch the likes roll in — or not. Building a social media following takes time and effort, but it allows you to better connect with your audience and generate leads. Looking to build your Facebook following? Check out these 5 tips for growing and maintaining your audience!Grow your Facebook following

  1. Leverage Existing Content:

    Creating content doesn’t have to be a full-time job. Do you have a blog? Are you taking pictures of staff around the office or work on job sites? Share these on social media! It will build your image as an expert in your field and make finding unique content easier. Just think carefully about what you share.

 

  1. Engage with Your Audience:

    Social media is, well, social! Don’t be afraid to engage with your audience beyond posting content. Did someone ask a question in the comments? Reply! A client left a review on your Facebook page? Thank them! Don’t leave your audience feeling like they’re talking into the void. Engaging with your audience shows that your business cares about what clients have to say and is accessible.

 

  1. Post Frequently:

    It used to be that if someone liked your Facebook page, your content would always appear in their newsfeed. However, when Facebook updated their algorithm to prioritize content that would be more relevant to individual users, pages saw their viewership drop. Now, only about a third of your content populates on your followers’ newsfeeds. To maximize your reach, posting frequently is essential. We recommend a minimum of 3 times per week, ideally once per day to build your Facebook following.

 

  1. Run a Like Building Campaign:

    While it will take more effort on your part to develop and run a like building campaign, it’s a great way to gain followers quickly. A campaign can take many forms, but is usually a type of contest which encourages users to like your page, the post, and/or comment to enter for a chance to win a prize. The prize should be related to your business, (e.g. 20% off services) and the details of the contest should be clearly stated in the post. It’s important to follow Facebook’s rules regarding contests. Otherwise, your contest may be removed by Facebook.

 

  1. Boost Posts:

    Do you have a stellar piece of content or an offer you want to reach more people? You can pay to boost a post to a targeted audience. The amount you spend depends entirely on how long you want the post to be boosted and how many people you want to reach. This makes it easy to customize your budget and reach a wider audience outside of your existing audience.

Don’t have time to build your business’ Facebook following or not sure where to start? We can help with that. Contact MLT Group at sales@mltgroup.com or (507) 281-3490 and ask about our social media campaign services!

 

 

 

 

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3 Social Media Lessons We Learned From Big Brand Blunders

Social media is no longer optional for businesses. Not only are more consumers on social media than ever, more of your competitors are taking advantage of the business tools social media platforms offer. Social media offers a platform for you to communicate directly to your audience, allowing you to build a relationship with them while promoting your brand.

However, like with most things, there’s a downside. When not used responsibly, social media can be a business’ downfall. Even the biggest brands make mistakes that cost them dearly. But by learning from them and following these 3 tips you can avoid your own social media disaster.

Research Hashtags:

Digiorno, twitter, tweet, twitter fail
Digiorno instantly regretted their poorly researched tweet.

 

Hashtags are a great way to help your content reach a specific audience, outside of your followers. Latching onto a popular hashtag is common practice for businesses. However, when used improperly, a hashtag can be your undoing. Just ask DiGiorno Pizza who faced harsh criticism when they used the #WhyIStayed hashtag to promote their pizza. The hashtag was trending as a way for survivors of domestic violence to express the complexities behind why they stayed in abusive relationships. In using a hashtag that was supposed to promote support and understanding to advertise pizza, DiGiorno appeared insensitive and ignorant. Though they apologized, the entire situation could have been avoided with a little research.

 

 

 

Bing, twitter, tweet, bing fail, twitter fail
Bing was quickly called out for trying to capitalize on tragedy.

Treat Tragedy with Sensitivity:

It sounds like common sense, but time and time again, we see businesses treating tragic events with insensitivity or even trying to capitalize on them. After the 2011 earthquake that devastated Japan, Bing said it would donate $1 to relief efforts for every retweet. It may have seemed like a kind gesture, but using the tragedy to promote their brand wasn’t well received and Bing received harsh criticism. When in doubt, just don’t say anything at all.

Apologize & Admit When You’re Wrong:

Social media is an open stage and there is nowhere to hide. Mistakes happen, but things can quickly become much worse it’s mishandled.

In 2013, this was the case for Lululemon, a yoga attire retailer. In response to a recall for the fabric in Lululemon’s yoga pants being too sheer, founder Chip Wilson suggested that women’s bodies were at fault, rather than the fabric in a televised interview.

There was instant backlash for the body-shaming comments. Wilson attempted to apologize in a Youtube video, but only apologized for the repercussions his comments had on the Lululemon staff. In failing to apologize to Lululemon’s customers or acknowledge why his comments were inappropriate, the apology completely missed the point.

This not only damaged the company, losing approximately $6 billion in market value, but two years later, Wilson resigned from his position. When apologizing, remember to remain sincere, don’t make excuses, and learn from your mistakes as not to repeat them.

All of these mistakes could have been avoided with a little research, tact, and compassion. The internet has allowed for unprecedented levels of communication between businesses and customers. With that great power comes an even greater responsibility. Remember, the internet may forgive, but it never forgets.

If you’re ready to boost your business’ social media presence, contact MLT Group today at sales@mltgroup.com or (507) 281-3490! We offer custom social media strategies and social media management on the platforms your customers use most!

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Essential Facebook Tools for Small Businesses

Facebook is for more than watching cat videos and sharing pictures of your food. When used properly, it can be an invaluable digital marketing tool for your small business.

If you don’t already have a Facebook page for your business- make one. Why? There are plenty of reasons for you to have a business page, but the biggest reason is because your competitors already have one. This means the competition is reaching out to your target audience, building their brand, and promoting their products in a way you cannot. Also, if potential customers are on Facebook_ScrabbleFacebook, why wouldn’t you want to connect with them?

Now that you’ve found a comfortable spot on the bandwagon, how do you take full advantage of Facebook?

Facebook wants you to succeed. Which is why they offer a number of tools to help small businesses become social media marketing experts. Facebook’s tools include:

  • Blueprint: A series of over 50 learning modules that help you understand the ins and outs of Facebook and master the tools that will help you to be successful. They are convenient, allowing the user to access them anytime, anywhere so that you can learn at your own pace.
  • Webinars: Facebook offers webinars on how to employ digital marketing techniques on Facebook and Instagram, which is now owned by Facebook.
  • Ads: Facebook teaches you how to create ads, allowing your business an additional outlet to reach its audience.
  • Post Boosting: Back in the day, it used to be that if you liked a page, their posts would automatically show up in your newsfeed. But the times they are a-changin’ and Facebook’s algorithm has evolved. Your content will still appear on your page but only a fraction of it will be show up on your followers’ news feed. Paying a small fee to boost your posts is a great way to reach more of your audience.

Facebook is easy to use and allows a level of independence in creating and sharing content. Content will be your greatest tool when connecting with your audience. It can be informative, promote your goods or services, or it can serve to further your brand. It all depends on what goals you have for your business.

Whatever your goals are, it is important to create visual content that’s shareable so your message spreads easily. Long wordy posts are less likely to receive attention and be shared by readers.

Don’t wait any longer! Start using Facebook’s helpful tools to promote your business and generate leads.

In addition to our custom website design services in Rochester and Minneapolis, MLT Group offers social media optimization and will create social media profiles for your businesses and specially optimize them to help boost your SEO. For more information, please contact us at sales@mltgroup.com or at (507) 281-3490 today!

 

 

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MLT Group Project Manager Presenting at 2nd Annual TEDx Event

MLT Group Project Manager, Ayodeji (Ayo) Awosika, will be presenting a speech at the TEDxZumbroRiver event Thursday, May 18th. TEDx is an independent, locally produced version of the well known TED conferences which encourage the sharing of ideas and positive change.

MLT Group's Project Manager, Ayodeji Awoskia, will have the honor of presenting at the upcoming TEDx event.
MLT Group’s Project Manager, Ayodeji Awoskia, will have the honor of presenting at the upcoming TEDx event.

Ayo has always been a fan of TED and TEDx talks, believing in the positive influence they have, and was thrilled when he had the opportunity to present.

“I believed I had an idea worth spreading and wanted to impact others the same way I’ve been impacted by other speakers.”

He became involved by attending TEDx’s pitch night, where he and 24 other speakers pitched their presentation ideas. Ayo was selected, along with three others.

The presentations will cover a wide variety of topics and ideas. Ayo will be speaking about imposter syndrome, in which individuals feel as if they are not qualified enough to be in their position, regardless of their success or accomplishments.

“The topic is important for me because I feel imposter syndrome all the time, specifically in my dreams I’m working on outside of work, which are becoming a full-time author and speaker one day. Impostor syndrome is ubiquitous, yet people don’t talk about it often enough. I think that now, with the way the economy is changing and with all the opportunities available to anybody, dealing with these feelings and overcoming them is important, because it’s a great time in our history to bet on yourself and take advantage of what’s in front of you.”

Ayo has been cultivating his speaking abilities as a member of Toastmasters International, an organization that helps members cultivate leadership and public speaking skills, but has taken additional steps to prepare for his presentation.

“I work with TEDx coaches on my speech. They give me tips on articulating my message, body language, vocal tonality, and several other nuances of giving a great talk. I also practice my talk relentlessly — pretty much every day, because I’m terrified, yet also excited!”

You can see Ayo and the other TEDx presenters Thursday, May 18th at Autumn Ridge Church in Rochester, MN. Purchase your tickets here!

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How to Respond to Online Reviews to Boost Your Business

Responding online reviews
Responding to reviews, both good and bad, can help business owners promote their business.

We’ve talked about the importance of online reviews before, but when you receive a review, what should you do? Should you respond or leave it alone? What if it’s negative? Responding to reviews requires tact and strategy. If done right, responding to reviews, even negative ones, can give your business a boost! Here, we’ll talk about the importance of responding to online reviews and how to respond to both positive and negative ones.

Why You Need to Respond to Online Reviews

It’s important to respond to both positive and negative online reviews. Responding gives your business a voice in the ongoing conversation consumers are having about your services. It also lets readers know that you’re engaged and care about what they have to say. Even if a reviewer was dissatisfied, a simple and polite response can make a world of difference. But how do you respond to reviews in a way that’s tactful and boosts your business?

How to Respond to Positive Reviews

Every business loves receiving a positive review, so responding is easy. But you can maximize this opportunity , connecting with your customers and promoting your business by remembering these key elements:

  • Remember your manners- Always thank a reviewer for taking the time to write about your business. It’s polite! “Thank you! We’re happy to hear you enjoyed your visit!”
  • Make it personal- Personalizing your response to each review shows customers that you read their reviews and care about what they have to say. To personalize a response, thank the reviewer by name and highlight specifics of their review. For example, if they appreciated your attention to detail, mention that thoroughness is something your business prides itself on. Doing this also allows you to re-emphasize the positive qualities of your business.
  • Invite them to come again- Inviting the reviewer to visit again shows that you care about their repeat business and makes them feel welcome. You can also use this as an opportunity to promote a special event or sale you have coming up. “Come see us again for our semi-annual sale starting on June 1st!”
  • Use keywords- Reviews can show up in search results, so utilize industry keywords and your business’ name when responding to a positive review so more readers will see it.

How to Respond to Negative Reviews

Receiving negative reviews hurts. However, they are a great tool for growing as a business, improving the customer experience, and even mending relationships. As expected, responding to negative reviews can be tricky, but with these tips, you can make negative reviews work for your business.

  • Understand what happened- What made this customer unhappy? Speak with your employees and try to piece together what happened or what went wrong. This will give you a better idea of how to respond and what you can do to remedy the issue. Was there a misunderstanding? Did your business drop the ball? Or was the customer in the wrong? This is something you should already be doing to improve your business and your customers’ experiences.
  • Remain calm- When responding to a negative review, it’s important to maintain a level head. Sounding angry or defensive will only reflect poorly on your business. Remaining calm shows that you are a professional and can take criticism.
  • Apologize and sympathize- Even if the customer was in the wrong, always apologize for their poor experience. This shows humility and acknowledges the reviewer’s feelings. This will also show other readers that your business cares about its customers and their experiences. “We’re sorry to hear you were dissatisfied with our services. We always try to put our customer’s satisfaction first, but it seems we’ve missed the mark.”
  • Take the conversation offline- Include your contact information and offer to resolve the issue outside of the review forum. This gives you the opportunity to make things right with the disgruntled customer and shows them that you value their patronage. It also shows readers that your business cares about its customers and takes their experiences seriously. If you are able to resolve the issue, politely ask the disgruntled customer to update their review to reflect this.
  • Don’t use keywords or your business’ name- As mentioned earlier, reviews can appear in searches. Avoid using keywords or your business’ name when responding to negative reviews so these reviews won’t be seen by other customers.

Reviews are an important part of any business. With these tips, you can maximize every opportunity to connect with your customers. Do you want more reviews for your business? Contact MLT Group at 507.281.3490 or sales@mltgroup.com and ask about our review campaign services.

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Understanding Offsite vs. Onsite SEO

You’ve probably heard of search engine optimization (SEO), and try to utilize it in order to build your business online. But did you know that there are two different types of SEO? It is important to understand the different types of SEO in order to determine the best strategies for growing your business online.

There is onsite SEO and offsite SEO. Utilizing the two different types of SEO is critical for developing and implementing a successful SEO strategy.

Properly utilizing both onsite and offsite SEO strategies will give your business an edge.
Properly utilizing both onsite and offsite SEO strategies will give your business an edge.

What is Onsite & Offsite SEO?

Onsite SEO: Onsite SEO refers to elements that are on your website. For example, your domain name, content, keywords, and geotargets are all elements of onsite SEO. Properly optimizing these elements helps web crawlers read your site and evaluate its relevance to certain search terms.

Offsite SEO: As the name suggests, offsite SEO involves enhancing elements outside your website. This includes your online identity across different directories, reviews, social media, and backlinks to your site from credible websites. These elements are just as important as onsite SEO and shouldn’t be forgotten.

Which Type of SEO is More Important?

Your business is made of up many moving parts, all working together for your benefit. Neglecting one element of your business can negatively affect the rest of it. Implementing an SEO strategy works much in the same way. In order to develop a successful SEO strategy, both onsite and offsite SEO need to be utilized. Focusing on only one or the other will be much less effective than implementing an all-encompassing SEO strategy.

MLT Group offers a variety of services to boost SEO, onsite and offsite, for your business, including search engine friendly website design,  backlinking, blog services, online identity services, and many more. To develop or improve your SEO strategy, contact MLT Group’s friendly professionals at 507.281.3490 or sales@mltgroup.com.

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New Desks Have MLT Group Standing Tall

While we’re always working hard for our clients, most of our work leaves us sitting for the majority of the day. To combat this sedentary lifestyle that has become so commonplace in office environments, MLT Group has invested in standing desks.

Standing_Desk_Rochester_MN
MLT Group’s creative team is standing at the ready!

An increasing number of studies have all concluded that consistently sitting for long periods can contribute to poor physical and mental health. With our new adjustable desks, we hope to benefit from elevated moods and greater energy, while combating health risks, such as heart disease, high blood sugar, and chronic back pain.

“I’m looking forward to continuing to live a more active lifestyle. I’ve already been exercising, and the ability to stand up and move around will only help my health improve,” commented Project Manager, Ayo Awosika.

We’re excited, energized, and ready to support our clients while supporting our own health. If you’re looking for a creative team of professionals to help promote your business, contact MLT Group at 507.281.3490 or sales@mltgroup.com. We’re standing at the ready!