marketing consulting for wedding professionals    Writing, branding, logo design.newsletter design

Do You Know Where Your Website Traffic Is Coming From?

I’m sure you are checking the stats on your website, but are you paying special attention to where your website traffic is coming from?  Everybody check to see if there traffic is up and how many visitors hit a particular article. I pay even closer attention on where my traffic is coming from and capitalize on that.

Hello, my name is Christine and I am a stats addict.

Social media is one of the top traffic drivers today, right behind Google(if you are doing it right). Because of that,I have people ask me all the time if they should post on Facebook, or is Pinterest more important; but wait, what about Twitter and should I be on Linkedin. I hate to break it to you, but there is no hard and fast rule.

You all know that I run 2 very different websites under the Think masthead. Where the traffic comes from is very different for each.

For Think, Linked in drives a ton of traffic, so does StumbleUpon. On theDish, it’s Pinterest and Google image search.

This isn’t a guess, it is what the stats tell me. So what to you think I do with this information? Why I exploit it to the nth degree!

As soon as I publish a post on Think, I use the socialize buttons on the post to send it to my groups on Linkedin and to StubleUpon because I know they are already interested in what I have to say. I have Linkedin set to email me every time there is a like or a comment on one of the discussions I have started. I respond as close to immediately as possible. Yes, I also have the app on my phone. Oh sure I put it on my Facebook fan page and if it has an image that goes to my marketing board on Pinterest.

Over on the Dish, it’s Google image and Pinterest. To optimize the Dish I pay special attention to labeling my images. Yes it takes time but it really pays off. I have the Pin it button enabled to make it easy for everyone to share. Not only others, but I use it myself as soon as the post goes live.

I am sure there are some of you thinking that if Linkedin works so well on Think, why not use it for the Dish. The answer is that they have 2 different targets and I pay attention to my stats. It all ties in with yesterday’s post where I said to forget about your weaknesses and capitalize on your strengths.

Why should I beat my head against the wall trying to get Think noticed more on Pinterest when I can really soar on Linked in?

Where is your traffic coming from and are you exploiting that to it’s maximum potential?

Do a little testing and see which social media network is best for you.

 

 

Is It Time You Switched to a Mobile Responsive Website?

I just finished switching two more clients to mobile responsive websites. Now mind you, a mobile responsive website is not the same as having a separate site for mobile devices, it is your website that rearranges itself depending on the device that you view it on.

There has been some controversy on whether it is better to have a two different sites, but I fall on the side of just having one great site that works anywhere you view it.

Two reasons…

First, you want that continuity no matter where a visitor views the site. Second, people aren’t just using their smart phones for quick hits, they are doing a lot of their surfing on their phones. Why shouldn’t they get the full experience instead of some stripped down version.

Now I agree that when updating to mobile responsive you need to think about what content on your site is most important and lay things out accordingly, but all in all you should give your visitor everything, regardless of how they view it.

Face it, do you really want to strip down your blog posts? No. Do you want to deny the bride sitting on a park bench during her lunch hour access to your galleries? No. What a bout the bride sitting on the couch watching TV with on eye and surfing on her iPhone with the other?No.

I do not believe for one minute that today’s bride will reserve her wedding planning to her laptop. She will do her research anywhere and on any device that is handy. This phenomenon is only going to increase as smartphone get cheaper and tablets become more ubiquitous.  Check out this capture from an infographic from Microsoft Tag (Click the image to see the full infographic)

Have a look at some of the recent sites Think has either created in mobile responsive or have updated to a mobile responsive website. Please, check them out across all of your devices. I think you will like what you see. Just because they are mobile, doesn’t mean they look plain.

Fishers Tudor House

JJ Kelly Bridal

Chic Bahamas Weddings

Megasound

and of course, this site.

Now, go look at your site and remember, I’m here when you need me.

 

Writing a Blog Post to Sell Your Product

The first question you should ask yourself when you start writing a blog post is “What is the goal of this post.”

Be brutal and precise with your answer. Vague won’t help you hone it down.

Are you trying sell something? Make an announcement? Get your readers thinking about something in a new way?

What ever your answer, craft your post to reflect that.

If you are trying to sell something, you have to pitch it.

I am working with a client that is a caterer/banquet facility and they had a post about a recent prom. They reviewed the prom and really said very little about it, even threw in some poem.  it was more like a news report.What they didn’t do is give anyone a reason why they should book their prom with them.

Here are my suggestions on writing a winning blog post:

Define what problem your clients have that this “thing” solves.

Schools need some where to hold a prom. They need food, decor, a dance floor and sufficient electrical for the entertainment.

Explain why this solves their problem.

Our facility provides everything they need from an elegantly furnished room with dance floor.  It has hosted many such event so there is no concern about the electrical.  On site catering allows personalized menus. Great location with free parking.

Explain what makes your solution different.

Because we have done so many, we make it easy for you to set up yours. Rather than a blank location our is already decorated. All you have to do is add centerpieces and linens in your school colors. (Oh wait, we’ll take care of that too)

Ask for the sale.

“Riddel High’s prom was such a success. won’t you let us make you prom just as great?”

Give them a clear way to contact you or buy the product.

“Call Denise today at (555)555-5555 today to make sure we haven’t already booked your date! While you have her on the phone, go ahead and schedule your tour so you can start dreaming about your prom!”

 

Here is the post

Riddel High’s Prom at XVC Catering was a Smashing Success

Saturday night the Versailles Ballroom at XVZ Catering was the hotspot of choice for the Senior Prom of Ridell High.(put this in h1 tags)

The ladies sparkled in the soft glow of candles and crystal chandeliers while DJ Angelo rocked the house!

The evening began with a sumptuous dinner of Prime Rib,  Chicken Parmigiano and Pasta Primavera . Denise saw to it that the tables were set with linens in purple and black to match Riddel’s colors.

After dinner the students and teachers indulged in a decadent Sundae Bar. Then they packed the Versailles Ballroom’s huge dance floor for the rest of the night.

“Give me Everything Tonight” by Ne Yo (feat. Pitbull) was dedicated to the entire class that night and I’m sure the words, “tonight, let’s enjoy life,” was at the top of their minds and hearts.  This night marked the end of their senior year and an end to a wonderful four years as students at Riddel and appreciation towards their teachers and classmates.  Other dedications of the night included Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” to the faculty, and “Just the Way You Are,” to the ladies.

Such an elegant night for such a wonderful class. Watch the fun for yourself in this video.

Insert video here 

Riddel High’s prom was such a success. Won’t you let us make you prom just as great?

In the 20 years we have hosted the proms of Philadelphia high schools we have seen them change and evolve. Each year they just get more beautiful.We have everything in place to make your prom the one of a kind evening that you have in mind.

Call Denise today at (555)555-5555 today to make sure we haven’t already booked your date! While you have her on the phone, go ahead and schedule your tour so you can start dreaming about your prom!

Please, feel free to share the video and images with your friends on Facebook, just click the button below.

There you have it. It certainly isn’t the kind of review that you would see in the local paper, but then that wasn’t the intention. It’s purpose is to sell that ballroom to next years prom committees.

Is Your Website Ready for the Mobile Web? Website Design to Reach Today’s Bride

I had a client tell me recently that they believed that when brides sat down to really research on the web for their wedding that they did it on their main computer. Guess what, they aren’t. They are sitting on their couch or the bus stop or a park bench and doing their research on their tablet or mobile.

The thing you have to remember is that today’s bride is as comfortable with new technology as they are with the very air they breathe.

Here is something else, they might discover you first on Facebook or another social media, but when they decide to check you out, they head straight for your website.

Now that you know that, let’s get back to the original question:

Is your website ready for the mobile web?

Pull your site up on your smart phone or tablet. If it’s Flash, you won’t see it. Even if you have an html website, check those slide shows you spent so much time designing. Many times designers will use Flash plugins for the slide shows. That leave a gaping hole in your beautiful design.Your potential brides WANT to SEE your work, not a big black hole.

OK, so you did the right thing and switched to an html website and you checked all your slide shows and they work.

Now I want you to pay attention to how much of your site shows without scrolling. Most likely just the upper left corner.

What is in the upper left corner? For most of you, nothing! “Oh, but my logo looks so much better centered” Yep, it sure does on that giant monitor in your office, but that is rarely how potential brides will first see your website.

Here is a cool little site that you can use to see what they see, Studiopress Mobile Responsive Design.

Today there are a wealth of tools to make websites more mobile responsive. Everything from sites that are arranged to automatically rearrange the layout depending on the screen it is being viewed on to slide shows that automatically resized to be viewed with out scrolling.

Your other option is to have  yet another site built specifically for mobile devices. That option is already out of date, but it is a great play for web designers to get you to buy a second site. it is a lot like the one that talked you into having a Flash site and an html site for search with a splash page as your landing page.

Just remember, it isn’t enough for a website just to shrink to fit a smart phone, you need it to be usable at that size. You need all of the features on your site to be available on mobile devices. If it is important enough to be on your site it  is important enough to be usable on a mobile phone.

Don’t just listen to me. NET Magazine chose  Responsive Web Design as the #2 trend for 2012 Not just that, trend #7 is Mobile Gets Bigger.

If you are thinking it’s time to update your website, it probably is already past due. When you do it, do it right.

Here is one I finished recently for a client. This screen capture doesn’t really do it justice.

Mobile responsive web site Designed by Think Like A Bride

Go to Studiopress and type in http://www.bahamasdestinationweddingsgroup.com/ and play with it yourself. Pay special attention to the slide show as you scroll down. While you are there, you may want to check your own site. I’ll be here when you contact me.
This illustration from NET Magazine shows beautifully what I am talking about.

 

 responsive website design

Are You REALLY Embracing the Internet?

Do you really understand all the ways brides use the internet to plan their wedding?

Oh I know, you have a website and a Facebook fan page, maybe even a Twitter and Linkedin account. You might even have discovered Pinterest and be rockin’ that out too, but do you really get it?

There has long been an undercurrent from a large part of the wedding industry that if only the internet would go away, things could get back to the way they are supposed to be. ~sigh We have moved so far past that point that we have crossed yet another threshold.

Shopping has moved primarily to the online world. US e-commerce sales will grow 62% by 2016, to USD 327 billion (Source: Forrester, February 2012). Even if someone goes into a brick and mortar shop, they have already fully researched what they are shopping for and in most cases made their selection. There isn’t much that can’t be bought online.

Even physical locations are popping up for online shopping. Huh? Ok, check this out.

Shopping by ap

A grocery store in Seoul has billboards at bus stops with QR codes. Just scan what you need with your smart phone and arrange when you want it delivered. I know, I know, “But Christine, that’s in South Korea how does it affect my bridal salon in Backwater, Kansas?”

It affects you because it is coming your way.

E-bay is already doing the same thing in New York and London. During New York’s Fashion Week, Glamour magazine partnered with L’Oreal to enable passengers riding in selected cabs to buy Lancôme products they saw featured on the in-cab TV screens.

“Oh but Christine, this will never come to bridal,” you say. Really?  Then explain to me the surge in brides buying everything from bridal gowns to wedding day shoes online. Invitations have long been bought online, even flowers are available online. Heck, even engagement rings are bought online.  You have heard of BlueNile, right?

Your brides have been shopping online since they could use the keyboard, why would you think they would shun it for their wedding? They are used to it, it is the way their world works.

Now, my question to you is are you embracing these changes. I have long said that the business that succeeds is the one that gives consumers what they want in the way they want to purchase it. It isn’t about how you want to sell, it is about how they want to buy.

We have moved in to a See it, Click it, Buy it world.  Has your business moved there yet? Are you giving brides what they want?

 

 

What Are You Really Selling?

I have had several thought provoking conversations after yesterday’s article concerning the often unrealistic expectations of today’s brides.

Many things have changed in our little world of weddings, much as they have changed in the greater world at large. Time was that how and what  you charged for your goods and services was largely determined by those that came before you. The problem with that is that often what the consumer was really paying for was cloaked in something else. You can’t do that anymore.

Take the women in the video. She has failed to see the talent behind the purchase she made, reducing it to fabric and labor and forgetting the knowledge and talent that went into it. There is a lot more that goes into selling a wedding gown than fabric and labor. There is the expertise and the eye of the designer. There is the expertise of the person that was able to listen to your dreams and assess your body type and pull the perfect dress off the rack to compliment both. There is the care that goes into handling, pressing and preparing your gown once it arrives in the shop,. There is the salons knowledge of a myriad of little details like which gown is easier to alter and will any Chinese holidays interfere with your expected shipping date. These are the thing you do and know that make you special. You deserve to profit from this.

Lets look outside our industry for a minute.

The advertising industry has been hit by this.What an ad agency really produces through their creativity and their knowledge of your product and your market is the ad campaign. In the days of Mad Men, what they charged for was the ad placement, the art and copy was used to pitch the client.  Companies today are using less and less of the traditional media to advertise with the end result that ad agencies still charging in the old way are losing their ass. Only the nimble have realized that they have to charge for what they really produce. They have to relearn how to charge and charge for their talent.

Wedding photographers are facing the same issue.

Once upon a time photographers charged virtually nothing for their skill behind the lens, their profits were cloaked in what they charged for the prints and the albums. They weren’t charging for their real talent. Today’s bride can order prints online for next to nothing and design her own albums at unbelievably cheap rates. What she can’t do is capture the picture the way a good photographer can. She can’t set up the shot and understand the lighting the way a professional photographer can.

Your talent isn’t the ability to order prints. It is your ability to capture them in the first place.

Times have changed and your thinking has to as well. Each and everyday there are more tools available to the consumer. This isn’t just you photographers.

Look at what it has done to the invitation segment.

Brides everywhere are hitting PaperSource and using the laser printer at work to print their own invitation. Heck, there are even consumer devices for letterpress printing. Would it hold up for the long haul? Probably not but I bet you could shoot 200 invitations through it. So sure they can print it, but can they design it? Do they have your knowledge of color and scale and typography?  Your design work should be your biggest charge! You deserve to profit from this.

Here is my point.

Are you charging for what your real talent is?

Suppose, just suppose? Follow me because this is crazy. If a bridal salon were to charge a small markup on a dress. Then they add a shipping charge and what would essentially be a ‘dealer prep’ charge. The bride would only see the price of the dress and you would be charging for your talents.

You need to take a hard look at what makes you unique among your peers and competitors. That is what you need to be selling, marketing and for which you should be charging.

Take me for example. People that can set up a WordPress website are a dime a dozen; you may have to cough up a quarter for ones that can customize one. Heck, you can build it yourself on a free template. What I charge for is my design style and the fact the I know your product and your target market better than just about anyone out there. I charge what I do because I understand your unique industry and circumstances. I get what I do because my clients trust me and know that I will be there after the sale to make sure they know how to use the shiny new tool I just built for them.

Even back in the day, before the we hit the rest button and I still baked for a living, I knew this truth. I charged a flat rate for my cakes because they were all delicious, but it was lower than many. What I charged out the ass for was my hand made sugar work and my unique design talents. If you wanted my unique talents, you had to pay me for it.

How has your market segment changed? Have you changed with it?

Are you charging for your talent or are you still trying to make money the way generations before you did?

 

What is the Purpose of Your Website?

Really? Have you actually asked yourself that question recently?

In yet another epic example of “the cobbler’s children have no shoes” I just recently asked myself that question. The answer was to sell my services. Yep seems pretty simple, doesn’t it. The problem was, years ago when I first started TLAB the goal was to sell subscriptions and the site was still set up that way.

That isn’t what I sell anymore. Now I sell website design, ebooks, consulting and copy writing. Hmmmm, time for a change.

I am sure you have noticed the changes on the website recently, those are all a reflection of finally doing what was right for my own marketing.  Front and center are now 3 calls to action: website design, consulting and other services.  Those pages used to rank at the bottom of my stats. Now I am pleased to say that they are in the top 5 pages every single day.other services

My homepage has my most current blog posts and those are what draw visitors in, but once here they can’t miss the calls to action. Aren’t those really the point?

So back to the original question; what is the purpose of your website. Ask yourself that question and be as brutally honest and precise as you can. Then take a fresh look at your website and see if it is doing what you pay it to do.

One more note about all this, stop looking at simply how pretty your site is. Yes it should be attractive and reflect your unique style and branding but if it isn’t doing the job you pay it for it’s just eye-candy to make you happy. Isn’t that kind of like hiring a supermodel to be you receptionist even though she can’t figure out how to answer the phone? (no disrespect meant to supermodels, just trying to make a point)

Frankly I think TLAB looked better before the change but it wasn’t doing half the job it is now.

Brilliant Wedding Marketing

Marketing is tough. How do you decide where to start, where to invest and how to design your marketing material.

You are getting pitched daily by this one and that one telling you have to advertise with them.

“You have to do print!”

“I can deliver  (insert ridiculous number here) leads to you a month!”

“If you want to do well in this market you have to do this bridal show!”

Who do you believe?

The only real way to know what to do and who to believe is to build a marketing plan specifically for your business and stick to it. Don’t you wish someone would just tell you step by step how to market.

BINGO!

Brilliant Wedding Marketing is the step by step guide to building your marketing plan in a logical, layered way.

It tells you where to start and why. As you grow your business, add a layer.

Not only where and why, but how to perfectly execute each facet of your brilliant plan. From what to include in your website to  how to design an ad for print, here are the answers. What about Email? It’s covered! Outrageous marketing? You didn’t think I would leave that out did you?

It’s all here in one clear, logical road map to marketing your wedding business brilliantly!

Brilliant Wedding marketing ebook

What do you spend in a year on marketing your wedding business? Isn’t it worth $19.95 to make sure you get it right? You bet it is. One decent print add will run you at least $2400!  Isn’t it worth less than 20 bucks to get that right?

I know there are about a million books on marketing, but how many of them are written specifically for this wacky industry known as WEDDINGS? More than that, how many of them are written by someone you already know and trust?  One of the reasons you read THINK is for marketing advice in a clear and easy to understand style. No bullshit, no gobldygook; just straight talk from someone who has been there.

Brilliant Wedding Marketing boils it all down to a step by step plan to keep you on track with your marketing.

Brilliant Wedding Marketing ebook

Get the e-book today!

 

 


$19.95
Still haven’t bought Bridal Show Success? Let me tell you, Bridal shows are a key part of your marketing plan and you also have to do those right. If you buy both ebooks I’ll take $5.00 off.

Buy the e-book bundle and market like a pro.

Brilliant Wedding Marketing and Bridal Show Success

 

 


$29.90

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What’s Up with Think’s Website?

The short answer is that I’ve been playing!

The long answer is a bit more complicated.  Have you ever heard the old saying “The cobbler’s children have no shoes?”  What that means is that way too often, people are very good at what they do but they stay too busy to get around to doing whatever ‘it’ is for themselves. The classic example is that in all those year that I owned one of the top bakeries in the city, my kiddos usually got a cake from Baskin & Robbins for their birthday! I know, it’s pretty sad!

It’s the same thing now that I do marketing and design website. I can’t remember the last time I updated Think, a year and a half maybe. Sure, I did a tweak here and a tweak there, but nothing major or thought out. Besides, I really like the way my site looked. marketing consulting

Two things caused me to get in there over the weekend and start rooting around.

Call to action. I preach it all the time that all of your marketing material needs really clear calls to action. No,duh!  You would think I would have had mine front and center. I imagine it was a bit of not seeing the forest for the trees. I had a session with one of my consulting clients last week and in the course of conversation it came up that they didn’t even know I designed web sites. Well Shit! How are going to sell something people don’t even know you do?

Mobile Responsive. The second thing that made me do it was the recent launch of some really sweet mobile responsive child themes for the Genesis framework.   What is mobile responsive you ask? I am not just talking about having images that show up on iPhones and Androids.  My new site will resize itself depending on what device you are viewing it on. No more scrolling from side to side. Really, try it out.

That is a really cool thing, but there is a learning curve and I wanted it on my site, not a clients. There are still things to tweak, like I have to find a new way to display my portfolio. That will come.

Anyway, that’s what’s been going on. I’ll continue to play, especially with the graphics. I’m not in love with those, but you see one of the things I love about the web is that it’s “liquid ink.”  Don’t like something, you can change it on the fly. Keep watching as the new site and framework evolves.

 

Understanding Pinterest

For the un-initiated, Pinterest can be a confusing mess. Some see it as a time waste, while others can’t figure out why it would even be popular or useful. Maybe I can help.

I am going to approach this from a marketing stand point. Be warned once you are hooked it will go way beyond that.

A poll just out from Shareaholic shows Pinterest refers more traffic than YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn combined. That should certainly answer a part of the ‘why’. The rest of that answer has to do with today’s brides. Pinterest is over 90% female. Today’s bride and millennials in general are very visual. They look at the pictures rather than read content. Pinterest is right up their alley. What once was a wedding planning binder is now a pin board. Got it? Good.

The next thing I keep hearing is “I signed up but I don’t know what to do”

 

Getting started with Pinterest

Give yourself an hour or four to get familiar with it. In this image you see a couple of things  I am going to point out to get you going. Hint, click the images to enlarge.Pinterest: An Overview

At first you have nothing, no boards, no pins so hold off on finding friends until you populate a little bit.

In the middle top under the word Pinterest you have some options. Click on ‘Everything’ and a drop down menu opens, you probably want to choose weddings & events as a jumping off point. An entire page of images will open. Now just start pinning stuff you like. Click on a picture, you will have the option to Pin it, Like it or Comment. You will also have a button to follow that person. If you like the stuff they are posting, by all means follow them. You can always unfollow later.

When you pin something it will ask you what board you wish to pin it to. Better create some boards! You can create boards on the fly when you pin something. So maybe “table decor”, ‘cakes’, ‘gowns’ whatever you fancy. It really is easier to create boards this way because you will be able to see what you’re pinning and organize it accordingly.

Now that you have a bit of a feel for it and some boards and pins it’s time to start connecting to people you know.

Finding friends on Pinterest


On the left hand top, under your name the drop down menu has the option to find friends. You can see which of your friends from Facebook are on Pinterest and
connect to them. Since I am talking about using this as a marketing tool you might want to start with the people in your industry that you know from Facebook. You don’t need to limit yourself to that, it is just a good place to start.The next time you open Pinterest, you will see all the pins from the people you are following. Repin all you want.

How, Christine, is this marketing my stuff?

It isn’t yet, that was just learning the ropes.

 

Marketing with Pinterest.

At the top left it says Add+  Open that and you have a screen that gives you the option to Add a pin, Upload a pin or create a board. You want to Add a pin. Just copy the url for an image on your website and paste it in. Rather that choosing the Upload option, the pin will link back to your website.

You need to have a Pin it button on your website so visitors can share your images and they will also link back to your website.

One more thing, when you set up your profile, you did make sure to include the name of your business and your website address, didn’t you?

How about using Pinterest for research?

When you open a pin, it show you who all has pinned it. With a little luck and a bit of intuition, you can tell which pinners are brides and which are in the industry. See how this one calls the board “Our Wedding?” Dead giveaway. Just takes a bit to get the hang of it. Check out the boards on the ones you suspect are brides. See what they are pinning. It should give you a decent read on the pulse of the market, both their dreams and their reality.

Also pay attention to which of your pins get repinned. Obviously something in that pin is worth paying attention to, it may just be a coming trend. You can change your email setting in your profile to notify you when certain actions take place.

I haven’t even touched on the search function.

Just like any other social media, if you are using this for business, think about what you pin. The pins you choose will show your personality in a way you can only imagine.

 

Let me know if you need an invitation.