Quick Sprout

There are two key elements to marketing. The first is to drive traffic to your website and the second is to get the traffic to convert into customers. You can have a million visitors going to your website, but if you can’t convert them, what’s the point?

Over the years I’ve learned a lot about improving conversion rates. Some of my knowledge has came from hiring conversion rate consultants, or even running my own a/b tests, but most of it has come from co-founding 2 analytics companies: KISSmetrics and Crazy Egg.

One of the easiest ways you can boost your conversion rates is by optimizing your call to actions (CTAs). Here are 11 ways you can improve your CTAs:  [click to continue...]

Do you feel overwhelmed with content marketing?  As simple as it sounds, it’s easy to forget that there’s just as much marketing involved as there is content creation. Typically, this task falls squarely on the shoulders of the marketing department.  If this sounds like the track your content marketing strategy is on, it could be costing you more customers than it gains.

So how can you make sure you’re developing a solid, actionable content marketing plan? Well, you’ll first have to avoid the following mistakes as they will derail your content strategy… here’s what to avoid:  [click to continue...]

With billions of searches happening every day, and over 65% of the search market, it’s a obvious that you should be paying attention to Google.  Knowing how the search engine works, what it looks for, and how it plans to evolve are all important to understand if you want to stay ahead of your competition.

By thinking like Google, you will not only learn what makes the world’s largest search engine tick, but how to improve your site for higher rankings as well.

But before we get into that, you need to first understand how search engines work:  [click to continue...]

In mobile marketing and optimization circles, “responsive design” is more than just a buzzword.  It’s a standard that’s taking everything you know about web design and turning it on its side…literally.

As it turns out, 9 out of 10 smartphone users conduct some form of financial activity on their devices, according to a Prosper Mobile Insights Survey.  That includes over half who use their phones to shop online.  Although conversion rates on desktop computers are still higher, tablets aren’t too far behind.

What’s interesting is that even though conversion rates for smartphones are still below 2%, the smaller the screen, the more money users spent on average.

One point to keep in mind is that most sites are still not optimized to handle mobile traffic.  As responsive design becomes more and more intertwined with best web design practices, shoppers will become more comfortable shopping on a variety of devices, and companies will get used to catering to customers through a variety of channels dedicated to those devices.  [click to continue...]

Just because a potential client loves what you have to say, it doesn’t mean they are going to hire you. These days, people are talking to multiple firms and figuring out which one is the best fit for them.

Companies are evaluating every aspect of your pitch… especially your proposal. So if you want to increase your odds of locking in a potential client you’re going to have to create a great proposal.

So what should you include in your proposal?

Well you probably already know the basics, such as: what you are offering, scope of work, price, and terms and conditions. But that’s not enough. Here’s what else you need to include:  [click to continue...]