Where’d All The People Go? Understanding Bounce Rates And What To Do About It
Does your website have what it takes to hook visitors in and get them to stick around for a while? Maybe you’ve considered this concept at length and are doing everything you can to make your website a virtual lounge where people like to come and just hang out. Or perhaps you haven’t really given it much thought. Regardless of which camp you fall into, it’s important as a site owner to understand why your customers come to your website and how to get them to stick around. Often, people come to a website and stick around only long enough to realize they just don’t want to be there. And of course, for web pros like us, there’s a nice fancy phrase to explain those visits: bounce rate. Your bounce rate is calculated by measuring the number of visitors that click onto your page - through whatever means you may attract them: web searches, social media links, backlinks on other sites, opened emails, etc. - and almost immediately click to exit. A high bounce rate, meaning that you have a bunch of visitors that only stick around to see next to nothing, is not good for your website health. Think about it: the customers that you’re going to convert into sales are the ones who stick around to see what you have to say/what products you have to offer. When people are sticking around for less time than the average yawn, they’re not seeing the content that you’ve developed to draw them in. And worse, they’re certainly not sticking around long enough to make a purchasing decision. We all want a lower bounce rate. Part of accomplishing this is to…
How to Monetize Your Blog: Building Your Subscriber List
Recently we talked about monetizing your blog without driving your readers crazy. We discussed some of the more annoying ways to make money blogging, including through pushing ads and promoting affiliate programs. [button id="4fd9b4f4b32921647383bf92ba393ba3" text="Read part 1 here" url="https://www.rystedtcreative.com/copywriting/monetize-blog-without-driving-readers-crazy/" target="_self" alignment="center" alignment_mobile="default" image="" icon="ti-book" icon_alignment="left" style="1" size="large" radius="0" border_size="2" shadow="simple" full="false" tale="none" margin="0px 0px 15px 0px" text_color="#ffffff" text_hover_color="" background_color="rgba(31,120,230,1)" background_hover_color="rgba(31,78,136,1)" border_color="rgba(152,255,161,1)" border_hover_color="rgba(120,246,131,1)" animation="none" animation_speed="2" animation_delay="0" __fw_editor_shortcodes_id="1cd8293c16122c55834fefd72712dc03" _fw_coder="aggressive"][/button]If you want to make money blogging, you probably want to steer clear of these money making methods - at least to a degree. At the right time and under the right circumstances, an affiliate program, for example, might make a lot of sense for a blogger. But for the most part, we recommend choosing other money making methods if you’re serious about turning your blog into a lucrative income stream (even if it’s just to supplement your coffee addiction). Cashing in on Your Unique Products Again, as we mentioned previously, offering products to your digital audience is a reliable way to earn a sustainable blog income - even while you sleep. But getting to the point where you’re ready to cash in on the buying potential of your audience takes far longer than it does to get through Google’s AdSense screenings and so forth. The foundation of your blog’s marketplace is your subscriber list. And that’s what we’re going to talk about in this post. Why should you build a subscriber list? How does social media factor into the equation? What should you expect from your subscribers? Most importantly: what should you deliver to your subscribers? Let’s get started. Unpacking the Basics of a Subscriber List You’re probably familiar with the concept of…
Why Your Website Needs a Blog
Your website needs a blog. Yes, yours. Whether you are painting houses, equipping non-profits, or selling herbal remedies for cats, a blog will demonstrate your authority in your field, increase traffic to your website, and increase lead conversions and sales. Ideally your phone is ringing off the hook with potential clients who were recommended to you and you have more work than you can handle. If this isn't the case for you then your organization needs a robust inbound marketing strategy. Inbound marketing is the creation of content that brings potential customers to you rather than requiring your marketers to always go to them. Most successful businesses generate sales through a combination of referrals, inbound marketing, and cold contacts. Inbound marketing has a higher return on investment than cold contacts and consequently is one of the most effective marketing strategies. At the top of the inbound marketing list of methods is leveraging blog content. According to HubSpot's State of Inbound 2017 report, 53% of marketers consider blog content creation as their top inbound marketing priority. Marketers are pushing blog content creation because it works and it will work for you if implement it well. Whatever it is you do you have blog potential. Some organizations think that what they do doesn't lend itself to a blog. Yet potential customers want to know about you, what you do, and how to improve their lives. If you sell feline herbal remedies, for example, write about how to cure common illnesses, how to improve your cat's activity level, how to encourage healthy mental development, debunk common myths about herbal remedies, give behind the scenes looks at your company, etc. Get creative and get…
How to Monetize Your Blog Without Driving Your Readers Crazy
Many people are drawn to blogging and boosting their online presence by the allure of earning an extra bit of cash - or even a viable living - from their website. While blogging is definitely a great foray into online money making, it can be more than a little frustrating to learn exactly how the money is made. A good number of bloggers make some kind of money from their online activity. But only a handful of bloggers make anything near what they’d like to make from their blogging venture. And often, it takes a long time to get to the point of profitability. So how do Bloggers Make Money? There are many ways to turn your blog into a stream of revenue, including: Affiliate Programs - you sign up for a program with a vendor that you frequent and get a cut of the cash when someone makes a purchase from that site through your link Sponsorships - a company that aligns with your blog’s purpose sponsors a blog post, usually in the form of sending you a complimentary product in return for a themed post featuring that product Ads - companies pay to rent a portion of your blog’s space in order to display their own ad information If you’re a blogger, you’re probably familiar with one or all of these methods of deriving income from the blogging platform. If you’re anyone who reads anything on a webpage on the internet, then you’re almost certainly familiar with these income generators - and you probably hate them. I personally hate ads so much that I have two ad blockers installed in my browser and find “adwalls” (companies that refuse…
Secret Recipes and Recipes for Success
Have you ever had a Coke? If you’re a typical American, your answer probably ranges from something like “yes, of course” to “duh… this goes without saying”. Not only is Coke a popular brand to American tastes and diet, but it’s a worldwide staple beverage. Coke’s in every developed country; in the bodegas, restaurants and cafes that litter the map. It’s also readily available in poorer and developing countries. When we were on a trip to Peru a few years back, we found Coke in the tiny shops of an isolated mountain village you’d be hard pressed to even find on a map of the country. For perspective, we were among the first “gringos” (that’s what they called us) that many in the community had ever seen. But they had ready access to one of our top nationally exported brands. As a business geek, this amazed and baffled me. How could Coke’s branding and distribution be that good? How did trucks even manage to bring cases of Coke to this - and more than likely, other - far flung village of South America and keep the shelves regularly stocked? The roads were hardly even paved... Why do we buy Coke? What does Coke do for us that other beverages simply cannot? Why choose a Coke instead of a water? Coffee? Yerba mate? Personally, I like the occasional Coke when I’m eating something spicy like buffalo wings. I’m not a big soda fan, but I’ll make an exception for classic Coke (NOT cola) or Dr. Pepper. For me, Coke is nostalgic. I remember my first Coke. I was probably four or five and my mom woke my brother and I up…