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One of the long ongoing discussions in the marketing community is around the use of PopUps on your site.  Many site visitors report hating the use of pop-ups however, many marketers report that the conversion rate for offers made in a pop-up are far higher than an offer made on a web page or as a One Time Offer.

As a site visitor – my reaction to pop-ups is mixed.  After taking some time to analyze my reactions I decided that it wasn’t necessarily the pop-up I disliked – it was the content of the popup that was off putting.

So, I’ve decided to test a pop-up for myself.  To do that, I had to find the right type of pop-up to suit my needs.  One of the things that I found I really liked, was the ‘lightbox’ effect of pop-ups – where the background is faded out to make your pop-up the feature of the page.  However, the big thing was to allow visitors to close the pop-up down and view the main page.

The ability to tailor the pop-up look and feel – color of the background, size of the pop-up and the location on the screen becomes very important as well.  Depending on your Target Audience, these factors will affect the conversion achieved using the pop-up.

Then, I also had the fact that I wanted to add the pop-up to WordPress and my blogs.  Adding php code to the theme didn’t really worry me, but it does affect the ability to change my themes easily… the other thing to consider here is that I like to be able to recommend products to my customers, friend and colleagues and I wasn’t comfortable recommending a solution that required a somewhat ‘techie’ understanding.

Then…. a couple of weeks ago, one of my mentors asked me to obtain a copy of Robert Planks Action Pop Ups.  So I did and very cynically installed it and tested it.  What can I say – I’m a convert.

Not only does this product come as a WordPress Plug-In – it is so customizable.  Through the WordPress backend, you can set:

• The color of the lightbox background – even making it transparent
• The location of the popup on the screen
• The size of the popup
• The ‘trigger’ for the pop-up…. and….
• Full html code to appear in the popup – so it can be branded with your own look and feel.

The product also comes with code to install on other types of websites and the manual is very professionally presented and written.

This is one class product and I’m impressed.  Robert Planks Action Pop Up For WordPress And Websites is a tool that every business owner should have in their kit.

I also love the advances in technology that allow me to help people remotely because I can help them whenever they need help, not just when I can get to a phone or be able to get to their physical location. Being able to share screens, see what the other person is experiencing, show them what they should see and them assist the other person in fixing their problem is a wonderful thing!

I started in the IT industry, as a field service tech, before it was even known as IT!  I have always helped friends, family and some small businesses in supporting their IT environment. Often over the phone, sometimes on site. Since working online and find the right “technology fit”, I have also been helping people internationally!

As a result, I know I can help a lot more people and I have spent time recently in developing an offering that will allow people to “overcome their technology challenges“.  This offering involves working with people on a 1 on 1 basis, over the Internet to address their technology challenges. If the issue you’re having is outside my skillset, I will say so and not waste your time – I will also try to recommend where you can get assistance, or who can help.

From setting up blogs, using FTP (file transfer protocol), configuring Squeeze pages or landing pages, autoresponders, videos – I have a wide skillset and can help.

I already conduct free classes, that you are welcome to attend, where I demonstrate the activities required interactively and provide opportunities for the participants to ask questions and clarify the steps.  Details on my free How To Teleseminars and examples of the types of training I provide are found on my How To Videos Central Blog.

So, if you find you are being challenged by technology and would like some friendly, professional assistance, find out how my 1 on 1 coaching package to help you overcome your technology challenges can help.

Your website is the virtual representation of your company, whether your company exists physically or not.  Your website is essentially the hub of your online business.

People do judge you by “your covers”.  When you are doing business online, people cannot see you physically, as they could if they were dealing with a bricks and mortar company. This is why a good website design is important.

If you are running a bricks and mortar company, would you allow your salespersons to dress in shabby or casual clothes when they are dealing with your customers? By making your staff wear professionally, you are telling your customers that you do care about quality. This works simply because first impressions matter.

Similarly, it is the same with your website. If your website is put together shabbily and looks like a 5 minute “quick fix”, you are literally shouting to your visitors that you are not professional and you do not care for quality.  Conversely, if your website looks professional, you give your visitors the perception that you have given meticulous attention to every detail and you care about professionalism. You are organised, focused and you really mean business.

Statistics show that most online visitors take approximately 7 seconds to decide whether this is a site they wish to visit.  A well designed site helps with making this decision easier.

The other thing to consider with a good design is the “other things” that represent your company. From business cards to letterheads to promotional brochures, every little bit matters. This is because as you grow your business, these items become the face of your business.

For more information on website design visit:
http://webdesign.arvoreentreasures.com/ and sign up for the design newsletter.

For great business cards and other printed material visit Vistaprint

Christmas is just around the corner

I was in the supermarket the other day and noticed that Christmas decorations are out! I guess that means that Christmas isn’t all that far away.

It’s time to start thinking about your Christmas Cards, Lights and gifts.  How about a letter from Santa?

Visit the Arvoreen Treasures Christmas Store for some great ideas.

Be Entertained

I have recently launched a number of Entertainment related sites.  Why not visit them:

Music and Movie Downloads

Free Game Downloads – download a new game everyday

Audio Books – visit my Audible store and  download your favourite books in audio format.

The Entertainment Giveaway – get heaps of free stuff

Weekly Freebie

List Building and Traffic Generation Tips – Here’s your chance to listen in on this short but info-packed marketing training call as two of today’s most respected online marketers Simon Hodgkinson and Jeremy Gislason reveal all . .