Every day we have conversations about building and growing businesses and there’s one universally critical element: companies need websites that work. Doesn’t matter how big or how small your business is, or whether you’re in B2B or B2C markets—maximizing your website is key.
Why? Customers and prospective customers typically find products or services they want to buy by one of two ways: search and referral. That means when they want to buy, they Google what they’re looking for or they ask their friends – or both.
So if your business isn’t leveraging the power of the Internet, search and social networks, how is it, exactly, that customers will find you? Oh, and if they’re looking for your website on their mobile device, what will they see?
Sound like stuff you want to know more about? If not, it should be. And my friends at MarketingProfs have a webinar series that can not only answer every question you thought you had about websites that work, the experts they have lined up will most likely answer questions you didn’t even know you had.
Websites That Work is an 11-class course that will help you plan, design (or redesign) your website, as well as understand the importance of and learn how to measure, optimize and track all your website and landing page activities. Giving you chills just thinking about it, isn’t it?
I’m excited to be a part of the webinar series (I’m presenting on How to Build a Mobile Website), along with some wicked smart people like Roberta Rosenberg (MGP Direct), Chris Goward (WiderFunnel Marketing Optimization), Scott Brinker (ION Interactive), Joanna Lord (SEOMoz), Mark O’Brien (Newfangled), Naomi Niles (ShiftFWD), Philippa Gamse (Websites That Win), Brian Massey (The Conversion Scientist), Kelly Goto (goto media) and Adam Greco (Web Analytics Demystified). Disclosure: I’m not compensated for participating in the webinar series in any way and I’m writing about it because I truly believe it’s an awesome opportunity for you to participate and learn a lot. In case you were wondering.
One of the many things I love about MarketingProfs University webinar series is that they are recorded and you can either watch them live or access them afterwards (or again and again), which works for my crazy schedule. Registrants have access to the class lecture and the streaming media version of Q&A, each presenter’s slide deck and the audio track, a transcript in PDF format and a Cliff Notes version of the transcript (clearly designed with people like me in mind). And there’s also a Facebook group exclusive to each MPU course where you can share questions with the instructors, fellow students and MarketingProfs staff. Ann Handley, Matt Grant, Courtney Bosch and Anne Burkauskas are amazing. And the products that they put together—including this series, are really terrific. Whether I’m working with them as a presenter or as a participant in one of their Pro Series courses, I marvel at all they bring to the table. And, more importantly, learn as a result of what they do.
I’ll tell you what I tell all our clients and prospective clients ad nauseum–your website is–and should be–the hub of all your business operations, so take this opportunity to get your house in order. A well-designed website (and mobile websites) bring you leads. And leads bring you opportunities to convert shoppers to buyers. No matter what your business, no matter what you’re selling. And we’re all in the business of selling.
Sound like something you’re interested in? I hope so. It would be great to see you there. I can promise that I’ll be participating in the whole series, because there’s always more I want to learn. And the people participating in this MarketingProfs University series on Websites That Work – they’re amazing. Here’s the full schedule to tempt you just a little bit more:
STRATEGY: Creating a Winning Web Presence
PERSONAS: Advanced Studies in Visitor Personas
REDESIGN: Planning a Killer B2B Lead Gen Website
MOBILE: Creating a Mobile Website
ESSENTIALS: Landing Page Essentials—The READY Framework
OPTIMIZATION: Improving Your Conversion Strategy
DESIGN: Landing Page Deep Dive
COPY: Writing Effective Headlines and Calls to Action
SOCIAL: The ROI of Social Landing Pages
TESTING: Research with Results
ANALYTICS: Demystifying Personas, Design, and Landing Pages
When you register, you’ll get 3 bonus classes from MPU’s 2011 program, and you’ll be able to access the recordings as soon as you register.
E-COMMERCE: 10 Essential Strategies for E-Commerce Success
SEO: Optimizing Your Site for Search
TECH: Web Technology for Non-Techies
I hope I’ve convinced you to come along and join us. Invest in yourself, register now, and I can promise you’ll be glad you did. Oh, and when you do, let me know you’re coming and I promise to heckle you during the webinar!
What’s the Cost to Participate?
By the way, if you get to the registration form and convince yourself you don’t want to spend the money to participate in this series, ask yourself how much it will cost if you don’t maximize your website (and your mobile capabilities). The web has changed everything about how we market, how we sell, how we buy. And if you don’t figure this out – for yourselves or for your clients – I can promise that your competitors will. This is not an advertisement for MarketingProfs, but I’m a huge fan–and a consumer–of the content they produce. If you’re budgeting for getting up to speed on this kind of content explore their Pro Memberships, which provide tons of benefits and give you a 40% discount on web seminar series like this one. Dammit, but Ann Handley had better buy me dinner the next time I’m with that hag. But in all seriousness, I’d encourage you to explore this even if she wasn’t a great friend. This is information you need. Yesterday.
Hey Shorty, It’s Your Birthday, Gonna Party Like It’s Your Birthday…
Be sure to join us this Friday, April 6 (which is also my birthday) at 12 Noon EDT. Matt Grant invited me to guest host a Twitter chat during which we’ll discuss how to mobilize your web presence. The hashtag is #profschat and we hope to see you there! Oh, and bring presents if you know what’s good for you.
Shelly Kramer is a Principal Analyst and Founding Partner at Futurum Research. A serial entrepreneur with a technology centric focus, she has worked alongside some of the world’s largest brands to embrace disruption and spur innovation, understand and address the realities of the connected customer, and help navigate the process of digital transformation. She brings 20 years’ experience as a brand strategist to her work at Futurum, and has deep experience helping global companies with marketing challenges, GTM strategies, messaging develoment, and driving strategy and digital transformation for B2B brands across multiple verticals. Shelly’s coverage areas include Collaboration/CX/SaaS, platforms, ESG, and Cybersecurity, as well as topics and trends related to the Future of Work, the transformation of the workplace and how people and technology are driving that transformation. A transplanted New Yorker, she has learned to love life in the Midwest, and has firsthand experience that some of the most innovative minds and most successful companies in the world also happen to live in “flyover country.”