Marketing To Brides: Wedding Fashion

Here are the returns (pages that match) at Google for the following keywords:

wedding gowns - 3,850,000

"wedding gowns" - 3,790,000

wedding dresses - 9,440,000

"wedding dresses" - 9,740,000

YIKES!

Should You Advertise at The Knot?

Marketing to brides online is getting more and more competitive.

I get asked this question about 100 times a month:

"Chris, should I be advertising at The Knot and is it worth it?"

The Knot is certainly one of the most visited wedding planning websites on the Internet. As a result, chances are pretty good that some of the brides and grooms in your local market have visited and may even use the website regularly.

Generally speaking, I like The Knot (http://www.theknot.com) because it has done a great job at building a highly recognized brand in the wedding planning space.

There are a couple things I find interesting about their online advertising model and almost all of the people I know who have advertised there seem frustrated with their rotating-account-managers (or inability to communicate with an account manager). But make no mistake... The Knot is one of the places brides visit once they're engaged.

Like with any advertising, and relatively easier with online advertising, you'll want to do some homework and plan on measuring the results you get.

If you are a current or former advertiser at The Knot I'd love to get your feedback. Drop me a line.

Should You Advertise at The Knot

Marketing To Brides Q&A - Leads List Delivering Poor Results

Q: Chris, I get a list of leads from a website that I advertise at and I'm frustrated with the chasing down and lack of response I get when I contact these people. I send these people email and never hear back from them. Any suggestions?

A: Time and time again I hear this. The bottom line is these are poor quality leads and they come from a bride/groom who has visited a wedding planning website, signed-up for "something" and has now made it to a list. I'm not saying they are NO GOOD, I'm just saying come on, get real, this isn't what I'd call a high-quality lead.

The best leads are the ones you get from your website. If you have good traffic but no inquiries or phone calls you have a conversion problem. Conversion problems don't get better by themselves and you'll want to address this immediately.

Keep in mind, if a bride finds your website and doesn't like what she sees with just a click of a button she's on her way to finding someone else. The average bride who uses my Wedding Planning Links website clicks on three links before she leaves permanently.

You may like your website, your web designer might like it, your mother might tell you "it's lovely."

Only one thing really matters: is your traffic turning into inquiries and sales?

If not you have a conversion problem.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Wedding Ministers and Wedding Officiants... Don't Miss This

If you are a Wedding Minister or Wedding Officiant and marketing to brides online you won't want to miss a series of tele-clinics and webinars I'm doing with Rev. Claire Goodman.

Rev It Up Marketing is a project we've been collaborating on since the end of last year and we're kicking things up a notch with a three tele-clinics/webinars.

Each class will be filled with great information, tips, advice, and recommended resources. We'll also allow plenty of time for Q&A at the end of the hour.

Session/Class #1
Sunday, March 30th, 8 PM

Topic: Search Engine Optimization Overview.

So, you've got a website... great! But are the couples who need your services finding it? If not then this class is for you!

Session/Class #2
Sunday, April 6th - 8 PM

Topic: The Words You Choose Make or Break You.

Topic includes: The importance of your marketing message, unique value proposition, discounting pros/cons, WIIFM, benefit vs. value.

Session/Class #3
Sunday, April 13th - 8 PM

Topic: Why Wedding Officiants Should Be Blogging and How To Get Started.

If you can't make heads or tales of this thing called blogging or if you've got one but can't quite figure out how to make it work for your business then we can help!

To participate all you need is a phone and Internet connection with a browser (to follow the online presentation). Long distance phone charges may apply.

Visit Rev It Up Marketing for more information.

More Sales

Everyone wants more sales.

That's what marketing to brides is all about, right?

One way to get more sales is to get more inquiries. That's what websites are supposed to do - generate inquiries from brides.

One way to get more inquiries is to make it easier for brides to make inquiries.

I know... that sounds so obvious, but I visit too many websites that make it too difficult to find the contact option or a phone number?

One of my client's recently thought it was a good idea to remove their phone number from the top of her website (we had to have a little talk...).

Why in the world are you making brides LOOK FOR your phone number or even click a link (or button) to find your contact form?

Want more sales?

Then focus on getting more inquiries!

Here are a few ideas:

(1) Add your phone number to the top and bottom of every page. I like to see a phone number at the top right of a page - that's where I think most people's eyes go. I've seen this simple change increase inquiries 30%.

(2) Add your inquiry form to the bottom of your home page. If people aren't ready to make an inquiry after reading your home page you've got a problem. I'm not saying they all will, but I'm saying they should be ready to make an inquiry. 95% of the people who visit your home page should want to, and be ready to, make an inquiry after reading it.

(3) Add a "Bookmark This Site" option to your home page. Not every bride will be ready to make an inquiry on her first visit to your website. Her boss is probably coming back from lunch any minute now and... she'll have to visit later! Adding a simple "Bookmark" this site option is a simple and effective way to build repeat traffic and get more inquiries.

Simple stuff here folks... that can make a big difference.

Here's another way to increase your company's exposure, get more inquiries, and book more weddings!

You Built It - They Didn't Come

In the 1989 movie Field of Dreams Kevin Costner is told "if you build it they will come" and they do. Of course they do, it's Hollywood.

But the same doesn't work with your website. Marketing to brides online isn't anything like a Hollywood movie. You can build a website and no one, I mean no one, will find it or come - for weeks, months, maybe years.

Not unless you have an effective TRAFFIC BUILDING STRATEGY.

Here are the elements to consider when putting together a successful traffic building strategy:

SEO (search engine optimization)

* Optimizing your website for Google, Yahoo!, MSN
* Creating page content that is relevant to the search
* Developing keywords and keyword phrases
* Making sure they appear in your content (i.e. keyword density)
* Creating fresh information and keeping your website up-to-date
* Maximizing your website's "crawlability" (i.e. no FLASH)
* Developing inbound links
* Measuring results (i.e. Google Analytics)
* Patience: it can take 6 to 12 months to see results

SEM (search engine marketing)

* Pay-per-click advertising at Google (i.e. Adwords)
* Buying other links in directories
* Increasing your overall exposure using paid advertising
* Using search engines AND directories

Link Building & Exchange

* Exchanging links with people you know and work with
* Asking for links at other sites thematically the same as yours
* Buying positions at well ranked websites
* Optimizing this by getting direct links (not passed with scripts)

EMAIL Marketing

* Building repeat traffic opportunities
* Exchanging value for a visit
* Expert tips = come back for more = inquiries
* "Touching" a prospect up to 7 times

Web 2.0 (YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, bulletin boards, "social media")

* Developing additional exposure for your website online
* Jumping on the "social media" trend
* Blogging
* YouTube
* MySpace
* FaceBook
* Linked In
* Posting to Craigslist


Integration of Offline/Online Marketing

* Making sure your offline marketing and advertising programs fold in to your website and Internet marketing plans.

Without question this is a lot of work and it will take time to see the results you ideally want. But make no mistake, doing nothing is not an effective strategy and the amount of effort you put into the above items will be directly proportional to the results and traffic you get.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Online Mistakes: Part 1

Common Online Marketing Mistakes

1) Waiting For Things To Get Better By Themselves

This is the number one problem for people who are NOT getting the results they want from their website - waiting and thinking things will get better.

They don't.

Actually, they'll get worse.

In the online world MONEY is second to TIME. You can't make up time on the Internet and I believe that for every one day you "wait" you actually fall behind by TWO days. Why? Because (1) your competition gets ahead of you by one more day, (2) new competition comes online and further dilutes the marketplace and your visibility/position, (3) it is taking twice as long to get results at Google as it has in the past - what once took a few months is now taking up to year (or more!).

2) Misconceptions Related to Search Engines & Search Engine Optimization

Make NO MISTAKE, when your website is top ranked for your keywords/phrases you have a strategic and significant advantage over your competition. If you've ever listened in on my tele-clinics or heard me speak at a conference, you've heard me say a top ranked website at Google is "like having a money tree in your back yard."

In most cases, you don't have the expertise to get a top ranked position at Google (by yourself, or without the proper guidance and coaching). Adjusting a few meta-tags isn't going to do anything for your website at Google - trust me!

3) Thinking Long Term

You have to think of your online marketing strategey as a long-term plan. To get the results you want, and achieve the success you want, you'll have to have a comprehensive online marketing strategy for marketing to brides that includes:

Design (website design)
Site Content (marketing message)
Conversion (turning visitors into inquiries/sales)
Traffic Building
Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Marketing
Advanced Online Marketing (email, blogging, etc.)
Integration of Offline/Online

Food for thought on a cold and now snowing day in Boston.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Words of Wisdom: The First Meeting With A Bride & Groom

Claire Goodman, a wedding officiant in Charlottesville, Virginia has some sound advice that she's sharing today: 3 Tips on a Successful First Meeting With a Couple.

Enjoy!

What Is "Good" Conversion?

Today I spent the day with a client in New York City and I'm on the Amtrak Acela back to Boston... I love the Internet (my laptop, my Sprint broadband modem, and my new iPod Touch!).

We talked about conversion and last year their website converted 2.54% of their gross visitor sessions into inquiries. If you use my rule (i.e. take your total visitor count and cut it in half - they are not qualified visitors or they are just people clicking around the 'net), the conversion pops up over 5%.

From those inquiries they booked 147 new clients. Good stuff, for sure.

Conversion... you say. What is conversion, Chris?

Conversion is that magic moment, the goal of EVERY website (IMO), when a bride or groom visiting your website does something you want them to.

If you sell your services it's most likely an inquiry, a phone call, or may be a download of your take-away - you are using a take-way, right?

If you sell online it's when they put something into their shopping cart and then, if everything goes right, enter your checkout process, put up their credit card, and complete the purchase.

So the question is: What is a good converstion rate?

Obviously, the higher the better.

But realistically, if you sell services anything below 5% is an indication something is wrong - either with your website or your traffic (i.e. poor qualified traffic) - or both. Below 2% and you've got a disaster on your hands.

In most cases, I see conversion in the 2% to 3% range and I think that is the average. Keep in mind, that's just an inquiry - not a sale. Tweak your online marketing, do some testing, and I've been able to get to between 10% and 16%.

When it comes to ecommerce the numbers are, sadly, worse. A .5% (1/2 of 1%) conversion is not unlikely and probably about the average. Yes, about average. An ecommerce site that converts 1% to 2% is above average. In a recent article in Internet Retailer, some sites claimed to be in the 6% range. Those, I'm sure are not typical.

As you might guess there are a lot of things that impact conversion and it's almost ridiculous to say there is an "average." Factors like quality of traffic play a large role, things like email marketing and repeat visits/visitors also impact conversion.

Bottom line... track your results (Google Analytics), test different page copy (split testing), test different graphics, test using landing pages (if you're using pay-per-click), get feedback from people who bought from you... gather up all your data and then, and only then, will you have an idea of what is REALLY happening at your website. If you think you've got trouble, then drop me a line.

As for my New York City client, we're shooting for 280 new clients in 2008 and optimizing conversion, getting it to 8% to 10%, is our plan of attack

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Serving Video via YouTube (and a very funny video!)

Today I thought I'd share a funny video that is being served via YouTube.

So this post is a LIVE EXAMPLE of using YouTube to "serve" your video clips - whether at your blog or at your website.

It's pretty simple:

1) Open a YouTube account

2) Load up your videos

3) Grab the "link"

4) Put it on a web page at your site

In other words, you are "plugging in" your videos from YouTube at your website (or, in this case, a blog).

Cool stuff and FREE!

I highly recommend you take advantage of this technique and in most cases I can't see someone wouldn't do it this way.

Benefits:

Easy

Serves videos across all platforms: Windows or Mac or ???

Eliminates the "streaming or no-streaming" issue (YouTube player streams!)

Fast delivery of content

Saves you bandwidth charges with your hosting company

Enjoy!






Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

PPC and Landing Page Quality Score

Too many people I speak to who are using Google Adwords don't know what a landing page is.

Even worse, they're not familiar with Page Quality Score, which will impact your bidding costs (poor quality score requires higher minimum bids, higher quality score has a positive impact: lower minimum bids and potentially more impressions and clicks - for less cost-per-click!).

For more information about Quality Score visit:
http://adwords.blogspot.com/2007/09/websites-that-may-merit-low-landing.html

For more information about Landing Pages visit:
https://adwords.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=46675&hl=en


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

The Five C's of Successful Websites

#1 - Content

The information on each of your web site pages is very important.

First, it's what a bride came looking for. If you don't provide what brides are looking for at your website, guess what? They leave. So if you have traffic, but not results, it would be a good idea to take a look at your page content (and also the source of your traffic which should indicate the quality of your traffic).

Secondly, the words and how you use those words on your page play a critical role in how well your website is ranked by Google, Yahoo!, and MSN. Content means not only delivering a valuable marketing message (unique value proposition, value/benefit, call-to-action), but using the right keywords and keyword phrases so brides and grooms can actually find your website!

Content is very important. Content is King.



Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Anchor Text Is Key Element of Search Engine Optimization Strategy for Wedding Sites

What is Anchor Text?

Anchor text is the visible hyperlinked text that you see on a web page.

If you were to click on the link (text) it would either bring you deeper into a website or lead you off the website to another website (internal link vs. external link).

In a sentence at a wedding planning website, even a blog, or a website being used for marketing to brides, the link Chicago Wedding Disc Jockey is the "anchor text" and uses the keywords/phrases that match, or are relevant, to the web page you arrive at after the click.

Anchor text that uses keywords/phrases that brides are searching for are much more valuable in search engine optimization then the company's name, A Sound Solution.

In either case, the words used in the anchor text are VERY important and play a significant role in effectively building links internal or externally as part of an overall search engine optimization strategy.


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Having Trouble Figuring Out How To "Blog?? Here Are Two Great Blogs...

Having trouble figuring out how to "Blog?"

Here are two great examples that should inspire you and help you get over your mental block.

http://charlottesvilleweddingsblog.blogspot.com/

http://inclusiveceremonies.blogspot.com/

Both use Google "Blogger" (which means "free").


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Google Is Watching You...

Have you ever gone to a website and next thing you know you've picked up a virus or something has changed your browser settings?

These things are called "drive-by" viruses or spyware.

It's not a good way to leave a good impression on a bride and can pretty much ruin your effort marketing to brides online.

Google is watching your website and if you have one of these at your website Google is going to tell the world.

What you need to do: Make sure your webmaster is running clean code, make sure your hosting server is secure, avoid cheap or "free" hosting services, and keep an eye on your listings at Google.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Getting Your Wedding Business Website Top Ranked At Google

10 Things You Need To Know (and What To Do Today) or You Don't Stand A Chance of Getting a Top Position at the World's Most Popular Search Engine

Introduction

Getting top ranking with Google, and staying there, is just like having a money tree in your back yard.

Web site owners that I've helped to get top ranked have cut back on other advertising and traditional marketing costs - and still achieved an increase in their sales.

More sales + less cost = more PROFIT.

Other Web site owners who once got four or five inquiries a month are now getting four or five inquiries, sometimes MORE, in a single day!

Why, you ask?

Because statistics show that 80% who start an Internet session are "looking for something" and their search begins with a search engine.

The Internet is the ultimate research tool. It is virtually free, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Old, young, business executives, artists, research scientists, doctors, lawyers, just about everyone knows the Internet is the quickest and easiest way to find information.

Google is the #1 search engine and more than 70% of all the searches performed each month are performed using Google.

We're talking BILLIONS of searches each month - just at Google.

Google is the place to be top ranked. To ignore the value of a top ranked position for your website is a mistake that your competition will be glad you made.

Here is the good news. When you optimize for Google and get top ranking with them your efforts will probably deliver similar positioning at Yahoo! and MSN.

The bad news is that there is a lot of competition for these top positions which makes it more difficult to achieve. All the more reason to know what to do.

This complete report is available for members of my ADVANTAGE program at Book More Weddings.


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com/

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Get Better Results and Book More Weddings Using Fresh Content At Your Website

There are a lot of reasons to keep your website fresh with new content.

Three would be:

1) Search engines like to see websites that have new information and appear to actually have real people behind them that are updating the website.

2) It also leaves a positive impression with brides who visit/revisit your website.

3) It gives you an opportunity to get better search engine placement for your website and increase your online visibility by creating relevant keyword-rich content.

This complete report is available for members of my ADVANTAGE program at Book More Weddings.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Keeping Your Website Fresh Has Many Benefits

Keeping your website fresh with new content has many benefits.

It can GREATLY improve your organic search engine positioning.

It's part of creating more online visibility and making it easier for brides to find your website among thousands of others.

And when your website looks better than the last three a bride visited, you'll be more likely to get an inquiry or phone call.

But who has time to write all this great content?

Here's a solution that will help you in your efforts marketing to brides.



Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

10 Reasons To Fire Your Webmaster

Here are 10 reasons you might want to start looking for a new webmaster:

1) They think return-on-investment is a new rock band.

2) They think they can get your all-Flash website top ranked at Google.

3) They think meta-tags are all it takes to get top ranked.

4) They tell you pay-per-click doesn't work and is a waste of money.

5) They think "conversion" is when you change from one religion to another.

6) They think it's good to have the number one position search engine position at Google, Yahoo! and MSN for "fun bands in Atlanta."

7) They have a full-time job at Home Depot.

8) They talk about "hits" never about "visitor sessions."

9) Because... they don't know the difference!

10) They think "submitting your website to the search engines" actually does something.

Unless your business is a hobby, you can't afford to make mistakes with your website and online marketing.

Marketing to brides online has jumped to a new level. You either have an expert team behind you and guiding you, or you're probably falling behind your competition.


Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.

Power Tip: Getting More Online Visibility at Search Engines

Power Tip

Marketing to brides is very competitive. 2008 will get worse. Get more online visibility for your website at search engines and beat your competition by combining this strategy.

Chris Jaeger
Book More Weddings
http://www.bookmoreweddings.com

Get the ADVANTAGE for your website. More traffic, more brides, more inquiries, more sales.