Headlines are tricky. The tend to be short, usually just a couple of words, but much like design they are subjective (at least to some extent). Is the headline on your homepage the one your boss liked?...or is it a headline that actually works? Is it “kute with a k”?...or does it produce results? Stop guessing at what you think will work; it’s time to start testing your headlines!

First things first, make sure your it answers the following questions:

• Is the headline important?
• Is the headline relevant?
• Does the headline entice the user to click?...to continue browsing?...to do anything?!

Remember, just like the headline in a newspaper or magazine the sole purpose is to entice the user. The headline is the bait, everything that comes thereafter is the hook. You’ve only got a matter of seconds to fully engage them before they make the decision whether or not to hit the “Back” button.

So, where do you start? Begin by brainstorming a list of potential headlines that utilize different approaches, for example:

• Direct command – instruct the user what to do
• News related – inform the user about important information
• Question – ask the user for an answer
• List – explain to the user in an easy to read format
• How-to – educate the user, step-by-step
• Testimonial – show the user a specific example
• Teaser – inform the user in a playful manner

Take your new list, and narrow the headlines down to the ‘good ones’ and the ‘just ok’ (don’t worry, there’s no magic number). Those ‘good ones’ are the headlines you will be testing on your site.

Now before you get scared off...NO, you DO NOT need to manually change your headline every week.

Instead, you need to choose a website optimization tool to help you automate the process. There’s a multitude of choices, some more complicated than others, but the general idea is always the same. You put your headlines into the tool and the tool does all the legwork swapping headlines in-and-out on a user by user basis. Given time, the tool’s reporting will tell you what worked best, and which headlines to go with permanently.

It may sound a little tricky, maybe even a little overwhelming, but testing your headlines is a sure fire way to increase conversions using real stats.

Are you testing headlines on your site?

Image: To do

What is the purpose of your website? Literally, why does it exist? Seems like a funny question to ask, right?...but far too often it is simply overlooked. To put it bluntly, the entire existence of your brand or company online depends on the answer (or at least it should).

What are you selling?

What service are you providing?

Why should anyone care?

When a user finds your site, what do you want them to do!?

Understandably, your website should have multiple functions, however it’s important that the reason for your existence online is front and center. Not only should you be showing the user what to do, you should essentially be telling them how to do it. Being so close to your website, it’s easy to get caught up and not be able to “see the forest for the trees”.

So, take a step step back and ask yourself, “What is the purpose of my website?”

We’re pleased to announce the launch of the new Northeast Security Bank website. Northeast Security Bank focuses on providing the right products and services you need to manage your money, all with professional guidance to help you meet financial success. With locations in Decorah, Fairbank, Fredericksburg, and Sumner Iowa, let Northeast Security Bank show you what Banking with Personality is all about.

Like what you see? Take a more detailed look at our work or watch a testimonial to hear what people are saying about Spinutech.

Visit Northeast Security Bank

We’re pleased to announce the launch of the new Retirement Insurance Specialists website. Retirement Insurance Specialists is a licensed insurance agency that represents multiple carriers in all 50 states specializing in supplemental Medicare products. RIS takes full advantage of a complete redesign, Spinternet™ Content Management System install, and site functionality to assist customers looking for a confident, knowledgable staff in the Medicare world.

Like what you see? Take a more detailed look at our work or watch a testimonial to hear what people are saying about Spinutech.

Visit Retirement Insurance Specialists

You’ve attempted some form of SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, so how do you know if it’s working? Short answer, ask yourself a couple questions...

Did your search engine ranking improve?

Is your listing on the first page? Is it in the top 5? Is it number 1?! While rank is just one piece of the puzzle, it is often the item that most businesses get hung up on...“Where do I rank versus my competition?” It’s important to keep in mind that this is a very basic gauge of improvement, higher rank doesn’t always correlate to higher traffic.

Did the amount of traffic you receive from non-branded keywords improve?

It should be easy for you to receive search traffic from keywords that contain your name (branded traffic), but what about those that mention the products or services you offer? What about search traffic from keywords about all the other “stuff” (non-branded) that exists on your site? Exposure to these “new” keywords can mean exposure to a new audience, and hopefully new leads or sales.

Did your conversion rate improve?

Ultimately you want the users visiting your site to do something. Buy a product, fill out a form, download a file, etc. Do you know what your users are doing? Are you effectively measuring the traffic path of your audience? In the grand scheme of things, shear numbers are important, but how many of those numbers actually convert into a sale or a lead? Good traffic simply visits your site, great traffic converts.

The three items listed above are just scratch the surface. How do you measure your SEO?

Source: MarketingProfs - Three Ways to Know Your SEO is Working

Seems like a simple task doesn’t it? Write more and write more often, but for many, writing an article for your blog or news feed is more of a challenge. Why? Because we’re “too busy”. Often times the responsibility of producing content is clumped in with one hundred other marketing related items that you “don’t have time for”...well, it’s time to make time.

If you have a blog or news section on your site, users expect content on a regular basis. If content is king, then consistent content is the queen (and the king always listens to the queen, right?). The importance of consistent content cannot be stressed enough.

“That one blog post every two months is about as good as not blogging at all.”*

The more you post, the more traffic you will get. It may not be today, it may not be next week or next month, but over time the traffic will come. It may be a slow climb, but over time your audience will grow.

Become the expert your customers lean on for information. By focusing on a particular topic or concept, your audience may begin to rely on your blog or news section. It’s quite simple actually, if you have one hundred articles over the course of the year about acme widgets, then it’s safe to assume you know a lot about acme widgets.

This blog post doesn’t contain any tips, tricks, or insider secrets...this is your wake up call! Dust off that keyboard, and get to typin’!

What does your blog or news section look like?

* Neil Patel – 12 Things That Will Kill Your Blog Post Every Time (#7 Publishing less than one post per month)
Image Credit: futureshape – Keep up and blog on 

Someone mentioned your company or brand on Twitter, now what?

Twitter is an interesting place. Because of the character limitations, it’s a perfect ‘soap box’ for users to equally applaud or complain about your business or your brand. By following a few simple DOs and DONT's, responding to your followers or potential followers can be quick and easy.

DO respond quickly
First things first, make sure it’s not spam...you’ll know. Next, reply as soon as you can with an appropriate response (see below).

DO respond appropriately
If it’s a question, tell them you’re on top of it. If it’s a complaint, tell them you’ll look into it or fix it. If it’s admiration, tell them thanks! Immediate feedback is key. It shows your listening, and it shows you care.

DO use simple words
Twitter was built for quick, informal conversation...keep it that way.

DO NOT respond to their tweet via phone or email
They used Twitter because it’s quick and easy. If they mentioned you on Twitter, they want you to respond on Twitter. Don’t try to find their email address online, or in their profile. If their tweet requires additional attention, or needs further explanation, simply reply back and say so. Not everything can be sorted out in 140 characters.

DO NOT get too personal
Yes, seeing that a random Twitter user mentioned you is exciting, but don’t mistake their tweet as an open invitation to become best friends. Keep things informal.

DO NOT respond negatively
You never know where your tweets may end up, so never respond negatively. If you wouldn’t say it in a face-to-face conversation, don’t say it on Twitter.

Keep in mind, this just scrapes the surface. While there may be many unwritten rules, there is no right or wrong way to respond.

How often do you interact with users on Twitter?