M is for Marketing:
Marketing… the necessary evil of business! It can be very overwhelming to know what to do, how much of it, and what to say!

Once you’ve got a solid idea of who your target market is, and what you’d like your main message to be to your audience, sit down and create a plan on a calendar. Write bullet points for each of the things you want to say/sell, and cover all the aspects of how your business solves problems for your ideal client. Mix it up though – so you’re not constantly selling in your marketing. Social media is a great place to start, but if you still need to know where your audience hangs out (or if they’re even active on social media!). It can be a tricky balance, but knowing who your audience is, where they are, and keeping up with marketing consistently is going to make all the difference! Need some help figuring out where to start?

N is for Navigation
Navigation within your site is a delicate balance of making sure your visitor knows what’s available, without giving them so many options that they don’t know what to pick!

Consider what’s most important for your visitors to see, put the menu items in order of priority, and only show the top four to six. Other pages can be accessed within the site, or given lesser prominence by having them available in the footer (like a privacy policy page). By giving too many options right away, you’ll make it harder for visitors to sift through all the possibilities to get to what you want them to see, and what they’re looking for.

A search bar can help for a site that’s heavily content based. If you’re not sure if it’s worth the space you’re giving it on your site, take a look at your analytics over time and see how many visitors are using it so you can make an informed decision.

O is for Opt-ins:
Opt-ins are great for building your email lists, but how you approach them should vary with who your target market is. Some people aren’t bothered by popups that take over your whole site, while others take great offence! I know it seems like common sense, but don’t annoy the people you want something from!

Make them want to give you their email address! Give them something for what you’re getting. Offer a free e-book on a topic that helps your ideal client, offer a discount or coupon – make it worth their while!