All posts by Kay Svela

Kay is the VP Business Development at Cyberwalker Digital and author of three books: Read This Before You Kill Yourself, Super You, and Digital Marketing Secrets Revealed. She is based in Tampa, Florida. Email her at [email protected]

Email marketing for materials handling companies

March 16, 2015 Kay Svela

Email marketing is a highly under-used digital marketing tactic. And it’s powerful. You can use it to grow your list of leads and turn those leads into buyers. But, it has to be used effectively, which requires learning a few critical and not always intuitive techniques.

email marketing for materials handling companies

It’s also important to understand that growing your materials handling sales through email marketing takes time. It’s a long-term strategy and one that does not always show results immediately. (Although, when done right, it can take as little as 90 days.)

Email marketing for materials handling companies:

If you want to increase your sales revenue by using email marketing to turn leads into buyers you first need to understand the greatest marketing error that many materials handling companies tend to make.

The No.1 email marketing pitfall

Email marketing requires a specific strategy to be effective. If you do email marketing the right way, you will produce results. If you don’t, you could damage your brand. You can also hinder your ability to use email to communicate with your contacts.

The number one thing to understand is that effective email marketers use email as a medium to:

1.Generate new leads and turn interested people into buyers

2.Keep existing buyers engaged so they are more likely to buy again in the future

Many materials handling companies are email blasters and they don’t know it. Email blasters turn people off in the hopes of landing a few sales. Read these definitions to identify which category your business currently belongs to:

Definition of an email blaster: An email blaster uses email to try to get people to buy their stuff. They don’t consider that there are different groups of people with different needs on their list of contacts. The goal of an email blaster is to sell their stuff to whoever will buy it. They send emails with no strategy and no direction. Their email content is all about them. And they send email to anyone that they have an address for.

Definition of an email marketer: An email marketer creates a long-term sales strategy that has a specific end goal. They send emails to various groups of people. The emails offer valuable content that speaks to the subscribers This builds desire, trust, and loyalty. They ask people to buy when appropriate. Their email content shares expertise that is of interest to subscribers.

If you find yourself in the email blaster camp, don’t feel bad, that is where most people find themselves. Why? Email marketing is still a relatively new form of marketing. Especially in the materials handling industry. There are only a handful of highly effective email marketers.

Many B2B companies also overlook the potential of email marketing. Though they are not necessarily selling a list of products, email can still be used for brand awareness and engagement.

If you follow a few basic steps you can easily create an effective email marketing system that helps you grow your list, generate more sales, communicate directly with your audience, and ultimately, make your company more money.

There are four important steps to follow to implement email into your marketing strategy:

Step 1: Purchase an email marketing platform

Step 2: Setup your email funnels

Step 3: Learn how to write great emails and share great content (see these pallet rack guys)

Step 4: Track your progress and tweak your strategy

These four strategies are explained in the book: Digital Marketing Secrets for companies in Materials Handling. To order your free copy of this 60-page book and receive an ebook version for free, CLICK HERE:

How to optimize your materials handling website

March 16, 2015 Kay Svela

On-page optimization is the process by which you edit the content and the source (programming) code of a web page to ensure that a search engine identifies the page with the keywords that you want the page to represent.

When done successfully, on-page optimization will position a page on the front page of a search engine for the keywords optimized for.

It’s not necessarily a difficult process, but it does take a great deal of time. Especially, if there are multiple pages of content that require optimization. And, the more pages you optimize, the more you increase your chances of those pages landing in the top ranks on search engines.

On-page optimization requires some basic knowledge of HTML, which is the technical programming language that makes web pages work. However, you don’t have to be a web guru to learn it. If your site runs on a content management system like WordPress, then your knowledge of HTML can be nominal.

This article will show you how to optimize your materials handling website for search engines. It will also show you examples of how an article on RaymondHandling.com was SEO’d.

How to optimize your materials handling website for search engines:

There are six areas on a web page that can be enhanced and embedded with keywords to optimize that page. They are:

#1:H1 tags: One of the most important places on a page that needs to be optimized with the keywords or the keyword phrase you have selected is the H1 tags. H1 tags are reserved for the biggest and most important headline on a page. Any given page should only have one set of H1 tags. These tags should be wrapped around the headline, which heads the content on a page.

When you write your headline there are important things to keep in mind:

1) The phrase you are optimizing for should appear as far to the left of the headline as possible. Said another way, the keyword phrase should consist of the first part of your headline.

2) The headline needs to be human readable. Anyone reading the page should not have to think that the headline is written in poor English. It should be a perfectly formed phrase that reads naturally. Failure to do so, will produce weird looking web pages that people will hate reading and search engines won’till like. However, this strategy will backfire over time.

#2: Keywords in your web address or URL: Google puts high emphasis on keywords that appear in the web address of your web page. If you have a web developer that manually creates the name of the HTML page make sure those keywords are part of the HTML file name. Each word should be separated with an underscore or a hyphen.

If your company uses a content management system such as WordPress, it automatically turns your headline into the name of your HTML file and this becomes part of your web address or URL.

The URL for the article featured in the previous example (Figure XX) titiled: “Best racking for my warehouse operation”, would be:

http://raymondhandling.com/best-racking-for-my-warehouse-operation

#3 – Body text: When a search engine crawls your page it will look for keywords in the body text on the page. The keyword phrase that you select for this page should appear several times in this text. The rule of thumb is to ensure that it appears at minimum once and preferably 2 to 3 times. One school of thought is that one of these instances should also be bold faced to show the search engines that it is important text for the page.

Watch out for SEO companies that aren’t reputable. They often engage in a practice called keyword stuffing. If the body text contains the keyword phrase too many times it can work against your site. If the Google algorithm detects this is the case, it will penalize you for the behavior.

It’s always a good idea to use synonyms. Google’s algorithm picks up on variations of words.

#4 – IMG tags: <img> tags are an HTML code used to define images embedded in your web pages. This tag tells a web browser where the image file is located on the server, as well as, its height and width and any styling information on how to treat the image on when it is displayed.

An often overlooked parameter in the IMG tag is called ALT. This parameter is used to describe the image in the event that the image can’t be displayed. It is also used by screen readers for the blind to help describe the image.

#5 – Title tag: In the header of your HTML file all pages typically have a tag set called <title></title>. The words between these tags will show up at the top of your browser window. Or, in the case of a browser window with tabs, it will appear as the tab title. Google and Bing play close attention to the contents of this tag so you will want to ensure that your keyword phrase appears as the first few words. One top SEO expert suggests that failure to put your keywords here will guarantee that your website will not rank on Google’s first page of results.

You will also want to ensure that you use no more than 60 characters in this tag. Google ignores anything after 60 characters. So, keep your title tags short and sweet.

The content of your title tags also shows up as the headline used to describe your site listing in Google results. If the title tag is not clear, Google has been known to rewrite it for display results.

#6 – Meta description tag: This tag also appears in the header section of your HTML file. The contents of this tag are used to describe your web site in search engine listings. If this tag is not defined Google will usually take the first 10 to 15 words of the first paragraph of your body text and use that as a description in the search engine listing. You have 160 characters to play with here. Your keyword phrase should appear as close to the beginning of this text as possible.

The killer SEO tactic the experts use: In-linking:

In-linking is perhaps the most important and perhaps the most overlooked technique in SEO. The top experts know the power of in-linking and use it to great effect.

It’s the practice of getting other web sites to link to your web site. This is really important because Google and Bing use these links to calculate the value of your web site and web pages.

A link to your web site from another site is a vote of confidence. You can think of in-linking like this: A link is like a restaurant patron that says they will return to a restaurant. Would you eat at restaurant where one customer provided a recommendation or that 50 customers recommended?

It is important that you spend some time getting third parties to link to your site. This is especially true when it comes to highly competitive keywords.

Here are a few quick methods for generating links:

1. Find similar sites: Search for sites in Google that match keywords you want to be ranked for. Email them and suggest your content. Offer it to the them for use on their site in return for a link back to yours. Or suggest where they can link from their site directly to yours. Obviously competitors won’t link to your content, but others might.

2. Share on social media: Share great articles on social media. People who appreciate the material may link it to their sites or blogs.

3. Business listings: List your site on business listings sites.

4. Press releases: Issue press releases about new products and services to press release services. They will link to your web property. Often search engines will pick this content up and list it.

5. Media coverage: Provide your expertise to media in your industry -– trade publications or blogs or business sites. If you are interviewed, ask for a link to your web site.

6. Link bait: Link bait is content on a web site that is hard to find, provides rare information and that people naturally share. This content will get linked to from other web sites, when it is discovered.

Want to learn more about digital marketing? Order a free 60-page book (and ebook): Digital Marketing Secrets for companies in Materials Handling. CLICK HERE NOW or click image below:

SEO keywords for materials handling companies

March 16, 2015 Kay Svela

Keyword research will help you determine the keywords that your materials handling company should optimize your site for to produce the most traffic. SEO experts spend hours doing keyword analysis. This helps them determine which keyword phrases are best for optimizing a specific page on a site. It also ensures that the effort put in around optimization doesn’t result in unreasonable amounts of time and effort.

Optimizing your web site for high-value keywords can be a waste of time. Especially, if you are not a national brand. People are searching fo regional information and Google sorts content based on the searcher’s location. This is especially true when it’s a mobile search.The next section lists things to keep in mind when selecting the best keyword phrases.

SEO keywords for materials handling companies:

Here are some tips to keep in mind when you are selecting keywords for that will best attract the right demographic within the materials handling industry:

Optimize for local. That means cities, counties and states (or provinces) that your web site serves by including the add on “in Chicago” or “in Montana” or even in a neighborhood like “in Haight Ashbury” for local businesses. If you are a national brand be sure to provide regional information, such as store locations, regional offices and the like. People like to deal with local. Support your regional reps and drive traffic to them.

Think like a searcher. Pick keyword phrases they may type in to find your product or service. Poll your local barista, your neighbors and your potential customers to help you understand how they would find you if they were searching online.

Don’t chase single word keywords. That is, unless you are patient and have a huge budget to put behind content development. And remember: No content related to that term? No traffic!

Google rewards content-rich web sites. Sites rank higher if they generate voluminous and helpful content that demonstrates that they are the topic expert. This strategy will guarantee that over time you will earn traffic from Google for all kinds of keyword phrases.

Research how difficult a keyword phrase is to win. Use a tool like Wordtracker.com. Don’t chase the hard to wint keywords. Optimize for the low-hanging fruit first then work on moving up the ranks on the more competitive keywords and keyword phrases.

A handy free research tool is Google Adwords. It can be used to find related phrases and keywords to the most obvious keywords and keyword phrases. You don’t have to buy ads to use it.

When you understand how to select appropriate keyword phrases you can share this information with your SEO agency.

Want to learn how to do SEO yourself? This free 60-page guide will teach you: Digital Marketing Secrets for companies in Materials Handling. CLICK the button below to get yours now:

Materials handling websites: SEO

March 16, 2015 Kay Svela

Why you need SEO:

Sales experts agree that warm leads are easier to sell to. It’s better to invest time and money into generating warm leads than to spend your time prospecting, making cold calls, and attacking cold leads. The idea is to make people who want your services and/or products come to you.

At CWD, we believe it is the No.1 way to grow your business. 70% of our business comes from SEO, while the other 30% is from referrals and other methods.

You can use SEO to bring traffic to your web site for free (if you invest the time and energy to learn it and do it yourself) or for a nominal monthly fee if you outsource it. Most agencies charge per number of keyword phrases. Prices ranges from $500 to $2,500/month or more, usually with a one-time upfront setup fee for initial implementation.

You can appoint someone on your team to do SEO. However, it’s important they have the time to devote to the task. They also need to understand how to do it properly. The rules for SEO change frequently, because search engines like Google change the rules about how they rank web sites often.

Learning SEO is a moving target. What is true today may not be true tomorrow. Or, next month. And, certainly not next year. Search engines like Google and Bing set the rules. (And, if you are wondering about Yahoo its search engine is managed by Bing)

By using SEO, within 90 days, if not sooner, you’ll be getting a flow of free traffic from search engines to your web site. That’s if you execute properly.

Materials handling websites: SEO

Hiring an agency to do SEO for you:

A reputable SEO firm will do the following:

1) Identify keyword phrases for you and explain to you how and why this is important

2) Know the difference between responsible SEO practices and poor practices, such as keyword stuffing (explained in the next section)

3) Provide you with performance assessments that show results. You’ll know if your agency is doing well if you do a search using the phrases your company has provided and you find your company on the first page of Google and Bing.

4) Get you tons of business from the web!

SEO basics: What you need to know about SEO even if you outsource it

SEO strategy is broken down into three areas:

1. Keyword research

2. On-page optimization

3. In-linking

These three magic concepts, when understood and applied, will start to produce free traffic from search engines to your web site.

To learn how to SEO your web site, order our free 60-page book: Digital Secrets for companies in Materials Handling. You’ll also received a ebook version. CLICK the button below:

Lead capture forms for materials handling websites

March 16, 2015 Kay Svela

A lead capture strategy is a way for your business to capture the contact information of site visitors by using enticing offers that require them to sign up. This involves expertly positioning capture boxes on multiple pages of your web site. Each capture box should have information fields that connect to a contact database.

Here is one CWD created for RaymondHandling.com:

Lead capture forms for materials handling websites

How to implement an effective lead capture strategy:

An effective lead capture strategy has the following:

A information capture box, with: a) A call to action and b) A giveaway that entices the target market to opt-in

2. Multiple opportunities for site visitors to sign up

3. Constant evaluation and tweaks on what works and what doesn’t.

How to design a strong capture box:

A capture box is a button on a website that includes fields where a site visitor fills in their information to receive an offer. To build a strong web capture box, it helps to understand what marketing industry experts agree is most effective. Here is what you need to know designing a capture box:

1. The fewer fields of information your box has, the more people will want to fill it out. Use the “first name” field and “email” field only, unless your giveaway is a direct mail piece, or you require other information like zip code or last name. The more information a contact is asked to submit, the more you risk pushing them away. Make it as easy as possible for them to sign up. You can always ask for more information later.

2. A strong capture box has a call to action. This is a phrase that stands out and makes a request of a site visitor to take a specific action.

i.e. Sign up for our exclusive email list and get “ROI secrets from the experts” sent to your inbox each week

3. The more concise and succinct the language is on your capture box, the better it will perform.

4. Ask yourself the following: Why would a contact want to sign up for this offer? Why would a contact not want this offer? It will help you think like them and develop something that will attract the right people.

Give site visitors multiple opportunities to sign up:

Put a capture box on every page of your web site. The more opportunities you make available, the more you increase the chances of site visitors using it.

Diversify your capture boxes. Change up the call to action. Change the image you use. Change the giveaways. If you do this, you’ll learn what is effective. The quicker you learn what hooks the target market, the quicker you can watch leads pour in. Measure everything.

Evaluate your capture strategy ongoingly

It’s really important to track the conversion rates on your capture boxes. This allows you to understand if they work. If they don’t work, site visitors will not sign up. So, if you see this happening, you want to change your strategy immediately. If you review your capture strategy often, you’ll discover what doesn’t work and it will help you get closer to what does work.

Want to learn more about how to turn your materials handling website into a lead generation machine. Order a free 60-page book called: Digital Marketing Secrets for companies in Materials Handling. CLICK the button below to get yours now:

Materials handling web sites: Strategic design tips

March 16, 2015 Kay Svela

Some web designers and marketing agencies spend a great deal of time making things look pretty, or making things sound clever. They sometimes forget about strategy, which is what a real web design company should be doing.

Nothing wrong with a site looking good, but a good web site should also be strategic. It guides the site visitor to take specific actions. For example, if your site has a content library, the site design should guide people to it. If you are looking for someone to help you out with designing, then check out this Graphic Designer.

Materials Handling websites: Strategic design tips:

Here are some easy ways to make your site stand out in the Materials Handling industry:

1. Put people on your web site, especially people who are from your company. People give your site personality. They bring warmth to a site. They help your brand stand out from other sites that are very machine-centric. Remember, ultimately, people buy from people first before anything else.

2. Use great photos, and original images where possible. Good photos give your web site depth. Stock photos you can look very generic. Be cautious of using the same magery that other businesses in your market might be using. Visually unappealing stock photos can pull the site visitor away from great content. (You know the ones, you’ve seen them: Smiling business men in board rooms.)

3. Be consistent with your brand. Develop a great logo with strong colors that represent your brand. Ensure that your site and all your marketing materials are consistent with the logo and the brand rules that go along with it. (ie never warp your logo!) A brand is designed to make its target market feel a certain way about a company. Ensure your brand delivers on an overall experience.

4. Ensure that the sections you want your site visitor to see are easy to locate. Think of the user experience. When they arrive at your site what elements do you want to stand out? What do you want site visitors to click on?

Use sliding promotional images to highlight key sections. Use pop-up boxes that entice people to click.

5. Make sure your site has a lead capture strategy: This is very important. If your site does not have an ability to capture the contact information of your site visitors, you are doing your business a major disservice.

Visitors are leads. Depending on how popular your site is, you could be getting anywhere from a handful to thousands of visitors per day. Those people are interested in your business. If you capture their contact information you can contact them to see how you can help them.

Want to learn more about digital marketing for companies in Materials Handling? Order a free copy of the 60-page book: Digital Secrets for companies in Materials Handling. You’ll also receive a free ebook version sent you via email. To get your free book now, click this button:

How to write materials handling articles: 10 Tips

March 13, 2015 Kay Svela

Learning how to write materials handling articles that are well-written to effectively attract warm leads in your target market is not easy. The following 10 tips will help:

How to write materials handling articles: 10 Tips:

1. Word count: The number of words in one article/blog should fall in the range of 500-750 for short pieces and 1000 to 1500 words for longer pieces. These are general rules. Write longer if the topic merits it and the information flows naturally. Long posts do well if their content is segmented with subheads (titles that break up the text) or easy-to-follow bullet points. You can also use list formats to make them bite sized. The reality is, most online readers will not read more than 10 to 15 paragraphs in a session.

For SEO, longer posts do well if they cover a topic comprehensively.

2. Write compelling, yet descriptive headlines and subheads: Writers often get too creative with the headline of their piece. Good titles should: 1) Compel a reader to read the piece, 2) Briefly describe what the article is about, and 3) Support search engine optimization efforts. A site that does that well is warehouseiq.com which provides warehouse and forklift resources techniques and training. It also provide useful resources such as forklift manuals.

Google looks for search keywords in headlines and gives them weight. If your article is about superior racking designs for warehouse optimization then the headline should read something like “How to optimize your warehouse using rack designs you haven’t considered”, and not “Rack-o-rama!”.

3. Be concise and descriptive: Be concise with your language. Explain everything, but the absolute basics. (No need to explain what a “lift truck” is, but you should explain what “cantilever rack” is.) Write for people who have just come to the business. Don’t assume your audience is full of experts. Even seasoned professionals will forgive you for over-simplification.

A clear concise article will reinforce what they already know, as well as introduce new information and ideas. And that gives value to all readers regardless of their level of expertise. A good rule of thumb is to write for a Grade 9 level of knowledge and understanding.

4. Avoid buzzwords: Marketers are notorious for inventing words or concepts that don’t serve the reader. A great example: “WarehousXPro9 is a forklift management solution” versus the more accurate “WarehousXPro9 is a forklift management web-based software package”.

What’s a solution? It’s the answer to a problem. That is a great message to convey in sales copy. However, it’s an over-used term and has become cliché. If you say something is a “solution” and don’t explain what it is, the reader can’t visualize it.

Better yet to say: “WarehousXPro9 is a sophisticated, yet easy to use software product.” You would go on to say: It is installed on a company’s server and can be accessed by any web-enabled device. Warehouse professionals can use a tablet or smartphone to access a series of visual dashboards that show data about a warehouse and allows them to manage the operation more efficiently.“

Bottom line here: If in doubt say more. Don’t be afraid to explain a concept so you leave the reader with a greater understanding of what’s being said.

5. Get to the point early: Don’t waste your time with long and winding introductions. If you are introducing a topic in a creative way connect it to the key point you are trying to make in the article quickly. If you go on too long you risk losing your reader.

A good introductory paragraph (in journalism it is a called a “lead”) can be an effective tool to engage the reader. It’s an on-ramp to the central point of the piece not a country road that gets you there eventually.

If you are not hitting the focus of your article by paragraph 3 or so, re-work the piece.

6. Don’t be“salesy”: It’s okay to plug your company but do it discreetly. If you write too much about why your company is great and why your products are awesome your reader will be put off. They may feel clubbed over the head. No one likes to be sold to.

Serve the reader first. The article should leave them feeling that they got value for taking the time to read what you had to say and they will come back for more the next time.

7. Demonstrate, don’t tell: Show the reader why something is true. Don’t tell them. Why would they believe the latest lift truck is “amazing”, just because you say so? Describe the new lift truck and its features and benefits, and let them draw their own conclusions.

8. Write with intention: Ask yourself the questions: Why would someone read this article/blog? Are you engaging with your intended audience? Is what you’re writing informative and helpful? Is your writing in line with the long-term strategy that expresses that you and your brand are topic experts?

People buy from experts, not sales people. Actually, they buy from experts that sell. Why? Because experts are trustworthy, helpful and useful.

9. Do more of what works, and less of what doesn’t: Writing content for a brand is strategic. It is about gaining a following, earning trust and respect and driving sales for your company as a byproduct.

How do you know if you are doing that? Measure engagement and outcomes. How many people read your articles? Which ones did well? Which ones didn’t?

If an article gets good traction and is well read (we use web analytics tools to track and understand this) write similar pieces in future because clearly there is a demand for the content. Use the free tools at http://google.com/analytics.

10. Take yourself out of the equation: Don’t write what you want to write. Write for your audience first and then bring it back to what you want to write about, or have the expertise in. Provide value to the reader. Put yourself in their shoes and ask why would I read this article or blog post?

Get more valuable information about content and digital marketing. Order a free 60-page book called: Digital Marketing Secrets for companies in Materials Handling. With your physical copy you’ll also get a PDF version you can use right away. For your free book, CLICK HERE…

How to write online articles for materials handling

March 13, 2015 Kay Svela

To create content that will attract a sector in the Materials Handling industry that you are trying to target, it’s important to consider what those people need. What are their “pain points”, or consistent concerns/issues/problems that relate to your business; The problems that only you can solve? What expertise could you offer to solve what is missing for people in your target market?

How to write online articles for materials handling:

It’s not hard to figure this out. Ask your sales force, the people who are closest to the people you want to sell to. It’s likely they know better than anyone what those customers are dealing with on a daily basis. These are the issues you want to help them solve. These are the issues you want to produce content about.

You can also do something as simple as ask them. Use things like surveys with giveaways for their efforts. The more you know, the more understanding you gain about the content you need to create, to help you attract the right demographic

Once you know what content to generate, brainstorm a running list and keep adding to it. By evaluating how effective the articles are, you will be able to continue to tweak your strategy.

Appointing a competent content writer

Producing great content is often a team effort. Unless you happen to be a great visionary, writer, editor and web developer all rolled into one. In all cases, there are two methods of execution:

Option 1: Appoint a qualified and knowledgeable team member with great copywriting skills to write and post the content.

Option 2: Hire a marketing agency or freelance writer to learn your business, work with your internal experts, and generate the content for you.

Option 1 is great if you don’t have the funds to spend on hiring someone to produce articles for you. However, it involves an investment in time, sometimes a lot of time. And it’s likely that if your staff are great at Materials Handling they may not be great content writers. (Unless, they have a degree in journalism or a particular natural talent for writing.)

The person who you appoint to generate your company’s web content needs to be able to write effectively. If you create a bunch of content but it’s not well put together, contains spelling errors, or is badly structured, it will damage your brand.

If you decide to go with Option 2 and hire a marketing agency or freelance writer, you are equipping qualified professionals to do the work. It often saves a company more money to hire a qualified team than to train someone and manage the process internally.

If you hire professionals, you won’t have to worry about the work getting done properly and promptly. The content creation process takes care of itself.

If you do decide to hire an agency or writer, you need to understand that they charge by the word or by the piece. A professional agency will charge anywhere from .50 cents to $2 per word. This amounts to $250 to $2,000 per article. This depends on that article’s length and quality.

It’s often worth the expense. A good article can convince hundreds of people that your company is an expert. Think of it this way: If it’s read 1000 times in a year and produces 100 queries and 10 sales, it was worth the investment.

To learn more about content marketing and using digital tactics to turn your business into a warm lead generator, order a free copy of the 60-page book: Digital Marketing Secrets for companies in the Materials Handling Industry. You’ll also get a free PDF ebook version. CLICK this button to order your book now:

Materials handling web sites: Best practices

March 13, 2015 Kay Svela

Why is a strategically designed content-rich web site critical to your success in the Materials Handling industry?

Materials handling web sites: Best practices — Visit RaymondHandling.com to view a great example of an expert content-centric web site in the Materials Handling industry.

There are a number of reasons why a content-rich site is more effective at generating sales leads and driving web traffic to your site than a fancy looking brochure site with limited content. Here they are in no order of importance:

A content-rich site establishes your brand as an expert in the industry. Your site becomes a go-to resource that people in your target market flock to and visit on a regular basis.
You can repurpose the content you generate for your site on social media, as giveaways in emails, or, you can turn it into print materials for direct marketing and sales use.
You can give your content away to other publications and web authorities so you can generate more leads from the people they reach.
You can optimize all your pages with content for search engines, to increase your chances of getting found by qualified buyers.
If you generate the content yourself, and learn how to do it effectively (we’ll teach you how in this guide), it won’t cost you much. However, guidance from content professionals will help you produce effective content faster and with greater impact.

How to build a content-rich site

It’s fairly simple to build a content-rich site. The first step is to add a content library to your current web site. This is a section of your web site where you post informative and helpful content that attracts leads in your target market.

Content can take the form of:

Industry-related articles
Blog posts written by your industry experts
FAQ articles that answer the most frequently asked questions posed by people in your target market
Video clips and tutorials
Calculators
Surveys and assessments
Online courses
Infographics, which are visual ways of displaying information using images
EBooks
Industry reports or white papers

New content should be posted a minimum of once per week and more frequently where possible (for faster results). It’s important to remember that search engines reward sites that post high quality, useful content on a regular basis.

It’s also important to refresh the content on multiple pages on the web site, not just in the content library. For example, content on the homepage should be updated by adding new features like sliders, capture boxes and links to new pages on a regular basis. Refresh your content to show it is live and engaging.

To learn more, order a free copy of the 60-page book: Digital Marketing Secrets for companies in Materials Handling. You will also get a free PDF version of the book that you can use right away. CLICK the button below to order yours now:

Materials handling and content marketing

March 13, 2015 Kay Svela

Content marketing is a marketing process that involves generating and distributing valuable content to a specific audience. The goal is to attract and engage the intended demographic with the objective of driving profitable customer action.

This form of marketing takes into account the long-standing sales approach that customers only buy from companies they trust. That trust is quickly established when a company becomes an expert — a resource for its market — and is able to solve the problems of people seeking solutions.

Thinking like a content marketer

If you shift the focus from: “how can I sell more?” to “how can I be of assistance to people in my target market?” selling products and services becomes a natural, seamless process that involves minimal sales effort.

When your company is an expert in your industry, potential business will naturally come to you. The expertise you demonstrate through content marketing removes or weakens the resistance toward a sales come-on.

It’s important to show them your expertise every time they look for a solution to a problem. That will have them come to you for many things, not just when they need to buy something you provide. A content marketing approach allows you to change your business’ overall brand conversation and establish that you are more than just another corporation selling widgets or services.

You step away from solely being the provider of a product. You become the ultimate resource.

Materials handling and content marketing

A brief explanation of a content marketing approach

Think of it this way, a warehouse manager needs to buy more rack for his warehouse. You could be one of two things for that potential customer:

Option 1: You’re the company he chooses to buy from among a selection of similar racking companies. He comes to you when he needs rack. And only when he needs rack. He chooses to buy rack from your company because his company has purchased from you before.

Option 2: You’re the company he chooses because your brand is cooler than everyone else’s. He visits your web site often because it’s a refreshing experience. When he comes to your site it’s not just all pictures of rack and prices. He sees the faces of sales and service people he actually knows and innately he feels a connection.

He found your site from a Google search when he was looking for racking design support. And he has returned to your site many times because you helped him solve his problems – even if he has never purchased from you before.

When it comes to buying rack, he doesn’t even consider any other providers. Even though your rack is a bit more expensive, he’ll get so much more from you than he will from the competition.

Good news is, you get to choose which kind of company you want to be. And If that’s Option 2 you’ll need to learn how to create your company as an industry expert.

Read more on digital marketing for the Materials Handling industry. Order a free 60-page book. You’ll also receive a PDF version of the book that you can have right away. CLICK this button to order your free book now: