WEBSITES IN 2012Prepared for the Jefferson County Fair

Matt ChecchioJessica Noland

The explosion of technology and the internet requires that your website and marketing are integrated together as a cohesive, powerful sales and promotion machine.

Use to be good enough to just post information and text with some photos, but now it must be your best promoter.

• Fact: The Internet has fundamentally changed the way people find, discover, share, shop, & connect.

• Fact: Inbound marketing is a lot more cost-effective than traditional, outbound marketing.

• Fact: 52% of companies acquire a customer through their Facebook page

• Fact: Google is the new Yellow Pages and 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results.

• Fact: 57% of TV viewers use the web simultaneously

• Fact: Social media isn’t a fad, it’s a revolution. Social media has real business value.

Shift in buyer behavior

New visitors will think…Your website represents who you are and what you offer. When people see it for the first time they’re thinking:•Is this site credible?•Is it trustworthy?•Is this a professional company?•Is this company stable?•Does this site make me feel welcome?•Am I in the right place?

Tips for a great website design:•Proper use of colors: Use the right colors for your audience and to draw attention to select elements - pick two to four colors for your template and marketing materials.•Animations, gadgets and media: Avoid anything unnecessary. Using Flash animations because they look cool is the wrong strategy. Only use media and animations to help support content and information.•Layout: Create a clear navigation structure and organize page elements in a grid fashion (as opposed to randomly scattered). Also, don’t be afraid of white space and avoid clutter!•Typography: Make sure your website is legible. Use fonts, font sizes and font colors that are easy to read. For easier page scanning, use bullet lists, section headers, and short paragraphs

Easy Navigation for new visitors is crucialIf people can’t find what they are looking for, they will give up and leave. Important factors in a site’s navigation include:

•Keep the structure of your primary navigation simple (and near the top of your page).•Include navigation in the footer of your site.•Use of breadcrumbs on every page (except for the homepage) so people are aware of their navigation trail.•Include a Search box near the top of your site so visitors can search by keywords.•Don’t offer too many navigation options on a page.•Don’t dig too deep – in most cases it’s best to keep your navigation to no more than three levels deep.•Include links within your page copy and make it clear where those links go to. This is also great for SEO!

The overall rule with a proper navigation structure is simple: don’t require visitors to have to think about where they need to go and how to get there. Make it easy for them.

Your website is your best salespersonYour website not only needs to inform your potential customers, but today it also needs to:• Generate new leads that directly become engaged with you or contact you• Drive them to LIKE the Facebook page

• Engage both new and potential customers to turn them into repeat buyers

• Activate your website into a powerful advertising and promotion machine

Bad habits & strategy• Rely on advertising to “remind” people of an event

• Advertising should engage new people to attend the Fair Ground events and upsell current people to attend MORE Fair Ground events

• As a manager, “if I can find the information, then so can the customer”• Not just your website, but all of your marketing needs to

come from the perspective of your customers. We fall into bad habits using our lenses as theirs…

• People’s disposable income, time, and entertainment options are greater than ever and no one is safe• Penn State Football had seats available (before scandal)• Clearfield County Fair 2012 attendance was down