Frightening Ways Your Website is Losing Leads

Frightening Ways Your Website is Losing Leads

It’s Halloween, and in honor of the holiday, we’re going to take a look at some frightening ways your website could be losing you leads. If your website is not properly set up to get conversions and bring in leads, you’re losing out on potential business and bleeding money. The scariest part is, you’re probably not even aware of it!

There are many fundamental items your website must contain to have a high conversion rate – these include layout, design, and content. If your website is missing even just one of these important factors, your bottom line could be affected.

Above the Fold

What is”above the fold” and why is it important? Above the fold is the area of your website a visitor will first lay eyes upon when coming to your site, the area that is visible without having to scroll down. Sometimes referred to as the hero or the showcase area, this is your first chance to catch people’s attention, tell them what you can do for them, and address their pain point.

You want to answer their question: What’s in it for me?

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Does your showcase area effectively target your key audience? Does it contain the important elements that will turn visitors into customers?

If the answer is no to either of these questions, then you could be losing out on potential business.

Homepage Content
Of course, when we think about content, we think about the words on the page and crafting great copy to draw in our visitors and sell them on our products. What most people don’t know is that content isn’t just words.

 

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There are key elements every website needs to have to grab attention and convince your would-be customers that they need you. These include forms, social proof, and up-to-date contact information, just to name a few. Above and beyond that, there is a specific formula to these elements that, if followed, will greatly transform your business and increase your sales.

Other Features
Websites that are built for marketing will assuredly capture more leads and increase your sales. There are many features a website can include to capture these leads, and if your website doesn’t have these items, you’re bleeding money and missing out.

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So, how do you know if your website is effective at capturing leads and turning over conversions? Which features should your website include, and what should your forms ask your visitors for? If only there were some type of test you could take to figure all of this out for you . . .

Introducing DoorGrow, a simple test you can take in just a few moments to evaluate how well your website is at getting you those leads. Geared towards property management websites (because that’s our specialty), this test will walk you through your website step-by-step and ask questions to determine if you’re losing out on leads or converting like a pro.

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Editor’s Note: If you’re not a property manager or a property management website, don’t be afraid to take the test, too. It’s targeted towards getting more doors for property management companies, but it’s still a great test to evaluate key elements every website should have to increase conversions and sales.

Building incredibly effective websites is what we do at OpenPotion—after all, we’re marketers first and designers second. Take our free test today  and discover for yourself if your website is costing  you leads.

 

-Starr, Content Goddess

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Why is WordPress the Best CMS Choice for Property Management Websites?

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If you’ve made the decision to use WordPress as the starting point of your property management website, you’re already off to a great start. While there are several other choices out there for a content management system for your website (such as Joomla and Drupal) there are a number of advantages that WordPress brings to the table.

But first, you may be asking yourself what exactly is a content management system and why use a CMS in the first place?

What a CMS Does

Essentially, a CMS is a web application that makes it easy for non-technical people to edit, update, and manage their website through a visual interface. You no longer have to be a hardcore coder to make grand changes to your website – with a few sweeping motions of your mouse and a few clicks, you can add in a video, change the background image, edit the text content, or create an entirely new page.

The power of a content management system effectively hides all of the “behind the scenes” complicated stuff allowing the user to focus on the website’s message and presentation.

 

WordPress makes creating and editing your site easier.

WordPress makes creating and editing your site easier.

 

Even though creating an interface that is easy for the average user to use is the goal for all CMSs, it’s important to note that not all CMSs are created equally–in fact, many management systems can still be fairly complicated applications that will challenge your intellectual prowess.

Why use WordPress?

WordPress has been downloaded 140 million times, while the next popular CMS was only downloaded 30 million times. This gives you a pretty clear picture of just how widely used WordPress is. Simply put, it’s popular for a very important reason: it’s easy to learn and use.

Some of the major WordPress advantages:

  • You’re in good company: CNN, Harvard, Forbes, and the White House use WP.
  • Responsive: works on mobile phones and tablets
  • Manage your website from any computer, anywhere in the world
  • Search engines LOVE WordPress: it’s easy for search engines to read and index your site, and includes options for precise search engine optimization (SEO). Getting ranked highly by search engines has always been a tough battle – by choosing WP, you make it that much easier to gain valuable ground.
  • Everything is 100% customizable – from the text content to the visual layout, you have as much control over your site as you need.
  • Make Your Website Do What It Needs to Do: with 27,000 free plugins available, you can add new functionality and life to your site in minutes—add contact forms, photo galleries, event calendars, live chat, rental listings, application forms, and more.
  • You don’t have to know a thing about HTML, CSS, PHP, or FTP (or even what they stand for):  WordPress is hands down the easiest CMS to use for beginner users, and you can make all your changes entirely within the visual interface.

If you’re thinking of creating or redesigning your property management company’s website, you are on the right track. With more than 70% of renters starting their search online, and more than 92% of home buyers using the internet to find their next home, WordPress will allow you to set up a website quicker and easier.  And thanks to the many SEO features and options, you’ll reach more property owners and tenants in larger numbers than before.

Even still, there is a way to take it a step further.

Enter OpenPotion . . .

While many property managers are satisfied with using WordPress out of the box, we know our clients expect more. When we develop a website using WordPress, we add extra functionality and features that go above and beyond the standard CMS.

We add a tried-and-true layout that converts users to customers: even if you add your own pages or content, your site will still follow the basic rules and layouts we’ve established to convert.

Wanting to make things even easier, we add “drag and drop” functionality: editing your site has NEVER been this easy before. Want a text box on your page? Then you simply drag a text box where you want it to be on the page, then edit the type. Want to add a button? A testimonial? Click, drag, drop, then customize it as you see fit.

 

Here’s just a sample of the visuals you might see when editing your WP OpenPotion website.

With WordPress as your CMS and OpenPotion as your tour guide through the process, you’ll save time, lower costs, increase sales, and end up with an incredibly effective website.

Ready to discover what OpenPotion can do for your business?  Contact us today.

-Morgan, Website Developer

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Meet Our Accounting Goddess

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For the last several months, you’ve had the opportunity to get to know our team in this series, Meet the Team.  At OpenPotion, we pride ourselves on building awesome relationships, and the transparency that goes along with that creedo.   We’ve given you a peek into the lives of all of our team members, and now we would like to introduce you to our bosses.

Jason and Ashley are the founders, co-owners, and CEOs of this company- without them there would be no OpenPotion. Partners in life and business, this dynamic duo inspires all of us to do better, learn more, and perform at 110% every single day.  Next week you’ll get to read the exclusive interview with Jason.  Today, I would like to introduce you to Ashley.

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 What’s your background as far as work?
I have been working as the co-owner of OpenPotion since we started the company in 2008. Before that I worked as the Marketing and PR Manager for a consulting company. I have also worked as a coffee barista, a file clerk at an insurance company, and an office manager at a chamber of commerce.

What do you bring to our Team that is valuable?
I am really good with numbers, and I handle all of the accounting. I also handle all of the corporate filings and documents and  help manage support tickets and billing issues. I pretty much do anything that Jason asks me to take care of.

Where do you live, and with whom?
I live with the love of my life, Jason, and our four children; three girls and one boy.  We also have 2 dogs 🙂

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love to read, sing, and be artistic and creative. I also love being on the PTA at my son’s school and doing volunteer work.

Where do you hang out at when you’re not at work?
For me, work and home are the same place so I am mostly at home.

If you didn’t work for OpenPotion, what would your dream job be?
I would love to run a non-profit organization or open a bakery.

What is the best part about working from home, and one of the biggest challenges of working from home?
The biggest challenge in working from home is being able to separate my personal life and work. They overlap all the time and it’s difficult to set boundaries. I love working from home because it gives me the freedom to be more involved in my children’s  education and volunteer at their schools.

What is your favorite advice that you like to give to clients about their website?
If they do not have a website that sells well and/or has functionality built into the site that cuts down their workload, they are missing out on a valuable tool to help their business grow.

What has been your funniest moment working at OP?
I don’t have a specific incident that was funny, but I sure do enjoy sitting in the team chat room online and watching all the funny memes that everyone creates.

What’s your favorite food?
Sushi, cupcakes, pizza

What would your rapper name be?
Suga Rush (like sugar)

Favorite movie?
Oh man, this is a hard one. I love The Lord of the Rings movies. I love Across the Universe.  And all of The Avengers movies.

If you had a super power what would it be?
I would definitely want the power of telepathy.

Share a favorite meme from the internet.

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-Starr Bryson, Content Goddess

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Meet Marcelo: Website Developer Extraordinaire

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Welcome back to our, “Meet the Team” series.  If you’ve been following along, you’ve had the chance to meet our team members through personal interviews and get a peek at the people behind the scenes of OpenPotion.   So far, you’ve had the chance to get to know our customer service expert and web developer Morgan, our awesome projects manager Esteban, our British assistant to our CEO Helen, the members of our content team, Adam the Content Wizard and Starr the Content Goddess, our visionary designer Mike, and our fabulous web developer, Fabricio.

Today, we’d like to introduce Marcelo, a very talented and knowledgeable website developer.

"Life is not meant to be understood, but to live."

“Life is not meant to be understood, but to live.”

 

What’s your background as far as work?
I studied and graduated as a Systems Engineer from U.M.S.S. in Cochabamba, Bolivia and then did other courses on Preparation and Evaluation of Projects also in the U.M.S.S. until 2005.  After that, I developed custom systems for different companies in the surrounding areas for about a year, until I was hired at XpertSolutions to create different desktop and web applications for companies in Germany and Bolivia. Earlier this year I left my job there to begin working at OpenPotion.

What do you bring to our Team that is valuable?
I bring 10 years of experience in advanced programming in web and desktop applications to OpenPotion, which will help us as we grow and move forward into the future.

Where do you live, and with whom?
I live in Cochabamba, Bolivia, with my wife, whom I recently married in January of this year.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I like watching movies and taking long walks in the park.

Where do you hang out at when you’re not at work?
With my family and friends.

If you didn’t work for OpenPotion, what would your dream job be?
If I didn’t work on OpenPotion, my dream job would be owning and operating my own Software Development company.

What is the best part about working from home, and one of the biggest challenges of working from home?
The best part of working from home is that I can work at different times and make my own schedule, without the need of going to an office, saving time on commuting back and forth.  The biggest challenge of working from home is keeping yourself motivated, disciplined, and working on your own limitations to meet deadlines and achieve your personal goals.

What is your favorite advice that you like to give to clients about their website?
Don’t be afraid of using more colors and nice images in your design so users enjoy viewing it. Let’s get over the minimalistic designs!

Which projects have you enjoyed working on the most and why?
I don’t have one in mind in particular, but I like doing my job, and enjoy doing all of the projects I work on because I know I was a part of them and I always feel good when our clients provide great feedback and are super happy with their new websites.

What’s your favorite food?
I love almost every food around, but my favorite would be grilled meat,  paired with a great wine.

What would your rapper name be?
MC Cello!

Favorite movie?
The Butterfly Effect

If you had a super power what would it be, and why?
To be able to teleport, because there’s so many places I would like to visit without wasting time on traveling from one place to another.

Share a favorite meme from the internet.

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-Starr Bryson, Content Goddess

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Announcing our first webinar (you won’t want to miss this)

 

Join Jason for our FIRST webinar this Thursday:

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Join us for OpenPotion’s first ever webinar, where Jason will go over the features and benefits of our GatherKudos system for your business. Get your questions answered by the expert on online reputation management, and learn the foundations that build an excellent review strategy online. What’s more, it’s completely free. You can’t miss it!

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Get our NEW ebook absolutely free when you join our webinar. Consider it a thank you gift for being awesome.

13 Rockstar Tips to Get Reviews (That Don’t Suck)

Simply click above to register onto the webinar, click any of the social share buttons, and unlock your download link. Or just click here to go directly to a download page.

Meet Our “Fab”ulous Web Developer

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For the past few months, we’ve been taking you on a tour of our rock start team here at OpenPotion, giving you a VIP backstage pass and an insider view of our fantastic team members.  Getting to know us on a more personal level lets you see the real people behind the scenes of the magic we create.

So far you’ve had the chance to get to know our customer service expert and web developer Morgan, our awesome projects manager Esteban, our British assistant to our CEO Helen, the members of our content team,  Adam the Content Wizard and Starr the Content Goddess, and our visionary designer Mike.

Today, we’re happy to share our interview with Fabricio, one of our developers and technicians.  Fab works on the  development, coding, and technical stuff that makes our clients’ websites so great.  Without him, we would certainly be lost.

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What’s your background as far as work?

I graduated from UPSA (Universidad Privada de Santa Cruz De La Sierra).   After graduation, I worked in a Software firm Called TSE-Win, a Bolivian software factory for Madrid, Spain.  After that I worked for InforFactory, another Bolivan software factory for Madrid, Spain.  After InforFactory, I branched out as a freelancer and worked in the following areas:
Web System Development for My Institute of Insurance (a Miami Insurance Institute), as the head developer for a London Firm Called SKYCIG (Electronic Cigarette sell business), and for several USA based businesses building and maintaining their Joomla and WordPress sites.   I currently work for OpenPotion.

What do you bring to our Team that is valuable?

With more than 14 years of website and web-system development, I bring a lot of technical knowledge to the team.

Where do you live, and with whom?

I live in Santa Cruz, Bolivia with my wife Maria Jose and my two boys Leonardo (10 years old ) and Agustin (17 months old).

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I like to stay at  home and watch movies or go out with my family to enjoy their company.

Where do you hang out at when you’re not at work?

I do not have a place I hang out.  I  just enjoy visiting my friends or having them over to my house.

If you didn’t work for OpenPotion, what would your dream job be?

My dream job is doing what I do.  I would like to learn mobile apps at some point, though.

What is the best part about working from home, and one of the biggest challenges of working from home?

The best part about working from home is the flexibility with my hours and avoiding driving in rush hour traffic (too much stress).  The biggest challenge is to let go of the old habits of the conventional job in an office.

What is your favorite advice that you like to give to clients about their website?

Give your website the importance that it requires in order to obtain benefits from it.

What has been your funniest moment working at OP?

I do not have one funniest moment there are a lot,  especially in the team meetings, both chat and video.

Which projects have you enjoyed working on the most and why?

There is no one project that I like the most.   I would say all of them that offer some pressure to finish them on time, there is a moment when you realize you’ve finished ahead of the deadline and say it’s DONE and you feel good for a job well done.

What’s your favorite food?

Churrasco (it’s like a BBQ)

What would your rapper name be?

Real Fab

Favorite movie?

From Paris with Love

If you had a super power what would it be, and why?

Mind reading, to know what’s coming in order to make a good business decision.

Share a favorite meme from the internet.

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-Starr, Content Goddess

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