Magic Action Box

Hey everybody!  We have some exciting stuff to share about Magic Action Box Pro and Ultimate and its new update.

Rebuilding from the ground up: One of the things that we have been working on for a while was the actual framework of the plugin.  The way that the plugin was originally coded didn’t provide the flexibility that we knew that we’d want in the future.  That being said, we did a major overhaul on the code so that MAB would eventually be able to have its own eco-system of user generated templates and features.  In other words, we have been paving the way to allow other MAB users to create add-ons to fit their needs and the needs of others.

Better User Interface (UI): We really want to make this plugin as easy as possible to use.  That being said, we changed the UI around to make it easier to do things.  Fun!

Conflicts with Other Themes and Plugins:  About 3% of the MAB population has this weird error that occurs in which extra paragraph tags are added to their action box – making it look like crap.  MAB now as a “Minify” option that should correct all of that craziness.

Better HTML parser for autoresponders: If you are using an autoresponder that uses funny HTML to create their forms (i.e. not HTML best practices), you shouldn’t have to use a workaround anymore.  With the new email parser code that we’ve developed, everything should work just fine now with your autoresponder.

Sidebar Widget:  You’ve asked for it, now you’ve got it.  Rather than having to use shortcode in your sidebar to have a an Action Box show up, you can now set up an opt-in form using a WordPress widget.  How easy!

More features to come: In the next few months we are going to be adding some more features, to include integration with Gravity Forms so that you can have a killer contact form box.  We also have some really cool surprises coming soon…  stay tuned .

Talk about an amazing way to use Magic Action Box – Laura Simms from Create As Folk has found a very creative way to make unique opt-ins that not only look great, they are branded and personalized. They also vary per blog post which gives visitors a little surprise, something that could mean the difference between someone that visits and leaves and someone that subscribes.

Anyway, check out the video above and see how creative Laura Simms has been with the FREE version of Magic Action Box.

There is no denying it that adding a newsletter service to your blog is one of the best [if not "the" best] ways for building a relationship with your users. If you’re not sure if a newsletter service is right for your blog, here are a few compelling reasons that should sway your mind.

Now there are a lot of newsletter service providers out there like Aweber, Constant Contact and InfusionSoft, to mention some popular options, but, they all charge money. Which may suck if you are just starting out or you don’t have a lot of subscribers [yet] to make paying for a service worthwhile.

Enter Wysija.

Wysija is a fairly new WordPress plugin – launched November 2011 – that aims to make creating and sending newsletters easy and fun. All from within your WordPress web site. Talk about awesome

Here are some of the features available with the plugin:

• Up to 2,000 subscribers for the free version
• Drag and drop visual editor
• Newsletter sequencing [autoresponder]
• Newsletter scheduling
• Dozens of themes [with Photoshop files!]
• Newsletter statistics
• Subscription form sidebar widget
• Shortcodes and Iframe
• Import/Export subscribers
• Single and Double Opt In
• No ads in footer!

There are a few more features I haven’t mentioned – and a few more coming up on the roadmap – but essentially, the free [but still awesome] version has pretty much everything most users would ever need to run their own newsletter.

P.S.

Magic Action Box integrates with Wysija. Just install both plugins, select Opt In action box type and you should find Wysija in the list of newsletter service providers.

Yes, it is long overdue, but it’s finally done – the first part in a series of tutorials that will help you make the most out of Magic Action Box Pro and Ultimate.

There are so many things that you can do with these versions of the plugin that it is pretty insane.

(more…)

Creating a blog for your products is a great way to reach your target audience and promote interaction. It can be used as a leverage to convert potential customers into buyers through optimized content while also building a connection with them. It allows you to tackle certain issues that your target readers are concerned with and provide your input, solutions, or new perspectives.

So, is your blog producing results? It is one thing to get a heap amount of traffic but it is another thing to convert that traffic into buyers or subscribers. What can you do to easily make visitors do what you want them to do when they visit your blog?

The very first thing you need to start with is to clearly define what you want to attain from your visitors so that you would know exactly what you want them to do. Are you building an email list, selling products, or getting information? If so, then make it clear and start from there.

Once you know what you want to get, then all you need now is to clearly guide your visitors to that action.  This is where a lot of blog owners get it wrong. They write amazing pieces of content but fail to draw out a clear pathway on what they want because they are not aware that their readers are just waiting for them to provide that all important next step. Giving a clear and concise call to action is what separates a good post from a great post that converts.

What is the Purpose of Your Call to Action?

A call to action is more than a mere phrase that tells people what to do. It helps your content push people towards a decision to act or not. The purpose is not just to make someone click, or sign up but to show them the benefit of making that particular action.

It also makes it easier for your visitors to realize the benefits and advantages of building a connection with you via your blog. It helps in easing their concerns which is essential in their decision to invest in your services or products.

Examples of Calls-to-Action Telling A Reader What to Do

So, how do you effectively incorporate calls to action into your blog?

With the information and technology available right now, there are numerous ways to take your readers to the next level using your calls to action. Some incorporate them in blog posts which can serve as a navigation tool while also offering content while others place it before or after the post using an interesting phrase or sentence.

A majority of blogs these days operate under the WordPress platform mainly because of the flexibility and freedom that can be done with it. Numerous plugins make it easier for bloggers to do certain tasks without the need for manual coding. You can even find plugins that helps you incorporate effective calls to action in your blog posts.

Lastly, incorporating a great call to action will make all the difference for your blog. Supercharge your blog posts with effective calls to action that emphasizes value and see your conversions hit the roof. Remember, it’s all about telling people what to do.

Do you have your own way of making calls-to-action that convert? Or a unique way to boost your blog posts?  I’d like to hear from you!

Every month we will be featuring websites that do amazing, crazy, and brilliant things with Magic Action Box and Magic Action Popup.  Just because we have a certain idea about how you should use the plugin, doesn’t mean that there are better ways.

This month we want to feature one offline business that is using the plugin to create some amazing, unique, and relevant sales funnels – Gravity Marketing.

Dan, the founder of Gravity Marketing, is an award-winning new media expert with 9 years experience in TV & Film production and conversion-based Internet marketing.  His business is hired to generate revenue through SEO and paid lead generation, conversion optimization and customer retention.

Dan is the real deal.

So how does Gravity Marketing use Magic Action Box to get new customers?  Well, the power of his strategy is in the uniqueness of each of his offerings.

Not only is the Gravity Marketing site gorgeous, it is a call-to-action heaven.  Since Dan offers his clients different marketing strategies according to their needs, his method of visitor-to-customer conversion is offering a taste of his expertise for each strategy.

For example, check out his Mobile Marketing page:

Now compare that with his Video Marketing Page:

How about his Search Engine Marketing Page?

Notice something? He gives a relevant FREE resource for each of the topics that are discussed.  Think about how powerful that is.  For example, when he hands someone his business card while networking, he simply needs to tell someone who is interested in SEO to visit his SEO page and BAM!!  He now not only has a warm lead, but that warm lead is on his mailing list and also knows that Gravity Marketing KNOWS THEIR STUFF.

Conclusion

Kudos to Gravity Marketing for being so creative with Magic Action Box and their sales funnel.  We can’t wait to hear about Dan’s success in the coming months!

Do you use Magic Action Box or Magic Action Popup in a creative way?  Let us know to have a chance at being our featured business of the month!

At the end of this blog post you will know more than 95% of ordinary people who think they understand how the web works.  The purpose of this, is to help you ensure that your content gets seen by more readers via search engines in a way that most people ignore.

I’m not gonna get into the technical aspect of search engine optimization, but we’re going to focus on one thing that can bring tremendous value.

How Does Google Rank Websites?

If you work with small business owners or new bloggers, you’ve probably heard the question ” how do I get my websites to the top of Google?”

I hate that question…

The main reason for my hared is because of the fundamental misunderstanding of search engine rankings and how the web works.

In short, search engines do not rank websites, they rank pages within a website!

When a search engine is crawling your site, they are going to each individual page gathering data.  In short, they’re looking for two things, how your page is structured and how many authoritative links are pointing back to this individual page?

Why is this important?  Well…  It means that you have an infinite opportunity to create content that the search engines love and that you can use to funnel people back to your main site or wherever you want them to go.

Examples please…

So now that I’ve thoroughly confused you, let me give you some examples of what I’m talking about.  Hopefully these will help clarify what I mean.

Say you had a real estate website in Orange County, California.  Sure, your site can display all the great things that you have to offer to your clients and how you are the number one real estate agent in the county, but that’s going to do crap for you search engine wise.

Or, what you can do is start creating blog posts with keywords like the ones below (low competition and decent traffic) to start getting a multitude of people to your content, and then on the phone talking to you about the place they want to rent or buy.

Of course, you’ll have to do some link building.  But depending on the keywords you choose to target with your content, that can easily be done by commenting on other blogs and creating content on the web 2.0 pages that link back to your page.

Now, this is a hypothetical example.  However, I do this regularly on one of my other blogs and it works out great.  There are numerous posts that act as  search engine channels that I use to build my email list, introduce new people to my blog, and sometimes even sell products.

Here’s an example of how one of my blogs gets more traffic to two of my posts than it does to the homepage (this is per day).

As you can see this can be very very powerful if used in the right way.  You can literally target as many keywords is you want sometimes even if they’re not relevant (of course, the more relevant the better).  You can then use those posts to build your email list or whatever!

So, now, please stop asking “How Does Google Rank Websites?”

Do you target specific keywords for your individual posts?  Do you take the time to research what could potentially bring you more traffic?  If so, let us know what is been successful for you in the comments!

In this article, I am going to share with you some of the best traffic conversion tips and secrets for turning visitors into fans that are often overlooked by most bloggers and businesses.

But first…

Did you know that if you do a search on Yahoo Answers for “web traffic”, you will get over 2000 people asking about how they can get more traffic to their website?  If you do the same search for “web conversions” you only get about 400 questions, and most of them are about converting their website to WordPress or Drupal?

Lame…

What’s more important, traffic or conversions?

In case you don’t know what a visitor conversion is, when someone visits your site they are a visitor.  Your site’s job is to convert them into a prospect or customer.

It’s similar to someone walking by a store.  They look in the window, glance at some items, and if they like what they see they may enter the store. Now that they are in, they have become a prospect.

Depending on how well the store markets its products, that prospect could end up buying something if they find something of value or if they have good reason to by something now and not wait until later.  If they buy, they’ve just been converted from a visitor, to prospect, and finally to a customer!

This is where most bloggers and businesses fail on their websites…

Conversions are always more important than traffic, yet people still focus solely on asking “how do I get traffic?”

So… screw traffic for the time being.  I am going to share with you 5 sneaky, secret, ninja ways to convert even the smallest amount of visitors into buyers on your website.

Ninja Traffic Conversion Trick #1 -  Clarity of Message

If you are one of those bloggers or businesses that want to cater to “everyone” who “likes” this or that “stuff”, please stop!

When visitors come to your website they should feel one of two things – push or pull.

Your message and/or offering should be so targeted and so clear that those who want what you are selling have no choice but to be pulled in to read more.  The more clear and targeted your message, the stronger your pull is going to be.

On the other hand, your clarity should also push for even inspire anger when the wrong type of visitor sees your message.

In essence, those who are in your target market should love what you have to say, and those that aren’t should think you or your business should burn.  That’s how you win visitors over to becoming prospects and customers.

Ninja Traffic Conversion Trick #2 – Clear Call-to-Action

I just met with a prospect that needed some help with marketing.  During the conversation he started showing me some websites that he liked and asked if I could emulate them.

“Sure” I said without hesitation, “something like this can be done, but it’s custom so it’ll be quite expensive.  But first, tell me are you looking for a website or to get more leads?”

He paused for a second and looked at me almost as if I were crazy.  Eventually he stuttered out, “lead generation, definitely.”

“Good” I retorted, as I pointed at all of the buttons displayed on the website he loved.  “The reason I asked is because, there are over 10 buttons on this website for the visitor to choose from.  Do you want 10 call-to-action buttons or do you want 1?  You know, do you want them to explore your site or do you want them to call you?”

One clear call-to-action is a powerful thing.  Sometimes you can have more if you need to crush some roadblocks, but if you can keep all of the momentum of your website pointed to one purpose, your conversions will skyrocket.

Check out what the guys over at Woothemes do.

Right away the visitor is told who Woothemes is, what they do, and have a clear call-to-action to check out the pricing of said products.

Simple.

Ninja Traffic Conversion Trick #3 – The Soft Conversion

If I’m using my hand to shake your hand, don’t put your tongue in my mouth. – Chris Brogan

If you are monetizing your website, you must create a sales funnel.  An important part of that funnel needs to take into account that not everybody is going to be in the position to buy from you right away.

The soft sell is where you hypothetically shake hands with your visitors, give them your business card, and ask if you can contact them later.  All this is done through a very small value proposition.

A free report, a weekly newsletter, a 30-minute free consultation, all of these are low barrier ways of introducing yourself and converting a visitor into a prospect.

Why are they a prospect now?  Well, in order to get these things, they need to give you their email address, of course (at least that’s what I would do).

Do this, and a month or two down the road you will have a customer.

Ninja Traffic Conversion Trick #4 – The Super Soft Conversion

The super soft conversion trick is similar to the last trick, but instead of asking for something in return (like an email), you simply let you visitor try what you got!

For example, check out what the guys over at AnyMeeting do.

Immediately, visitors are prompted to give it a try without having to sign up! Are they mad?

No, they aren’t crazy.  In fact, it’s a pretty smart move since it takes away EVERY SINGLE BARRIER to entry for the visitor.

The user doesn’t have to worry about being spammed via email, doesn’t have to share something with their friends on Facebook, nothing.  All they have to do is try the product.  If they like it, they sign up.

Ninja Traffic conversion Trick #5 – Amazing Customer Service Even for the Soft Conversions

Since we released Magic Action Box Lite in the WordPress repository, we’ve had a ton of downloads.  Not only that, we’ve had a lot of support requests.

I’m not going to lie, the initial reaction to those requests is to let them wait a week.  However, since it is important to us to deliver awesome customer service, we usually respond pretty quickly.

Well, because of this, there has been numerous times when someone has bought our product simply because of the service we gave them.

Don’t take for granted the people that use your free stuff.  Like I said, they will eventually become your customer when they can and when the time is right.

I hope you liked these traffic conversion tricks.  What have you done to increase the the amount of leads that you get from your website?  Let us know in the comments!