Internet Marketing Blog

Websites We Love: Inspiration

06/06/2012 17:44:00

This week's Website We Love is all about inspiration. We asked our

Vistaprint Internet Marketing Facebook community how, exactly, they found inspiration for their sites. The answers were, well, inspiring...so needless to say, it was difficult to pick just one site to feature!

The winning site is Handwriting With Katherine. Katherine writes that her work inspires her site: "I find inspiration for my site through the awesome children I work with," she says. One reason we were impressed by her site was the wealth of helpful information she features, such as her handy resource section and the easy-to-use contact section. We were also fans of her welcoming homepage.

Congrats, Katherine, on a site well done! What about YOU? How do you find inspiration for your site?

Websites We Love: Painting a Picture

05/30/2012 16:29:00

This week, we asked our Vistaprint Internet Marketing Facebook community why their website was important to them, and we received a number of great comments. It was difficult to pick just one site to feature!

The winning site for this week was submitted by Donan Mendez. Donan writes that his site is an important educational tool, that helps spread the word about his business, Mendez Painting & Remodeling: "[The site] is a way our customers can learn about our services, photos samples and to get new customers," he writes.

We agree...the homepage's image gallery makes a statement, and the services and about us pages are informative, and a helpful resource for current and prospective customers alike. Congrats, Donan!

Tell us why YOUR site is important!

Websites We Love: Showcasing Your Passion

05/23/2012 17:04:00

Another week, another Website We Love! This week, we asked the Vistaprint Internet Marketing Facebook community about the best part of having their own Website. As always, we received a number of insightful comments and wonderful Websites, so choosing just one to feature here was a difficult task.

Today’s winner is Chris Burkstaller, who wrote that the best part of having a Website is expressing his love for teaching golf. We think Chris makes an important point — having a venue to showcase your business, passion or talent can be a vital benefit to having a Website.

We were also impressed with Chris’s flash intro, clever “Ask The Pro” section, and the testimonial videos highlighting

student swings. Congrats, Chris, on a site well done!

What about you? What is the best part about having your own Website?

Site Statistics Update

05/17/2012 16:47:00

Many of our customers have been experiencing an issue with our site activity lately. Our team is currently investigating fixes for the problem, but the tool is fully functional and updates every four hours. We will be posting updates on this issue as they develop in the Self Help Forum.

Below are two helpful links to tips on what site stats are, and how you can use them:

Succeed with Site Statistics
This blog outlines the basics of site statistics, and defines such key components as “Page Views,” “Visitors” and “Search Engines” to name a few.

How to Manage your Site Statistics
As an internet marketer, understanding and tracking your website activity is important. Why? You can use your customer metrics to do things like understand who your customers are, and identify what motivates them to come and visit your site in the first place. You can use these learnings to make improvements to your site to drive new visits, return visits, and ultimately sales. This blog will give you a few key tips on how to manage these stats for optimal results.

If you have additional questions on site statistics, please call customer support at 866.811.1674.

Websites We Love: Four Years Strong

05/16/2012 17:35:00

Every Wednesday, we choose a Website We Love to feature here, on our blog, and on our Facebook page. This week, we asked our Facebook community how long they've had their site, and why they started it. As always, we received a number of great responses, but we had to pick just one!

The winning website comes from Raymond Bush, of Pittwater Mowing!

Raymond says he has had his site for four years, and the response has been positive: "The Website launched on a Sunday night and by Wednesday we had our first client! We now service 100+ homes in Sydney Australia." We thought the site was great overall, but were particularly impressed with the intro video, before and after shots and helpful, relevant educational

information. Congrats, Raymond!

What about you? How long have you had YOUR site...and why did you start it? Tell us in the comments section!

Websites We Love: Dreams Come True

05/09/2012 17:06:00

This week, we received a HUGE Website We Love response!

We asked our Facebook community what three words would describe their site...and the comments were amazing! As always, it was difficult to choose just one to feature here, on our blog, and on our Facebook page, but in the end, we went with a site submitted by Amanda Leigh Boykin.

When it comes to describing her site in three words, she says Petal Pusher's Wreaths & Designs is a "dream come true." We loved that answer, and her site... especially the beautiful imagery, easy-to-shop homepage, informative blog, and numerous, detailed seasonal wreath categories (on display in the left-hand navigation). We think it's a site well done! Congrats, Amanda!

What about you? How would you describe your site in just three words?

Websites We Love: Navigation

05/02/2012 15:38:00

This week, we asked the Vistaprint Internet Marketing Facebook community about what one word comes to mind first when thinking about their website. As usual, there were some amazing responses and Websites to choose from--which makes choosing just one difficult! In the end, we picked Jessica Peltz and Myst Mobile Spray Tanning as this week's Website We Love.

The word Jessica used to describe her site was "resourceful," and we think it's a word that highlights what we liked about the site well. We were impressed by the amount of information found on the site, and how well the navigation pointed to and explained specific services. Whether looking at Frequently Asked Questions or Scheduling An Appointment, the site is well organized, and easy for visitors to use. Congrats, Jessica!

What about you? What is the first word that comes to mind when you think about YOUR site?

Decoding Site Stats

04/26/2012 11:41:00

If you have a website, keeping track of your site’s statistics is important. Why? Learning things like who is looking at your site, how they got there and which pages were viewed the most can help you tailor your content, and monitor how visitors are interacting with your site. Here, we’ll define the top five stats you should be keeping track of.

1. Page Views

Page views are the number of times your web pages have been looked at. Page views are important because they can help identify what content your customers care about most.

2. Visitors

Keeping track of the number of visitors your site has, as well as when these people are checking out your pages, is a great way to figure out when to run particular content. For instance, if you know that Tuesday is a high-traffic day, that might be when you want to run a specific sale.

3. Location

Visitors to your site can come from anywhere — from your hometown to somewhere across the globe – that’s the power of the Internet. Use the location information to see your site’s popularity in specific areas, as this insight can help you focus your advertising budget on these regions.

4. Search Engine

Identifying these search engines (Google, Bing, etc.) indicates where your website is being indexed and it can also help you see the search engines your visitors prefer.

5. Referring Traffic

Any website that links to your website is called referring traffic. Knowing what sites drive traffic to your website can allow you to find out more about your customers’ online activity, which can help you customize your site to fit their interests and needs. It’s a good idea to post your website on other sites such as your area’s chamber of commerce, blogs that apply to your business or review sites to create more referring traffic. You can also spot users that click to your site from your email marketing campaigns or local search profile with our click source feature.

It’s amazing how easy it is to get to know your site visitors. Check your stats on a regular basis and make sure you use the information to better your website and strengthen your connection with customers.

Websites We Love: Picture This

04/25/2012 16:47:00

Since each week we pick the sites we love, this week’s Websites We Love question focused on what, exactly, our Vistaprint Internet Marketing Facebook community loves about their website. As it turns out, a lot of you love your sites — and with good reason, since the submissions we received were all great, and the decision to pick just one to feature was difficult.

This week’s winner comes from Jamie Benedict, who wrote that there are quite a few reasons she loves her site. “I love the business that my site brings in,” she says. “The style and design of the Vistaprint design center, and how beautiful all my pictures look…I love that I can change it around and it’s so easy.” We’re big fans of the pictures, too, especially the My Brides and More section, where there are short blurbs about each of the women featured. The images are a creative way to showcase her services, portfolio, and her clients. We’re also impressed by her non-traditional Contact Us page, which features a number of engaging questions. Congrats, Jamie!

What about you? Tell us why you love your site in the comments section!

Websites We Love: Confidence

04/18/2012 17:09:00

This week, we asked our Vistaprint Internet Marketing Facebook community

what one word summed up how their sites made them feel. After more than a month of featuring Websites We Love, it comes as no surprise that we received a number of amazing comments--and links to sites! But we had to pick just one...

The winning site this week comes from Diesel Overhead Doors Inc., who say that their site makes them feel confident. And we can see why! The welcome page grabbed our attention, and we were also impressed with the extensive picture gallery, informative maintenance section and easy-to-use

e-mail marketing sign-up box. Congrats on a site well-done!

What about you? How does your site make YOU feel? Tell us in the comments section!