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10 Tips to Make Your Dance Studio Website More Effective
By Mark Mahoney
Simply having a website is not good enough anymore. Your website can be the most cost effective way to communicate to existing and perspective customers. Your website can serve as a powerful round-the-clock marketing tool for your studio. I know there are many owners who still view a website as a necessary evil, but if you look at the typical "buyer profile of young children's activities" - these parents, mostly moms, spend a large amount of time "buying" on the web and want information NOW.
It is important to have these types of strategies in place:
Drive perspective & existing customers to your website
Guide perspective customers through the "buying process" in "baby" steps
Have a simple "call to action" like "schedule your a free trial", "schedule a free tour"
Allow existing customers to get to information quickly, they know what they want, let them find it easily
Tip #1 - Drive Traffic to Your Website
Your website address should be on everything:
Brochures, flyers & posters
Refrigerator magnets & window decals
Yellow Page ad, letters, email signatures
Voice mail greeting (be sure to visit our website for the latest information)
Google Search Engine - http://www.Google.com
Google Local Search Engine - local.Google.com
"See website for details"
"See website for current class calendar & schedule"
Tip #2 - Using Pictures / Graphics to Enhance Your Message
Put pictures of kids having fun on every page
Pictures/Graphics are to enhance text (not visa versa)
Use real photos from your studioo Do NOT use stock photography
Send the message: Dancing is SAFE
Send the message: Dancing is FUN
Send the message: Dancing is for kids of all ages
Send the message: Dancing is for kids of all shapes and sizes
Make sure the pictures are low resolution (around 72 dpi) so that they do not slow down the website
Be sure to use a variety of ages and equipment
Make sure you have a "photo release" paragraph on your registration form
Tip #3 - Make "Contact Us" & Directions page super easy to find
Mention nearby restaurants/stores (so parents can run errands / go shopping / eat a meal)
Mention other benefits of your location
Do not put individual's email addresses on the website like: susan@dancestudio.info - instead use: office@dancestudio.info
Make sure you have all the contact & map information on one page because many times a visitor will print this page and throw it in the car. So when the visitor cannot find your facility, they can call you.
Sample "Contact Us" Page
The Best Dance Studio
Phone: 123-123-1234
123 Main Street Google Map LinkCity, ST, Zip
Directions from I-75:
Step 1
Step 2
Directions from Downtown:
Step 1
Step 2
Local restaurants, shops & attractions
Tip #4 - Make it easy on the Search Engines
Use text on your web pages, not pictures/images of text
Search engines, like Google, when "crawling" your site cannot see images or pictures of text. It is very important on the home page to put common search criteria in text in the upper portion of the page
Typical search text examples include: "Dance Studio in Charlotte", "Learn to Dance in Charlotte", "Charlotte Dance Studio"
Ask your visitors or non-dance parents what phrases they would use to search for your facility
Don't let a web designer talk you into using "Flash" or cool graphics/imageso Submit your website to Google - it is FREE - http://www.google.com/webmasters/sitemaps
Google's local search capability is gaining huge momentum
Tip #5 - Class Descriptions / Schedules
Class descriptions are very important when a perspective customer is trying to understand your offerings. It is important for each description contains: activities, benefits and age range.
Websites tend to focus too much on the activities and not the benefits - remember you are typically competing against non-dance alternatives and the non-dance parent usually will not automatically understand the benefits from this great art/sport.
Use Pictures on this page to enhance your descriptions, especially ones that pertain to the exact classo Use Videos - I believe this is an area that websites do NOT take advantage of. Videos can be a huge selling tool - it can help close a sale without a visit or at least convince someone they should come to visit the facility in person.
Call to Action - Make this really simple and a small step - a couple of examples include: "call or email to schedule your a free trial", "call or email to schedule a free tour", or "call or email to schedule a free evaluation".
Tip #6 - FAQ Page
Take all the typical questions your front desk receives and put them on this page
Maybe group it into two sections "New/Perspective Customers" and "Existing Customers"
This page can save you a lot of precious phone time and help eliminate your customers' frustration
Tip #7 - NO Flash introduction
Many web designers want to do a "Cool Flash" introduction to your site - Don't do it!
I personally think this is a waste of time and money and can cause frustration to your frequent visitors by always having to click on "Skip Intro"
There is a good reason why all the popular sites (e-bay, Amazon, Google, MSN) do NOT have introductions
A "Flash Introduction" looks something like a commercial with lots of motion and graphics
Tip #8 - Testimonials
Keep a digital camera in the studioo Anytime a customer sings a praise about your business, ask if you can take their picture and put their quote on the website
Put their quote & picture on the website and use only their first name (do NOT put their full name)
Testimonials are powerful just like pictures - have these all over your website
The testimonials page is one of the few pages that can be long - it is amazing how many website visitors will scroll down a long testimonial page and read each of the quotes
Tip #9 - Top Navigation Bar
An older style of navigation was to have the website "Navigation Bar" (Table of Contents) on the left. The drawback to this left navigation style is that is takes up precious space on each web page.
Now that websites are growing with more and more information, Top Navigation is better because it can stay the same on all your pages and does not take up as much space.
If you have a lot of information on your website, it maybe a good idea to have "Pull Down" menus from some of the navigation items
Navigation design is critical to making it easy for your website visitors to easily find the information they are looking for
Website Visitors have a very short attention span and your navigation needs to be clear and well thought out
Below is a sample of a "Top Navigation Bar"
Tip #10 - Ask for the Visitor's email
Always have a "Subscribe to Newsletter" item on the home page
Even if you do not currently publish an e-newsletter, always be gathering emails for announcements
Odds are you will eventually have an e-newsletter and it is so easy to put this item on the home page and begin gathering perspective customers email addresses
http://www.constantcontact.com/ is an e-newsletter provider we use and recommend for small businesses
Mark Mahoney - Confounder of Jackrabbit Technologies - http://www.jackrabbitdance.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Mahoney
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Day 59 Dance Fashion Line Update [Take That and Robbie for Children In Need]
A quick update on where I am with the dance fashion line I wantto develop and [Take That and Robbie Williams for Children In Need] on the same stage!
Plume Gives You What You Need
By Treak Eric
Although the focus should always remain on the dancing skills and ability of the dancer, it is inevitable that the style of clothing that is worn will grab many peoples attention. In these fashion conscious times, it is extremely important to be comfortable in what you wear but to have confidence in your image. There should be no doubt that the psychological confidence that comes from wearing good fitting and stylish clothes will enable any dancer to add an extra level of performance to their dancing. One way that people can develop confidence in their style is to co-ordinate their look and this is made extremely easy by choosing various items of clothing from the same manufacturer. One of the best firms who provide everything that you could ever need in dance clothes is Plume, with something for everything.
Given that there are so many different styles of dancing available, it follows on that there will be a vast array of clothes that can be worn by dancers. This flexibility is ideal for those dancers who have not quite decided upon what style of dance they want to take up. Whilst you are still choosing what style of dance to take up, being able to find generic clothing will help to keep the overall cost down. Given the current economic climate, anything which helps consumers to maintain their expenditure is of benefit and will make it easier to justify taking up a new activity. The styles offered by Plume should ensure that regardless of what you want to do, there will be something to suit your needs.
One of the most popular forms of dancewear is a leotard, because it is so versatile. In recent years, the humble leotard has gained in popularity, partly because of the celebrity endorsements who are happy to be pictured in the clothing. This has helped shape the demand from many new dancers who are keen to wear what their idols are wearing and the leotard options provided by Plume are sure to satisfy any demand. Whether it is quiet and traditional to fit with the expected mode of dress for ballet or the funkier style for modern dancing, the leotard is so adaptable that virtually every style of dancing and every dancer can benefit from having this outfit in their wardrobe.
Away from the ever adaptable leotard, Plume are able to offer so much more to ensure that the whole dancing ensemble can be kitted out. Tights are an essential part of the daily routine for any dancer and having a choice of colours, fabrics and patterns should ensure every dance fan is able to obtain the tights they need. Other products that are available include t-shirts, jazz pants and tutus, guaranteeing that Plume is the brand for everything you need with regards to dance. With sizes from toddlers to adults and all shades and colours, it is unlikely that you would need to go anywhere else to ensure that the dancer in your life is fully equipped to take to the stage.
Europe's leading online retailer of dancewear - Dance Direct.For further information regarding our range of Plume products, please visit our website at http://www.dancedirect.com./
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Treak_Eric
Plume Gives You What You Need
By Treak Eric
Although the focus should always remain on the dancing skills and ability of the dancer, it is inevitable that the style of clothing that is worn will grab many peoples attention. In these fashion conscious times, it is extremely important to be comfortable in what you wear but to have confidence in your image. There should be no doubt that the psychological confidence that comes from wearing good fitting and stylish clothes will enable any dancer to add an extra level of performance to their dancing. One way that people can develop confidence in their style is to co-ordinate their look and this is made extremely easy by choosing various items of clothing from the same manufacturer. One of the best firms who provide everything that you could ever need in dance clothes is Plume, with something for everything.
Given that there are so many different styles of dancing available, it follows on that there will be a vast array of clothes that can be worn by dancers. This flexibility is ideal for those dancers who have not quite decided upon what style of dance they want to take up. Whilst you are still choosing what style of dance to take up, being able to find generic clothing will help to keep the overall cost down. Given the current economic climate, anything which helps consumers to maintain their expenditure is of benefit and will make it easier to justify taking up a new activity. The styles offered by Plume should ensure that regardless of what you want to do, there will be something to suit your needs.
One of the most popular forms of dancewear is a leotard, because it is so versatile. In recent years, the humble leotard has gained in popularity, partly because of the celebrity endorsements who are happy to be pictured in the clothing. This has helped shape the demand from many new dancers who are keen to wear what their idols are wearing and the leotard options provided by Plume are sure to satisfy any demand. Whether it is quiet and traditional to fit with the expected mode of dress for ballet or the funkier style for modern dancing, the leotard is so adaptable that virtually every style of dancing and every dancer can benefit from having this outfit in their wardrobe.
Away from the ever adaptable leotard, Plume are able to offer so much more to ensure that the whole dancing ensemble can be kitted out. Tights are an essential part of the daily routine for any dancer and having a choice of colours, fabrics and patterns should ensure every dance fan is able to obtain the tights they need. Other products that are available include t-shirts, jazz pants and tutus, guaranteeing that Plume is the brand for everything you need with regards to dance. With sizes from toddlers to adults and all shades and colours, it is unlikely that you would need to go anywhere else to ensure that the dancer in your life is fully equipped to take to the stage.
Europe's leading online retailer of dancewear - Dance Direct.For further information regarding our range of Plume products, please visit our website at http://www.dancedirect.com./
Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Treak_Eric
Day 58 [Starting your own dance school] [DanceStudioOwner.com]
The first in a series of tips to starting your own dance school.
Dance Studio Owner tools and resources to make your dance school ... DanceStudioOwner.com is a collaborative online community and resource that is full of information on everything you need to know to attract more students ... http://www.dancestudioowner.com/index.cfm?affID=uedcs1
Dance Studio Owner tools and resources to make your dance school ... DanceStudioOwner.com is a collaborative online community and resource that is full of information on everything you need to know to attract more students ... http://www.dancestudioowner.com/index.cfm?affID=uedcs1
Day 56 [Leona Lewis Happy X Factor Performance] and [Jermaine Browne Choreographer]
Just a quick video about *Leona Lewis' Happy X factor Performance* and [Jermaine Browne Choreographer ]
Hip Hop Funk with Jermaine Browne http://bit.ly/4gbpoa
http://www.jermainebrowne.com/
http://www.twitter.com/jermainebrowne
Bio | Jermaine Browne Jermaine Browne's choreography captures the essence of music, whether it's sexy, soulful or just plain fun. He integrates hip-hop, modern and lyrical dance ...
http://www.jermainebrowne.com/bio
Hip Hop Funk with Jermaine Browne http://bit.ly/4gbpoa
http://www.jermainebrowne.com/
http://www.twitter.com/jermainebrowne
Bio | Jermaine Browne Jermaine Browne's choreography captures the essence of music, whether it's sexy, soulful or just plain fun. He integrates hip-hop, modern and lyrical dance ...
http://www.jermainebrowne.com/bio
Day 54 Dance Wear Problems
Results of my research - This is what I like online...
Feminine and colourful
Simply Sweat Fitness clothing, gym wear & fitness equipment Online UK sports shop full of the latest Fitness clothing, gym wear & fitness equipment with next day delivery, 28 day no quibble returns and discount ...http://bit.ly/2EBcki
Nice trousers
Yoga Clothes - Hardtail Pants, Beyond Yoga Clothing, Manduka Yoga ... Yoga-Clothing.com offers yoga clothes including shirts, tanks, and Yoga hardtail pants for both men and women clothing. Enjoy high quality yoga clothes from ... http://bit.ly/4oYOEU
Feminine and colourful
Simply Sweat Fitness clothing, gym wear & fitness equipment Online UK sports shop full of the latest Fitness clothing, gym wear & fitness equipment with next day delivery, 28 day no quibble returns and discount ...http://bit.ly/2EBcki
Nice trousers
Yoga Clothes - Hardtail Pants, Beyond Yoga Clothing, Manduka Yoga ... Yoga-Clothing.com offers yoga clothes including shirts, tanks, and Yoga hardtail pants for both men and women clothing. Enjoy high quality yoga clothes from ... http://bit.ly/4oYOEU
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