Online Marketing: How You Can Improve Your Website Now

April 19, 2011

NIBA 2011 NYC Conference

www.gate39media.com

Session Sponsor

About Gate 39 Media

Gate 39 Media web sites generate thousands of leads, account applications, and registrations across the globe daily.

We specialize in creating web sites, online applications and marketing campaigns for IBs, CTAs, and FCMs of all sizes.

Improve Your Website Now

1. Create Offers2. Ask for the Sale3. Update Products and Services Descriptions4. Update Content5. Be the Expert6. Utilize Social Media7. Create Traffic—Get Linked

Create Offers

• How to convert a visitor to a lead capturing contact information

• Create an offer beyond the basic “Contact Us” page and platform “Free Demo”

• Offer must be valuable, relevant, and remarkable

• Unique offerings work best—guides, portals, newsletters, educational pieces, databases…

Create Offers > Landing Pages

Use dedicated “landing pages” for special offers– Page dedicated to just the offer– Often no other links to the website– Visitor concentrates only on the offer—either

complete or leave– Landing Pages are short, clear, and visual– Landing Pages provide valuable analytics– Landing Pages are standard in advertising

campaigns

Create Offers > Landing Pages

• Clear offer• Form visible

without scrolling

• Just enough info requested

• Concise offer description

• Call-to-action• No other links

Create Offers

• Offers tie in with specific products or services you wish to promote– Managed Futures: Commodity Investing Using

Managed Futures– Self-Directed: 25 Tips For New Traders– Gold: Gold Futures Trading Kit

• Offers create new reasons to return to the website, new items to highlight—most importantly—a way to capture a lead

Ask for the Sale

• After each product/service description—are you asking for the sale:– Link to Lead Capture Form, Open Account, etc.– Phone number, Live Chat– Link to related products, services, and information

• One of the biggest tasks we perform is ensuring call-to-action is clear on all core pages and across the website

Product/Service Descriptions

• Improve your product/service descriptions. Even if your offering is not particularly unique—clients want to know what they will receive with each service.– As a Self-Directed trader, I will receive…– Difference between broker-assisted vs. full service– What are Managed Futures?– How do I know which trading platform to choose?– Is a trading system right for me?

Product/Service Descriptions

• Clear descriptions make it easier for the visitor to learn about your services, improving the chances of capturing a lead

• Good descriptions also improve search engine optimization (SEO) organically by using more keywords and phrases

Stay Current

• Keep your website current—update the website regularly with: – Changes to products—do you have the latest

platform description, features, screens, videos etc– Changes to services– Changes to margin and trading product specs– Exchange announcements

Stay Current

• Global news and events– Brief overview and links to articles and resources– Your commentary on events*

• Market Updates and Daily Commentary*• Company news

– Company updates including media appearances (web, tv, radio), conferences, articles etc should be featured on your website and in social media

– Helps make your firm a go-to resource for info* review compliance

Be The Resource

• Your news– Your media appearances (web, tv, radio),

conferences, articles etc should be featured on your social media sites

• As a resource for information—you add credibility and legitimacy to your reputation

• By providing information on yourself, you are providing visibility for you firm*

*review compliance

Social Media

• Resources for information is one of the driving factors of social media. People trust (or at least are interested enough to follow) those they are connected with in social media

• People are looking more to their resources for information before searching the web

• Social media is you and your firm’s reputation—be careful with it for both publicity and compliance reasons*

*review compliance

Social Media

• At a minimum—acquire you personally and your firm’s “names” for key social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, and create a corporate profile on LinkedIn

• Social media ranks highly in search engines and is an increasingly important factor in SEO

• Social media can generate significant traffic to your website through networks and via search engines

*review compliance

Get Linked

• Building links to a website is often overlooked, but is generally cost-effective and powerful ways to generate traffic to your website

• Links not only send clients to your site but is good for search engine optimization (SEO).

• It is believed that up to 50% of the Google formula for search rankings are links to your site.

Get Linked

• Search engines• Directories and

Databases• Publications• Press Releases• Social Media• Advertising

Six sources forimproving onlinevisibility

Directories and Databases

• Directories and Databases are popular with Internet searches

• General directories such as DMOZ.org, Business.com, Yahoo.com, etc.

• Local business directories: Google Local, Bing Local, YellowPages.com

• Non-profit orgs: Chamber of Commerce, Volunteer Groups, Local Organizations—and your membership in the NIBA

Get Linked

• Industry directories: Your FCMs website, CME Broker Directory, The NIBA IB/CTA Directory, various broker directories

• For CTAs: Managed Futures database sites such as Barclay Hedge, AutumnGold, IASG, etc.

Get Linked > Advertising

• Pay to generate traffic to your website and create exposure

• Banner advertising• Pay-per-click (Google AdWords, Microsoft

AdNetwork includes Bing, Yahoo! and Facebook)

• Possible cost effective outlets include local online newspapers, community sites, and non-profit organizations

NIBA Benefits: IB/CTA Directory

• Since quiet launch in July 2010, site has become the most popular feature

• Ranks well in Google, good for SEO• Free listing with your membership including

link to your site—New Premium Listing now available

• NIBA listing, logo adds credibility to your business

• Expanded features launching by June 2011

Your To-Do List

In the next 30 days:1.Create Offers: Create 1 New Offer2.Ask for the Sale: Make sure contact info is clearly visible on service pages3.Update Products and Services Descriptions: Improve 1-2 Product or Service Descriptions 4.Update Content: Add one piece of content or news5.Be the Expert : Add one piece of content or news6.Utilize Social Media: Improve your LinkedIn profile7.Create Traffic—Get Linked: Request 2-3 links to site

Contact

Gate 39 Mediawww.gate39media.com

Shane Stiles, Presidentshane@gate39media.com312.715.1475

For copies of these slides, email shane@gate39media.com

Gate 39 Media is the official marketing agency for the National Introducing Brokers Association (NIBA) and CTA EXPO.