NH Grand Brand Training Workshop

Website Best Practices

Design

• Logo in upper left, which would link back to the home page.

• Most important information should be above the “fold”• Keep in mind that users read left to right, top to

bottom so establish a level of importance of the page• Good use of white space to give the page a clean

feel• Alignment of items on a page should stay consistent

(horizontal or vertical)

Design- Examples

Lopstick Lodgewww.cabinsatlopstick.com

• Logo in top left corner

• Page navigation, social networking links and online reservations

placed above the fold

• E-newsletter signup on homepage

Images/Photography

• Keep large sized images at a minimum to optimize page load times

• Maintain consistency with images dimensions

• Use some type of gallery for groupings of images• Make sure to use “alt” and “title” tags on all images

and graphics

• Use graphics for all form buttons

Images/Photography- Examples

The Common Manwww.thecman.com

• Excellent use of photography-

showcases the food

• Alt tags on images

Images/Photography- Examples

Barron Brook Inn www.barronbrookinn.com

• Image sizes kept relatively small-

minimizes load time

• Photography dimensions are consistent

throughout the site

Content

• Make sure content styles are consistent throughout the site

• Use relevant content for each page to allow for best SEO

• Content should be spaced away from images for easy reading

• Links that bring the user away from site should open in a new pop up window

• Minimize the number of clicks for users to get where they want to be

Content- Examples

Waterville Valley Resort Association

www.visitwatervillevalley.com

• Easy to use navigation- drop down menus and calls to action minimize

number of clicks

• Content style consistent through site

Content- Examples

Your Manchesterwww.yourmanchesternh.com

• Images are not cluttered with text wrapping- content

is easy to read

• Relevant content on inner pages

Optimization (SEO)

• HTML/XML sitemap• Page/Browser titles should be descriptive• Meta description and keywords• Repeat navigation in footer • Social media to include Twitter/Facebook – now

searchable by search engines• Relevant content on every page

Optimization (SEO) - Examples

NH Grandwww.nhgrand.com

• Browser titles utilized for SEO

(NH Grand, Vacation Rentals, Waterfront Rentals, Cabin

Rentals)

• Search results based on these titles- top two Google results in

a search for “north nh grand vacation rentals”

Social MediaHOW DTTD CAN HELP YOU• If on Twitter, then we can “follow”.

• If have FB page, then can make a favorite of VisitNH fan page.

• By becoming a fan of the VisitNH FB page, you can post to our fan page and also comment on posts. Many lodging properties have posted specials on the FB page.

• Participating in the VisitNH Fan Benefit gives you a month of exposure, plus any media coverage generated.

• Our current fan benefit with the Common Man has generated stories in the Union Leader and BusinessNH Magazine.

Facebook Fan Pages• There are over 400 million Facebook members• More than 333,000 New Hampshire users• 3 million active Pages• 1.5 million active Pages from local businesses • 20 million people become fans of Facebook Pages

each day.• The average user becomes a fan of 4 Pages each

month.• The VisitNH Page has grown to 5,000+ fans since

its launch on July 28, 2009.

VisitNH Fan Page on Facebook

Contact E.J. Powers at Montagne Communications

epowers@montagnecommunications.com

603-644-3200

Facebook Top 10 Best Practices

1. Create a profile and test the waters 1st.

2. Develop a plan with goals & guidelines.

3. FB is part of the overall marketing strategy, not the entire enchilada, so it should follow your branding standards.

4. Once on FB, create a customized landing page for people who are not fans yet.

5. The “One in Four Rule”.

Facebook Top 10 Best Practices6. Engage your fans with questions, content,

polls, contests, etc.7. Be responsive- take part in discussions,

answer questions, provide information.8. Optimize your page- SEO keywords,

profile pic.9. Cross-promote all your platforms: email

signatures, website, blog, Twitter bio, FB link, ads, etc.

10. Have fun and show personality.

Social Media- Resources

• http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/12-social-media-secrets-from-worlds-top-superstars/

• http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20100329-BIZ-3290304

• http://mashable.com/guidebook/facebook/

• http://mashable.com/guidebook/twitter/

• http://mashable.com/2010/01/16/foursquare-world/

Thank you!