You only have a few seconds to capture attention on your website!

If  visitors to your website can’t find what they want with a click of button, they will go to go to another website. That’s why you need to have a website plan to capture the attention of your users and make sure they are a totally engaged on your website. Too often, we find websites that overload visitors with too much content or it’s difficult to find key information. You need to provide a positive experience and you can control that experience!

When a visitor comes to your website, what do you want them to do? Should they enter their name and email into a website opt-in form? Are you trying to sell a product or service? Are you educating the prospect?

Make sure your website guides your visitors to the information they are seeking, effortlessly. Your website must have a clear and defined purpose. Whether you are re-branding, starting from scratch or need a website face-lift, you should create a strategic plan for engaging your audience.

Get your web developer engaged at the planning level. They can provide you with cost effective solutions and make sure that what you envision can be accomplished within your budget parameters.

As smartphone sales continue to skyrocket and consumers continue to rely on their smartphone and/or tablet to surf the web, websites will need to meet the criteria for the mobile web. In fact, Search Engine Land states that 1/5 of all searches will be completed on a mobile device. Whether consumers are shopping online, finding product information, downloading apps, or liking your brand on Facebook, websites will need to be “mobile optimized.” Mobile Optimization is critical to ensure your website is developed and designed for a positive mobile experience, for smartphones and tablets. There are several ways to accomplish this, based on your marketing plan. Consider limiting graphics, incorporating links to your complete HTML site, effortless navigation, and simple contact forms for your mobile website. Offer text coupons, reminders or create a unique and relevant app. For more information on Mobile Optimization, contact Harriet Polansky, Director of Marketing. Email: hpolansky@theallengroup.com Call: 203.855-5777 x111
Visit: http://www.theallengroup.com/services/mobile-applications.html

Your Call to Action devices enable users to navigate your site successfully, help ensure a positive experience and provides a means for building a relationship. It’s another means to control what you want your visitor to do when they’re on your website. By implementing a variety of call to action techniques, you provide additional measures to keep visitors engaged with your brand, product, service or company.

You Call to Action should generate leads, sales, as well as provide a means for on-going connectivity in order to build customer relationships. Several actions can be incorporated and they should be varied, depending on your marketing objectives and your target audiences.

With any call to action, you will need to monitor and measure its effectiveness. Some will require a test and assess approach to see if the call to action is providing you with the desired results.

How do you implement a call to action? Make it prominent on your site. Use a clickable button or link enabling visitors to take action. Call to Action devices include: Contact Us, Request a Quote, Visit our Store, Offer a Free Trial, Subscribe to our newsletter, Subscribe to our Blog, Forward to a Friend,  and using  Social Media Buttons for easy connectivity.

For more information on using “Call to Action Devices to Generate Leads and Sales”, contact Harriet Polansky, Director of Marketing.  Email hpolansky@theallengroup.com or visit www.theallengroup.com

Choosing the right platform for your business environment is one of the most important considerations in process of deciding on a software development strategy. Developers are often faced with the “build vs. buy” dilemma when choosing the appropriate framework on which to base their business environment. Whether it’s an enterprise environment or small to medium sized business, choosing the right platform is essential.

Deciding to Build or Buy

Proprietary tools and applications can, on occasion, make life easier for developers and users alike. At first glance, “off the shelf” software seems like the solid, safe bet, but it does have its downsides. technologies. It generally comes with a very high premium.Worse still, proprietary software lacks a lot of options for customization.

While Proprietary software has its place for various business implementations, developers and businesses alike are starting to see the value and benefits of implementing home-grown open source solutions. The most obvious benefit of open source software is the savings associated with opemn source development. There are numerous benefits aside from the obvious savings associated with open source development.

Benefits of Open Source Development:

1. Ownership

• enables developers to control and manipulate source code
• less reliance on vendors for updates, modifications, and updates
• allows developers greater freedom to customize and personalize their projects
• benefit of a large knowledgeable community allowing for better communication and open exchange of knowledge
• tends to be more secure because hackers often target bigger proprietary software
• can also be more secure because it allows the developer to customize security features

2. Autonomy

3. Flexibility

4. Community support

5. Security

These benefits, in turn, translate into potentially greater ROI for businesses employing open source software solutions. The strictly financial ROI stemming from lower costs of ownership associated with open source is just part of the value of investing in open source. The intangible benefits should not be overlooked.

Open Source is synonymous with customization and flexibility. Because each business has its own unique environment, each business requires a unique software solution. Open Source software development thus allows businesses to invest in tailor-made, custom solutions, as opposed to the generic solutions offered by proprietary software. Because of this businesses should always consider the open source option when embarking on new software development projects.

For a free consultation please visit The Allen Group or Contact:

Harriet Polansky

Director of Marketing & Account Services

hpolansky@theallengroup.com

203.855.5777 x111

With the growth of the app market alongside recent widespread proliferation and use of smartphones, Financial Services firms are rushing to embrace the mobile medium. Mobile has become a new frontier for information delivery and brand positioning as well as an extremely effective means of communication with a target audience. This audience, comprised of consumers, existing clients and potential customers, demands high levels of efficiency and productivity coupled with easy access to information on the go. And, these demands can only be effectively met with an up-to-date mobile content delivery system.

The financial services sector runs at breakneck speed and relies on timely information. A mobile content delivery strategy is a must for financial firms to effectively deliver real time market data, account information, research reports and news. The value and ROI of a mobile content delivery strategy lies in:

• increased monetization opportunities
• wider customer reach
• increased employee productivity
• easy access to content for both clients and employees

Companies in the Financial Sector such as Birinyi and Associates, Euro Pacific Capital and others have already taken advantage of The Allen Group as a resource for mobile applications, web development, and digital strategy consulting.

For a free consultation on how to better leverage the Mobile Medium visit The Allen Group or Contact:

Harriet Polansky

Director of Marketing & Account Services

hpolansky@theallengroup.com

203.855.5777 x111