Do These 5 SEO Adjustments!
As search engines become increasingly intelligent, understanding search engine optimization (SEO) is essential to increase your website’s organic traffic and bolster brand awareness. Do these 5 SEO adjustments to your website and to remain ahead of the pack.
Why you need good backlinks
Few things are more precious to a business than good reviews. Higher positive reviews build greater brand credibility and foster user confidence. Think of backlinks as reviews created when your website links to another.
Finding a business partner that compliments you not clones you
Finding a business partner or support system is a sensitive aspect of building or growing your business. A partnership means you’re committed to another person on various levels. The effects of this relationship go beyond making money; your whole dream and goals are at stake. You must think through whom you choose to share your responsibilities. On the flip side having another person or people to bounce ideas off is incredibly powerful and valuable. For one thing, you don’t want a copy of yourself. Even though it’s tempting to work with someone who tends to agree with you, it’s a perilous approach. Here is a deeper look into why you need to partner with someone who thinks differently from you. Better decision-making process In business, every action is preceded by a decision. You need to weigh your options and think of how your next move will affect your company. The challenge lies in the fact that quite often there is little time to make that call. Even if you work well under pressure, it’s too easy to focus on only one aspect of a given situation. That’s where a partner with a different worldview can make a difference. They could point out things that might never occur to you, and by combining ideas, you will come up with a superior solution. On the other hand, if you both have a similar approach, there will be nothing to counterbalance a bad idea. You may even start to feel resentment when it becomes apparent that there is no need for the other person. The key here is to purposefully look for a point of view that is not the same as yours. There’s a great article that covers this more and gives a few more success tips here at Inc.com Conflicts create new opportunities for growth It is a common belief that a good relationship should always feel smooth. That may not be a realistic view since business never runs along a predictable path. As a result, you are very likely to have some conflict at various points of your partnership. The good thing about conflict is that if forces you to analyze your current situation. A good business partner will confront you when something doesn’t match their expectations. Many entrepreneurs avoid working with such a partner. It’s counter-intuitive to work with someone who doesn’t share the same worldview. Of course, you want someone who is also able to put their emotions aside. You won’t get far if all conflicts end up in angry arguments. The idea here is to have someone who can check your behavior and your decision-making process. Co-manage strengths and weaknesses Although it’s not always easy to admit, everyone has strengths and weaknesses. As a business owner, you should know yourself well enough to know you’re not good at everything. Some things should be handled by other people if you want to get the best results. Perhaps the most important reason to have a business partner or a tribe of entrepreneurs in your back pocket is to cover the areas in which you’re weak. It’s inevitable that some aspects of your business will confuse you. For instance, you may be good at selling but less competent as a manager. The opposite might be true as well. You may be great at ensuring the smooth running of day-to-day tasks but fall short when it comes to dealing with new customers. Plan ahead for a partnership If you want to find a perfect match, it’s best that you plan. Don’t just go for people who are easily available to you. Start with building a clear picture of what you need. That way, you’ll avoid jumping into a relationship that might end up being a disaster. You could put your whole business in danger by partnering with the wrong person. Write down the things you don’t need from a partner, to help you understand what you already bring to the table. Remember, you’re not looking for someone who is just like you. Then, make a wish list of the qualities and skills you want. Be careful here; make sure your list comprises the things you need on the decision-making level. If you could just hire someone to do a particular task, then cross it out. Even if you can’t afford an employee to handle it yet, don’t let that force you to bring on a partner. Once you know what you’re looking for you can begin your search. Feel free to test relationships with several people. You could start with minor projects to see how you get along. By working in real-life conditions, you’ll be better able to decide if someone is a good fit for you. The folks you share your biggest dreams and goals with the need to complement your skills, character, and personality. Work on having a clear idea of what you need and don’t need. Alternatively what you can offer that person professionally. I myself have a few entrepreneur friends that are very successful on their own, however, we value our weekly or even monthly check-ins. The ideas that come to fruition on these chats I value so deeply! Take your time with this process. Your perfect tribe is out there. I’m always looking to align myself with other forwarding thinking professionals so please reach out if you’re looking to grow your business think tank 🙂
Top Search Engine Optimization Mistakes to Avoid
Optimizing your content is key to your ongoing market strategy. By doing so, you increase your rankings on search engines such as Google, leading to increased website traffic and growth of your brand. However, learning the right search engine optimization (SEO) techniques can take time. Even seasoned veterans can get it wrong, and if you don’t use the right techniques you won’t see the results you crave. Here are a few of the common top search engine optimization mistakes to avoid. Choosing the wrong keywords Search engines work by looking for content relevant to what their users are looking for. While there are many ways to describe your product, you should concentrate on how potential customers might refer to them. Do some research on commonly searched keywords relevant to your content. Simple tools like Adwords and Google Trends can help you to find the right words to include in your content. “Stuffing” content It can be tempting to just stuff keywords into your content in an attempt to rank higher. However, adding your targeted keywords into every sentence will penalize your site, as search engines will list your website as spam. Less is more in this situation: add keywords naturally into the content and don’t overdo it. Stuffing your content also has the effect of making it clunky and difficult to read, putting off potential customers. Ignoring titles and summary descriptions Seamlessly adding SEO keywords into your article is not enough. Keywords should also be added to titles and summary descriptions in your content. Engines search these areas of text, so it is best practice to include your targeted keywords in them. This is an action you can take which boosts your on-site SEO with minimal effort. “Going it alone” Sometimes you need help. SEO is a dynamic field, with new search engine algorithms and constantly evolving software and dynamics. It can be hard to keep up ion your own, and your energy is better directed at creating quality content. Hiring outside help for your SEO campaign will give you peace of mind that everything is running smoothly, and you are getting the results you crave. Additionally, our technical marketing packages offer many good SEO practices that we can incorporate into your ongoing needs. Learn more about how we can help your business increase your SEO rankings on your website here under our technical marketing services. The Lowdown Implementing the right SEO practices will lead to an increase in traffic and revenue for your business. By avoiding top search engine optimization mistakes and bad advice, you will avoid being penalized by search engine algorithms. You may want to consider other tips such as cleaning up your content and speeding your website up using the many tools available online. Your website is the first thing your customers see – make sure it is working for you and you will see the benefits in no time at all.
4 Reasons to Outsource Marketing for your Small Business
Staying up to date with the latest marketing trends isn’t an easy task for most small businesses. Constantly producing high-quality content is a time-consuming process that requires a lot of effort. However, one way you can streamline your business operations is by partnering with an agency like ours, to outsource marketing needs. Creative professionals like us can significantly boost your online presence. As well as help you gain a much-needed edge over your competition. Here are a few of the top reasons to consider why you should outsource marketing 1) Additional Skillsets One of the biggest advantages of working with a marketing agency is that it gives you access to a wide range of professionals to help with your marketing strategy. A marketing agency will often employ a wide range of professionals, such as copywriters, social media experts, and graphic designers. The combination of all these skills within a company results in an effective digital marketing campaign to help you gain more traffic to your website and improve your online presence. 2) Cost-Effective Strategy Another reason to consider hiring a marketing agency is that it will save you a lot of money over the long-term. Working with an agency increases your overall marketing output without having to hire freelance writers or graphic designers. You will only pay a set fee each month, which is much more simple than hiring additional employees to handle your marketing campaign. 3) Focus On Other Areas Managing your marketing strategy in-house requires a lot of extra time and hard work. Writing three to five blog posts each week or publishing a white paper requires a special skill set, and it’s also a big-time investment. Reaching out to a marketing agency is a great way to focus on other aspects of your business while letting the professionals handle your marketing strategy. 4) Generate Fresh Ideas Producing quality content is key in helping you rank high in Google, whether you are creating blog posts, updating your website, or staying active on social media. However, one of the hardest aspects of marketing is coming up with new ideas. Many companies fail at content marketing due to a lack of fresh ideas, as an outdated website never makes a good first impression with potential clients. The easiest way to generate fresh content is to partner with a marketing agency that will produce unique content on a consistent basis. Excellent long-term investment Marketing plays a big role in helping your company grow by expanding your audience on the internet. Trying to handle these duties on your own is often an overwhelming experience, as partnering with a marketing agency is an excellent long-term investment. Gaining access to marketing professionals while also saving yourself money and time are only a few of the many advantages of outsourcing all of your marketing needs for your small business. If you are considering partnering with a marketing agency to help you stand out from your competition we’d love to answer any questions on a quick discovery call. Book Discovery Call: Choose a time slot that works for you Be sure to review our Services prior to our call to have a better understanding of what we offer.
Hold the line. Have You Performed a 2020 Business Evaluation?
Ok, so this year wasn’t what we all had planned. However, this year really showed us how to wake up, think outside the box, and push forward. Any moment now, everything you see on social media and pretty much anywhere online will begin to pressure you about your 2021 goals, and how you’re going to be your #bestself. BUT, is that really the best way to move into a new year? What if we look back and learn, then spend the next 30 days figuring out how we are going to live better in 2021. Instead of focusing on a resolution or setting a goal for the new year, gaining clarity on your past year by performing a 2020 business evaluation can reap tremendous benefits in more ways than one! Setting Expectations Everyone can agree that setting our expectations for our New Year goals can be helpful and oftentimes yields a strong kick start of a year right out of the gate! However, does that pacing last? More than likely your answer is no. Not because there isn’t a ton of effort to keep things moving along, more so because hurdles present themselves as the year moves along. Breaking down your goals by quarter can put all areas of your business into perspective. If you are looking at an overall year-end goal you might skip over important elements that support one another. Each quarter consists of three months or twelve weeks. With these smaller time frames to digest you can re-evaluate operational goals, customer service milestones, and your marketing campaigns. Start something Meaningful in 2021 Yea it sounds scary, awful almost to start something in a time in the world where so much is unclear. Or is it the most clearest it has ever been? While both the traditional store front business is dwindling and the online business skyrockets – we are seeing that many consumers still want that traditional experience. How can you as the business owner provide that in your model? If you have to take your business online, have you thought through that experience for your customer? If you’re staying open how can you pivot to keep in-person shoppers feeling special? After 2021 there is an abundant opportunity to reset our business practices and rethink the customer’s experience and satisfaction. Be Intentional in Your Offering With so many click here, buy now, save this – in the moment offers, consumers are overwhelmed with the things that are being tossed their way at every turn. However, in reality, we as business owners should be providing them with products and services that they need and those that will serve them fully. After the roughest year across the globe – especially for small businesses. Being meaningful to those that support what we do has never been more of a necessity. Maybe that comes forward as a special offering, or even a simple old fashioned thank you note. The time is here for us to bring the “human” quality back into our transactions and make those who support us feel good after they’ve done business with us. Cheer’s to a clear line of focus on your next years goals!
Key Digital Marketing Trends in 2021
Social media and digital marketing will only be more important to people in 2021. After a year in which many people relied on social media for communication, more and more people have come to value the dependability of Facebook and other platforms.
Where is your website traffic coming from?
Do you even know the answer to this question? Are you monitoring it? Have you realized how much this can help you assess what areas of your marketing are working vs what is not? If you don’t know where your website traffic is coming from then you’re already behind the game. Knowing exactly what marketing efforts are working for you and which ones are not moving the needle can be a huge help when choosing where you should spend your time and effort. With all of our clients we strongly believe they should be using Google Analytics on their website, and make sure that they are tied into their social and email marketing platforms as well. We’ve put together a simple to follow guide for understanding the value behind Google Analytics. See the bulleted list below that will help you focus on where your website traffic is coming from and who exactly is your demographic and how are they interacting with your website content. Audience Acquisition Behavior Audience The term “Audience” refers to your users. Total number of users, new users, the total number of sessions, bounce rate, page views, number of sessions per user, and average session duration. When you are considering where your website traffic is coming from you probably have an ideal client in mind. One who is comfortable with your price point, near your companies location or service range, and lastly are looking for the service or products you provide. In this screenshot, you can see a glimpse of what we are covering here. This shows the return value of the traffic this client is receiving by referral source meaning, where the heck the user came from or click to get to the site, and also the demographic that is converting from those sites. This really helps you break down what is working as far as the marketing output you are doing. Understanding your demographic even further can help you make decisions about your marketing all the way down to the creative assets you are sharing on social media. If you are for instance pulling in a larger group of younger people than you may have originally thought, it might be a good idea to try catering to them a bit more in your message and tone. Especially if this is an audience you want to focus on. LThis works the other way around as well. If you aren’t getting the right type of audience, then you can evaluate what topics, talking points, or even graphics might be off. Once you start to pay closer attention to your demographic and what they engage with, you should start to see a change in your audience over time. Acquisition The “Acquisition” simply tells us how we got the user in a more in-depth way. By evaluating the acquisition of your audience via organic search, direct, referral, social, paid search, etc., you can get a clearer understanding of the traffic mediums that are working best and what other ones may not be worth the effort. As you can see in this screenshot, this client is seeing most of their traffic come in the way of organic searches, which is gold! This means they have strong brand awareness, people know exactly what they want when they find their site in the search results and take action by clicking and visiting their website. The second source of traffic is direct which means that the users are simply typing in their website address to get to the site. Another great sign! To dig even further the third source being referral links relates to traffic sources from other websites, blog posts, or even collaboration on social media channels that aren’t related to the client’s pages. Hopefully if you’ve read this far into this post you are starting to see the value on really understanding where your website traffic is coming from. We have one more interesting portion to cover that can really help you dig deeper into what is working and where you should focus your marketing planning and messaging talking points. Behavior This factor really breaks down all the important info in one section. If you don’t have the time to learn all that you can about your website traffic and analytics, at a minimum you must pay attention to the user behavior on your website. Behavior measures many things, in this article, we will stick to covering page views, the number of unique page views, average time on a page, the bounce rate, the flow of what pages the user clicked through, etc. This screenshot shows our client what pages are most popular on their website. This is so important when you are selling a service that relies heavily on explaining what you offer. Getting your client the most education possible before they make a decision cuts down more time for you and your sales team or process. Additionally, you get a glimpse of what pages bring in new traffic vs return traffic. Just think about how that can affect upselling your current client database. When you can get in-depth info on your user’s experience and really break that down, you’re all a sudden a genius website wizard, with the ability to give your users exactly the experience they were looking for. If Google Analytics is too overwhelming for you we offer Technical Marketing packages that include a custom-built Google Data Studio that will visually put all this data together and be sent to you monthly via an automated report.
5 Ways to Personalize Your Content Marketing on a Budget
Gone are the days of large and impersonal billboards, or direct mail advertisements aimed at an audience of thousands. We’ve put together 5 ways to personalize your content marketing on a budget. Additionally, paired with the marketing efforts of today which are channeled into dynamic emails, personal videos, and social media interactions. Although this new world appears strange and even daunting to small businesses, implementing personalized marketing communications is now easier than ever before. There are five primary categories of personalizing your content marketing, each of which can be done on a budget of zero dollars. Such as social media, customized videos, self-reported analytics, dynamic content, and automated systems. 1. Social Media It’s no secret that social media is the biggest free marketing tool on the internet today. With potential Facebook audiences measuring in the billions, the social frontier is only just being explored by small business content marketers. Here are some ways to personalize your content while using social media, all entirely for free! • Have users submit pictures, videos, or segments of their own content to be featured in a Facebook post. Not only will they love seeing their work on the ‘big screen,’ but they will share it with all of their friends, too! • Polls are excellent methods of gathering audience data. Undoubtedly, listen to what your consumers are saying, then compose a poll that allows them to interact with subjects they care about. • If possible, avoid using robots to respond to messages. Accordingly, get engaged with your customer’s comments, texts, and feedback by using their first names whenever possible. Prove to your consumers that you care, and they will spread the word. With social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat to choose from, businesses can enjoy personalized content marketing while on strict budgets. Looking for help with social media posts? 2. Customized Video Whether or not your organization relies on thank you notes or donor info to succeed, personalized videos make up an enormous part of personalized content marketing efforts. Communicating directly to your prospects makes them feel valued, and is a great way to connect with leads all over the globe at a very low cost. Below are some methods of creating engaging personal videos that reach out to prospects exactly how (and where) you need them to. • Create personalized videos that thank individual persons on social media, email, or through a special URL. Ensure that the pronunciation of the prospect’s name is accurate in order to solidify trust and affiliation. • Use members of your team to create one-to-one videos, which act as a two-sided conversation using only one person. Look for ways to automate the process and reduce some of your overhead tasks, while simultaneously adding in conversational tones wherever possible. • Holiday season? Create personalized videos wishing your prospects a Happy Holidays, a fun summer, or just a merry weekend. Look for ways to engage with consumer feedback to optimize the process. Videography doesn’t need to be difficult, and in today’s world of digital inference, personalized videos can be created using only a well-lit room and a smartphone. Worried you don’t have enough time to do it all? As a result, freelance websites such as Upwork, Fiverr, and WriterAccess have excellent resources. Accordingly these websites help to manage your personalization efforts while on a budget. 3. Engaging Analytics Understanding the right way to engage with your prospects can be confusing. Engaging with prospects without using analytics will be even more confusing. Alternatively, you can personalize your content marketing on a budget using analytics in the following ways: • Measure the impact of your campaigns both with and without personalized touches. Did one do better than another? Why? • Integrate AI technology with your app (if you have one). This will allow you to track the habits of your consumers, and make better-personalized offers along the way. • Let significant analytics trigger personalized content for your consumers. The customer at their data cap for the third time? Send an email that targets this. Has a hot lead visited the same page on your website several times? Reach out to them and provide additional info about your services. Remember, content may be king, but analytics will always be queen! Build-in some room for data, and it will surely thank you in the years to come. What’s more, many analytic platforms are entirely free! Does your marketing team have visual analytics to translate your quarterly spending? 4. Dynamic Content Dynamic content is a term that refers to movement, interaction, or change on a static page. Therefore, any content that is altered to fit the end consumer may fall under this category. Examples of this include clickable ads, localized weather reports, and on-site banner advertisements. While not all dynamic content is cheap, it can be personalized with a dramatic effect for website visitors, newsletter subscribers, and prospects who just happen to be stopping by. Here are some effective methods of dynamic content optimization for businesses on a budget: • Embed a weather map or temperature gauge that connects to the prospect’s location. • Add a first name, pronouns, or other important personal details to email content. This engages the reader and can be done through most major email platforms. • Try to get the attention of first-time visitors with stylish and attractive personalized content. Thus, display relevant info such as item suggestions, previously viewed products, and more. Nonetheless, lots of ideas for dynamic content templates are available online and can be made for free using applications such as Canva. Dynamic content offers an excellent opportunity for more established small businesses looking to ramp up their marketing efforts. Don’t have time to write niche content for your business? We can do that for you!! 5. Automated Personalization Not all organizations have the time or manpower to effectively personalize content. Also, popup and dynamic ads, customized emails, and even unique behavioral targeting can all be managed at the touch of a button using
Why You Should Sell on Your Own Website: Small Business Owners Read This
Why You Should Sell on Your Own Website? If you’re are a small business owner who finds yourself in one of the following positions: You’re actively navigating ways for your business to stay afloat, or You’re struggling to make a profit, or You’ve found a new project of interest, or You simply want to earn more income … Why Should You Sell on Your Own Website? Keep reading! This is the perfect blog post for you. Stop Giving Away Your Clients Small business owners who newly enter the digital space often start with third-party eCommerce sellers due to its ease of set-up and access to larger audiences. In the long run, this can severely hurt your website traffic. And your pocket. Acting as a middleman, these big guys get all the valuable information about user behavior and use it to benefit and grow their wealth, as opposed to enlightening and enriching your understanding of your demographic. When your buyers click that link, they’ll automatically be sent to these companies. In this article, we explain why you should sell on your own website, and how you can build an online business model without having to spend a fortune! Benefits of Selling on Your Own Site 1. Improve website traffic and Google rankings Selling on your site will boost its Search Engine Optimization (SEO) performance. All you need to do is give every product on your site an alluring and keyword-rich description. Create a content strategy as well — polish your site up with fresh and valuable blogs and videos. Share them across the web to drive traffic and leads and build relationships with existing customers. 2. Full control over your customer resources Your e-commerce site is extremely measurable and trackable through Google Analytics. You can access data including how many orders are processed through your site, average cart total, cart abandonment rate, and % of total revenue your site has achieved at regular intervals. At Active Media, we’ll also help you plan and employ a powerful SEO strategy to grow your page rankings in search engines. This should be a steady ongoing monthly investment. Learn our SEO & Content clarity tips. Once your e-commerce site has been set up, you should not have to spend too much time running it. This is because the whole phase of order processing and making payments will be activated through the online system. You can, therefore, allocate your valuable bit of extra time toward developing new products, launching special offers, and scouting out which products are selling most successfully. 3. Keep your buyers connected Email is a crucial part of a marketing strategy. 94% of people say they get online to check email, it’s the #1 activity on the internet! Once a person has visited your website, there’s a higher chance that they will sign up for your newsletter – this is an opportunity for you to garner your own email list and make direct contact with prospective buyers in the future. Success Stories See You Next Tuesday Some technical marketing tasks that we performed for her included: coming up with a unique monochromatic design for her website, implementing new SEO strategies, and setting up her own Amazon store throughout the pandemic. Debra’s Skin Care Once Covid-19 hit, we redesigned the “Shop” portion of her website. Simple to use, easy to navigate, and mobile responsive – now she is selling way more products than before! “There is a light at the end of every tunnel. Some tunnels just happen to be longer than others.” ― Ada Adams. Knowing other small business owners that might find this helpful? Share away. 🙂
