Saturday, May 19, 2018
Website Marketing Tips - Page Speed, Optimization
How To Optimize Page Speed To Master SEO
Keyword research, engaging content and link building are at the top of everyone’s search engine optimization (SEO) to-do lists, but page speed is an equally important factor that is often overlooked. Marketers shouldn’t lose sight of page speed, as Google has been using it as a determining factor in search results since 2010.
Until recently, these speed factors were only applied to desktop searches. That will no longer be true after Google announced that page speed will be a factor for mobile search results beginning in July.
The following are some basic tools and guidelines to get you started on building a faster website that ranks higher and provides a better user experience for your visitors.
Establish a Baseline.
Before you start improving your page speed, establish a baseline to find out where the biggest opportunities are. Google provides a PageSpeed Insights tool that analyzes webpages and assigns them scores up to 100 for both mobile and desktop. It also suggests optimizations that can improve page load times.
Once a score has been established and opportunities have been identified, progress can be made toward blazing-fast load times.
READ MORE >>
Keyword research, engaging content and link building are at the top of everyone’s search engine optimization (SEO) to-do lists, but page speed is an equally important factor that is often overlooked. Marketers shouldn’t lose sight of page speed, as Google has been using it as a determining factor in search results since 2010.
Until recently, these speed factors were only applied to desktop searches. That will no longer be true after Google announced that page speed will be a factor for mobile search results beginning in July.
The following are some basic tools and guidelines to get you started on building a faster website that ranks higher and provides a better user experience for your visitors.
Establish a Baseline.
Before you start improving your page speed, establish a baseline to find out where the biggest opportunities are. Google provides a PageSpeed Insights tool that analyzes webpages and assigns them scores up to 100 for both mobile and desktop. It also suggests optimizations that can improve page load times.
Once a score has been established and opportunities have been identified, progress can be made toward blazing-fast load times.
READ MORE >>
Content Marketing Tips | SEO
21 Quick & Dirty Content Marketing Tips for More Traffic & Conversions
Conversions.
Traffic.
Everybody wants them, but not everybody knows the little ways they can improve their content marketing to get them.
According to The Goal Pyramid by Matthew Michaelwicz, breaking down your big goals (like more traffic, more conversions, more leads, more sales) into smaller, achievable tasks is the way to smash them.
It’s true: The little things add up to Big Things.
In that spirit, here’s a list of 21 quick, dirty, actionable tips that can help you get more traffic and conversions from your content marketing today.
Try one, try a handful, or try them all – each will help you reach your content marketing goals.
READ MORE >>
Conversions.
Traffic.
Everybody wants them, but not everybody knows the little ways they can improve their content marketing to get them.
According to The Goal Pyramid by Matthew Michaelwicz, breaking down your big goals (like more traffic, more conversions, more leads, more sales) into smaller, achievable tasks is the way to smash them.
It’s true: The little things add up to Big Things.
In that spirit, here’s a list of 21 quick, dirty, actionable tips that can help you get more traffic and conversions from your content marketing today.
Try one, try a handful, or try them all – each will help you reach your content marketing goals.
READ MORE >>
Small Business Marketing Tips
Further your Reach with Small Business Marketing Tips
Businesses need to ensure they can reach all types of customers. Advertising is essential in any successful business. Using social media and newspapers, you can contact more customers and do so in a economical fashion. There are numerous methods to enhance your outreach. Following are some ideas that will help your marketing skills.
If you have not created a webpage for your business, you should. Creating a webpage and a Facebook page allows you to reach your target audience and let them be advised of your services. There are several free website builders where you can create your page for free. According to top-websitebuilders.com Wix.com, Web.com are a few rated in the top ten and are easy to maneuver.
Once you have created these two pages, you are on your way to successfully contacting more customers. You can offer sweepstakes and giveaways with your newly created pages. This would cost you the merchandise, but in the long run, you will be building your customer base. You can enhance the customer experience by creating customer surveys. Getting feedback on their experience will ensure that you can improve their shopping and loyalty.
READ MORE >>
Businesses need to ensure they can reach all types of customers. Advertising is essential in any successful business. Using social media and newspapers, you can contact more customers and do so in a economical fashion. There are numerous methods to enhance your outreach. Following are some ideas that will help your marketing skills.
If you have not created a webpage for your business, you should. Creating a webpage and a Facebook page allows you to reach your target audience and let them be advised of your services. There are several free website builders where you can create your page for free. According to top-websitebuilders.com Wix.com, Web.com are a few rated in the top ten and are easy to maneuver.
Once you have created these two pages, you are on your way to successfully contacting more customers. You can offer sweepstakes and giveaways with your newly created pages. This would cost you the merchandise, but in the long run, you will be building your customer base. You can enhance the customer experience by creating customer surveys. Getting feedback on their experience will ensure that you can improve their shopping and loyalty.
READ MORE >>
Small Business Tips | Social Media; Local SEO
10 Ways to Move Beyond the Marketing Basics
If your business already has the basics of social media and email marketing down, then it’s time to take your marketing efforts to the next level. Members of the online small business community have honed their expertise in these various areas over the years. And now they’re sharing some of their top insights. Here are 10 community tips for moving beyond the marketing basics.
Optimize Your Google My Business Description
If you want people to be able to find your business online, then you need to optimize your Google My Business Listing. Your description is a big part of that. So take a look at the tips in a recent BrightLocal post by Ben Fisher to see how you can make your business even easier to find through search.
Get the Keys to Process Improvement
In order to make your business as efficient as possible, you need to have effective processes in place. You probably already have some processes outlined, but there might be room for improvement. Here, Sonia Pearson of Tallyfy offers some tips.
READ MORE >>
If your business already has the basics of social media and email marketing down, then it’s time to take your marketing efforts to the next level. Members of the online small business community have honed their expertise in these various areas over the years. And now they’re sharing some of their top insights. Here are 10 community tips for moving beyond the marketing basics.
Optimize Your Google My Business Description
If you want people to be able to find your business online, then you need to optimize your Google My Business Listing. Your description is a big part of that. So take a look at the tips in a recent BrightLocal post by Ben Fisher to see how you can make your business even easier to find through search.
Get the Keys to Process Improvement
In order to make your business as efficient as possible, you need to have effective processes in place. You probably already have some processes outlined, but there might be room for improvement. Here, Sonia Pearson of Tallyfy offers some tips.
READ MORE >>
Small Business | Marketing
32% of Small Businesses Want to Improve Marketing
The challenges small business owners face are well documented, but marketing remains a critical focus for many. In the ShopKeep Small Business Pulse: 2018 report, 32% of respondents said they want to improve their marketing. The report highlights the increased awareness small business owners have of their digital presence and the marketing efforts required to maintain it.
For example, 57% of respondents in the survey said they rely on their website and blogs to run their business while another 44% counted social media as a critical tool. A less significant 12% said they use influencers regularly to grow their business.
Although there are high rates of digital adoption, ShopKeep revealed brick-and-mortar small business owners are not yet fully aboard. For example, only 23% of respondents listed developing an Ecommerce component to their operations as a key business goal. This contradicts the general consensus that businesses want to move some or all of their commerce online.
In a post on the official ShopKeep blog, CEO Michael DeSimone points out this contradiction as it is born out in mobile payment adoption. DeSimone explains, “There is still a lot of confusion in the marketplace when it comes to digital wallets and mobile payments. In the ShopKeep Small Business Pulse, 43% of small business owners stated that they don’t even offer mobile wallet options to their customers.”
This is despite the fact 25,000 small businesses on ShopKeep’s platform are equipped to accept mobile payments. DeSimone goes on to say, “we believe that improving education, as well as adding incentives like tying mobile payments to a loyalty program, could be something we see more of in the future to drive further adoption of the technology.”
READ MORE >>
The challenges small business owners face are well documented, but marketing remains a critical focus for many. In the ShopKeep Small Business Pulse: 2018 report, 32% of respondents said they want to improve their marketing. The report highlights the increased awareness small business owners have of their digital presence and the marketing efforts required to maintain it.
For example, 57% of respondents in the survey said they rely on their website and blogs to run their business while another 44% counted social media as a critical tool. A less significant 12% said they use influencers regularly to grow their business.
Although there are high rates of digital adoption, ShopKeep revealed brick-and-mortar small business owners are not yet fully aboard. For example, only 23% of respondents listed developing an Ecommerce component to their operations as a key business goal. This contradicts the general consensus that businesses want to move some or all of their commerce online.
In a post on the official ShopKeep blog, CEO Michael DeSimone points out this contradiction as it is born out in mobile payment adoption. DeSimone explains, “There is still a lot of confusion in the marketplace when it comes to digital wallets and mobile payments. In the ShopKeep Small Business Pulse, 43% of small business owners stated that they don’t even offer mobile wallet options to their customers.”
This is despite the fact 25,000 small businesses on ShopKeep’s platform are equipped to accept mobile payments. DeSimone goes on to say, “we believe that improving education, as well as adding incentives like tying mobile payments to a loyalty program, could be something we see more of in the future to drive further adoption of the technology.”
READ MORE >>
Small Business Marketing | Digital Marketing
4 Ways Your Small Business Can Thrive Using Digital Marketing
According to the latest census figures, there are more than 27.9 million small businesses operating nationwide. which provides nearly half of the private-sector employment. The census data also showed that small firms accounted for 64 percent of net new job creation between 1993 and 2011. It’s clear from these numbers that small businesses are the engine powering the American economy.
Today digital marketing acts as leveling force for small businesses around the world. When executed well, the right campaign can put even the tiniest business in front of the right buyers at exactly the right time. Now small businesses can compete directly with large firms, so long as they offer a quality product at a fair price.
How do small business owners lay the groundwork for an effective digital marketing strategy?
Start with the digital marketing basics
The DIY instinct is at the core of most small business owners, and when it comes to digital marketing, many of the basics can be handled in-house. With that in mind, here are the first four things you should do to get your digital marketing operation off the ground.
1. Claim your business listings
Many online service providers like Google, Bing, and Yelp offer free listings business owners can claim. Start by going to these sites and updating your business's name, address, phone number, and other important information. The more listings you claim, the more likely you'll be found when someone searches online.
2. Start a blog
Companies running a blog get 55 percent more web traffic than their competition. It's hard to argue with those results, right? As you're blogging, remember to limit your posts to content that is both topical and relevant to your business so that visitors will return to your site on a regular basis.
3. Get social
Research shows that 90 percent of young Americans and 65 percent of adults are regular users of at least one social media channel. That's a huge potential pool of new customers for your business. To reach them effectively, make sure your posts are both timely and interesting for your followers. Also, resist the urge to oversell. Social media users want to interact with brands on a personal level, so try asking questions or starting conversations with your audience.
READ MORE >>
According to the latest census figures, there are more than 27.9 million small businesses operating nationwide. which provides nearly half of the private-sector employment. The census data also showed that small firms accounted for 64 percent of net new job creation between 1993 and 2011. It’s clear from these numbers that small businesses are the engine powering the American economy.
Today digital marketing acts as leveling force for small businesses around the world. When executed well, the right campaign can put even the tiniest business in front of the right buyers at exactly the right time. Now small businesses can compete directly with large firms, so long as they offer a quality product at a fair price.
How do small business owners lay the groundwork for an effective digital marketing strategy?
Start with the digital marketing basics
The DIY instinct is at the core of most small business owners, and when it comes to digital marketing, many of the basics can be handled in-house. With that in mind, here are the first four things you should do to get your digital marketing operation off the ground.
1. Claim your business listings
Many online service providers like Google, Bing, and Yelp offer free listings business owners can claim. Start by going to these sites and updating your business's name, address, phone number, and other important information. The more listings you claim, the more likely you'll be found when someone searches online.
2. Start a blog
Companies running a blog get 55 percent more web traffic than their competition. It's hard to argue with those results, right? As you're blogging, remember to limit your posts to content that is both topical and relevant to your business so that visitors will return to your site on a regular basis.
3. Get social
Research shows that 90 percent of young Americans and 65 percent of adults are regular users of at least one social media channel. That's a huge potential pool of new customers for your business. To reach them effectively, make sure your posts are both timely and interesting for your followers. Also, resist the urge to oversell. Social media users want to interact with brands on a personal level, so try asking questions or starting conversations with your audience.
READ MORE >>
Social Media Marketing | Advantages and Disadvantages
Social media marketing advantages and pitfalls
Using social media as a marketing tool is an easy and cost-effective way for businesses to create a personalized bond with their customers while also making an impression in their industry. In fact, social media’s influence is so far-reaching that it is now being used for customer services and public relations.
Some of social media marketing’s advantages include the following:
But this doesn’t mean that digital platforms doesn’t come with its own set of disadvantages. Some of its common pitfalls are the following:
Using social media as a marketing tool is an easy and cost-effective way for businesses to create a personalized bond with their customers while also making an impression in their industry. In fact, social media’s influence is so far-reaching that it is now being used for customer services and public relations.
Some of social media marketing’s advantages include the following:
- Easy to use and cost-effective
- Improved site traffic and search engine rankings
- Personalized audience interaction
- Wider audience reach
- Access to customer insights
But this doesn’t mean that digital platforms doesn’t come with its own set of disadvantages. Some of its common pitfalls are the following:
- Time-intensive
- Risk of brand and reputation damage
- ROI may be difficult to quantify
Social Media and Gambling - The Connection
How social media takes tips from gambling to keep us hooked
How social media taps into the same psychological mechanisms as gambling comes down to anticipation and reward. Namely, anticipation and the uncertainty of reward. This is the crux of what makes both gambling and social media addictive. We eagerly anticipate a reward - either a triple score on the slot machine or likes and comments on our most recent post - and there either is or isn’t a payoff.
“You scroll down on your mobile phone, to see whether there is something new - some new news or a new tweet,” says Raian Ali, who leads digital addiction research at Bournemouth University. “And that is similar to roulette - it's the same surprise element used to keep people gambling. The same elements are used to a lighter extent in social media - the uncertainty and scarcity [of reward].”
Ali notes that the ‘pull to refresh’ mechanism and the following seconds of anticipation on social media are eerily similar to pulling the lever of a slot machine and tentatively waiting to see if you won big.
It’s the variable aspect of the reward that gets us hooked. Take another scenario where this plays out with rats in labs. Studies have examined a setup where rats push a lever to administer a reward - depending on the study it might be either a dose of cocaine or a sugary treat.
In some cases, rats will press the lever and receive the reward whenever they want, in which case the rats will regularly go back to trigger the reward. But introduce a new scenario - the rat presses the lever and doesn’t get a reward, tries a couple more times, and suddenly it's triggered. Now, the reward in response to the behavioural action is variable. In these scenarios, the rat loses it. It compulsively triggers the lever over and over again in an effort to receive the reward - something it never did when the reward was guaranteed.
And like rats hooked up to tubes intravenously spiking their blood with cocaine, ‘likes’ on social media inject a little bump of dopamine into our love-hungry minds. For a moment, warmth washes through our brains - someone out there cares about us. And the intermittent element of the reward turns us into the rat pawing senselessly at the lever to re-trigger that same buzz of pleasure.
READ MORE >>
How social media taps into the same psychological mechanisms as gambling comes down to anticipation and reward. Namely, anticipation and the uncertainty of reward. This is the crux of what makes both gambling and social media addictive. We eagerly anticipate a reward - either a triple score on the slot machine or likes and comments on our most recent post - and there either is or isn’t a payoff.
“You scroll down on your mobile phone, to see whether there is something new - some new news or a new tweet,” says Raian Ali, who leads digital addiction research at Bournemouth University. “And that is similar to roulette - it's the same surprise element used to keep people gambling. The same elements are used to a lighter extent in social media - the uncertainty and scarcity [of reward].”
Ali notes that the ‘pull to refresh’ mechanism and the following seconds of anticipation on social media are eerily similar to pulling the lever of a slot machine and tentatively waiting to see if you won big.
It’s the variable aspect of the reward that gets us hooked. Take another scenario where this plays out with rats in labs. Studies have examined a setup where rats push a lever to administer a reward - depending on the study it might be either a dose of cocaine or a sugary treat.
In some cases, rats will press the lever and receive the reward whenever they want, in which case the rats will regularly go back to trigger the reward. But introduce a new scenario - the rat presses the lever and doesn’t get a reward, tries a couple more times, and suddenly it's triggered. Now, the reward in response to the behavioural action is variable. In these scenarios, the rat loses it. It compulsively triggers the lever over and over again in an effort to receive the reward - something it never did when the reward was guaranteed.
And like rats hooked up to tubes intravenously spiking their blood with cocaine, ‘likes’ on social media inject a little bump of dopamine into our love-hungry minds. For a moment, warmth washes through our brains - someone out there cares about us. And the intermittent element of the reward turns us into the rat pawing senselessly at the lever to re-trigger that same buzz of pleasure.
READ MORE >>
SEO 2018 | SEO Tips; SEO Strategy
SEO Fundamentals: Your Guide to SEO Success Factors in 2018
Ready to learn the secret to search engine optimization (SEO)?
Well, I hate to break it to you, but there really is no secret.
There is no secret sauce.
There is no secret recipe.
SEO isn’t about magic tricks or gaming the search algorithms.
What you really need is a thorough understanding of what people want when they search – and why they want (or need) it.
The fact that there is no big secret is what makes SEO so hard. It’s also a constantly moving target.
And we don’t make the rules – the search engines do.
That said, organic search is one of the most profitable marketing channels there is – if you’re willing to invest in it.
Where Search Is Heading
If you’re brand new to the world of SEO, I highly recommend you start with our guide, SEO 101: Learn the Basics of Search Engine Optimization, before going further.
Already have a grasp on the SEO basics? Great! Let’s continue.
A complete guide to SEO – and where search is heading in 2018 and beyond – is too hard to fit into one article.
Many factors impact your SEO success, including:
Ready to learn the secret to search engine optimization (SEO)?
Well, I hate to break it to you, but there really is no secret.
There is no secret sauce.
There is no secret recipe.
SEO isn’t about magic tricks or gaming the search algorithms.
What you really need is a thorough understanding of what people want when they search – and why they want (or need) it.
The fact that there is no big secret is what makes SEO so hard. It’s also a constantly moving target.
And we don’t make the rules – the search engines do.
That said, organic search is one of the most profitable marketing channels there is – if you’re willing to invest in it.
Where Search Is Heading
If you’re brand new to the world of SEO, I highly recommend you start with our guide, SEO 101: Learn the Basics of Search Engine Optimization, before going further.
Already have a grasp on the SEO basics? Great! Let’s continue.
A complete guide to SEO – and where search is heading in 2018 and beyond – is too hard to fit into one article.
Many factors impact your SEO success, including:
- Technical: This includes anything that affects the performance of, visibility of, or how search engines access your site. This includes indexing and crawling, schema, page speed, site structure, URL structure, and much more.
- On-page: This is your content – both what is visible to users on your webpages (text, images, video, or audio), as well as elements that are only visible to search engines (HTML tags, structured data).
- Off-page: This is anything that’s not on your site. Ultimately, off-page factors are about growing and demonstrating your website’s authority, relevance, and trust and building an audience. Think link building, social media marketing, PPC marketing, reviews, and user-generated content.
- Search experience optimization: What opportunities you have to be more present to your customers/audience.
- Content strategies for actual people: The importance of content and what it means to be relevant.
- The impact of voice search on SEO: We’ll look into the not-too-distant future and show you why the time is now to optimize for voice search. So don’t wait!
SEO Guide | Search Engine Land
Master SEO with this Free Guide
Mastering search engine optimization is no easy feat, but this new (and free!) resource can help get you there.
Created as a companion to Search Engine Land’s Periodic Table of SEO Success, this guide will walk you through the various elements that go into search engine optimization. These include both on- and off-page factors: content, architecture, HTML, trust, links and personal and social factors.
Discover what matters most to major search engines when it comes to finding, understanding and ranking your pages.
READ MORE >>
Mastering search engine optimization is no easy feat, but this new (and free!) resource can help get you there.
Created as a companion to Search Engine Land’s Periodic Table of SEO Success, this guide will walk you through the various elements that go into search engine optimization. These include both on- and off-page factors: content, architecture, HTML, trust, links and personal and social factors.
Discover what matters most to major search engines when it comes to finding, understanding and ranking your pages.
READ MORE >>
Artificial Intelligence | The Science of Marketing
How Artificial Intelligence Is Raising The Bar On The Science Of Marketing
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become part of the business landscape. It's now accepted as a technology for many applications and platforms. However, marketing is one of the areas where AI is transforming how the process works. As such, it's also solving some marketing challenges across industries.
However, like other technology slowly making its way into all aspects of work and life, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and autonomous vehicles, the transformation process of AI in marketing may not quite be there yet. And, that may be for the best. Here's the current state of AI's disruption of marketing.
AI's Impact on Marketing Science
Specific changes from AI's influence on marketing are already being felt, according to Charles (Chuck) Davis, co-founder and CTO of Element Data, a company behind an AI tool called Decision Cloud. “AI has enabled the evolution of search engines, recommendation engines, chatbots and voice data analysis and other technologies employed by marketers every day."
And, companies across industries are starting to understand how to incorporate AI and machine learning into their marketing efforts. Companies like Amazon and Netflix were early adopters. They used this technology to provide personalized recommendations to their customers. Although this marketing tactic is still used successfully, the marketing applications have progressed into many other areas.
READ MORE >>
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become part of the business landscape. It's now accepted as a technology for many applications and platforms. However, marketing is one of the areas where AI is transforming how the process works. As such, it's also solving some marketing challenges across industries.
However, like other technology slowly making its way into all aspects of work and life, such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and autonomous vehicles, the transformation process of AI in marketing may not quite be there yet. And, that may be for the best. Here's the current state of AI's disruption of marketing.
AI's Impact on Marketing Science
Specific changes from AI's influence on marketing are already being felt, according to Charles (Chuck) Davis, co-founder and CTO of Element Data, a company behind an AI tool called Decision Cloud. “AI has enabled the evolution of search engines, recommendation engines, chatbots and voice data analysis and other technologies employed by marketers every day."
And, companies across industries are starting to understand how to incorporate AI and machine learning into their marketing efforts. Companies like Amazon and Netflix were early adopters. They used this technology to provide personalized recommendations to their customers. Although this marketing tactic is still used successfully, the marketing applications have progressed into many other areas.
READ MORE >>
Digital Marketing | Brand Strategy - Marketing and Retargeting
Build Your Brand with Marketing and Retargeting
In the world of digital marketing, the “Big 4” dominates—SEO, PPC, email, and social media. For these latter three, however, the remarketing and retargeting approach is underutilized and often pushed to the side.
Most digital marketing plans aren’t set up to fully use every means possible to target consumers, especially when it comes to remarketing and retargeting. We talk all day long about attracting new consumers to interact with our brand, but what happens after someone gets to know us? How do you market to people who know who you are already but haven’t quite booked yet?
This is where a proper remarketing and retargeting strategy can work wonders for a digital marketing plan and, without a doubt, increase your conversions and bookings! Back in the day, it was all about impressions, and if you could make the right person see your ad enough times, then eventually they would buy from you. (Think billboards.) Although that is still true, don’t you think we can be a little more tailored when it comes to the impressions that are made? The answer is yes, we can.
It’s funny how Amazon keeps reminding you that you were interested in that Egyptian cotton bed sheet set that you looked at two weeks ago, or that you left something in your cart and just forgot to buy it. Well, the same thing can be accomplished in the vacation rental industry, and its effectiveness is astounding.
READ MORE >>
In the world of digital marketing, the “Big 4” dominates—SEO, PPC, email, and social media. For these latter three, however, the remarketing and retargeting approach is underutilized and often pushed to the side.
Most digital marketing plans aren’t set up to fully use every means possible to target consumers, especially when it comes to remarketing and retargeting. We talk all day long about attracting new consumers to interact with our brand, but what happens after someone gets to know us? How do you market to people who know who you are already but haven’t quite booked yet?
This is where a proper remarketing and retargeting strategy can work wonders for a digital marketing plan and, without a doubt, increase your conversions and bookings! Back in the day, it was all about impressions, and if you could make the right person see your ad enough times, then eventually they would buy from you. (Think billboards.) Although that is still true, don’t you think we can be a little more tailored when it comes to the impressions that are made? The answer is yes, we can.
It’s funny how Amazon keeps reminding you that you were interested in that Egyptian cotton bed sheet set that you looked at two weeks ago, or that you left something in your cart and just forgot to buy it. Well, the same thing can be accomplished in the vacation rental industry, and its effectiveness is astounding.
READ MORE >>
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