Category: Website Industry

Social Media Integration: The Why and How for Your Business

Social media has become an integral part of daily life for most people. It’s almost 2018, and it almost seems like a cliché to say it. But we cannot make it more clear for small business owners: social media must be part of the way that you plan, market and relate to both current and potential customers.

In fact, over 300 million consumers used Facebook Messenger to contact a small business for the first time in 2017. Whether they used the social media platform to ask a question, follow up on a product, or make a complaint does not really matter. What matters is that customers are increasingly seeing social media as a useful and valid means of connecting with small businesses.

So how can you take advantage of this new interest? The answer is social media integration.

Why is Social Media Integration Important for Small Businesses?

Even if it seems fancy, social media integration is actually less scary than it sounds. All the phrase means is connecting a business website with that business’ social media accounts. But why is this so important?

There are quite a few reasons integrating social media with your small business website is beneficial. The most obvious benefit is that this integration allows you to better connect with both current and potential customers. Instead of getting linked to an impersonal contact form, visitors will have the choice of heading to your business’ Facebook page and messaging directly on the platform that they use the most.

But that’s not the only way social media integration goes. Integration means that your Facebook page or Twitter account links directly back to your small business website. When done right, social media can work as an extremely inexpensive advertising option for businesses of all sizes. In the same vein, social media integration also has the potential of expanding your reach.


How Can Social Media Integration Work for Small Businesses?

Social media integration is not as complicated as it sounds. It simply involves connecting your website and your social media accounts, making your relationship with customers more dynamic. There are a few steps to integrating social media with your small business website.

Add Social Media Buttons on Your Website:

Those little blue and red buttons you see on the website footers and sidebars are there for a very specific reason. They allow site visitors to get to the company’s Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube page with the click of a button. You can do the same, at the very least for Facebook and Twitter.

Include Sharing Buttons With Your Blogging Efforts:

Those handy social buttons should not be limited to a website footer. If you have a business blog (as you should), it is important to include the option for sharing the articles to social media. If a customer finds your article interesting, you want to make sure they easily share it with their friends. Maybe you get a new customer through it. This is quite literally free advertising.

Engage in Social Media Marketing, Linking to Your Website:

As we mentioned before, social media integration goes both ways. By regularly posting to social media with links to your small business website, you are opening up the opportunity for easy lead generation.

Small Business Trends – A Focus on the Future

The small business sector has changed drastically from two or three decades ago. But these changes did not just happen over night. Small business trends slowly shifted year to year, creating the business environment that we have today.

It’s an environment marked by technology, engagement, new products, new marketing techniques and more.

We may not be in the business of making industry predictions. But we are interested in helping you and your small business succeed as we all move into 2018. With this in mind, we want to present some of the most valuable insights that we have found in research small business trends and predictions for next year.

Trend #1: The Focus Will Increasingly Be on Connection

With millennials on track to spend almost $1.5 trillion in 2020, small businesses will need to focus on how to connect with this large market share.

In a phrase, the glitzy advertising of the early part of this century will not work. Today, many potential customers are looking for a connection with the companies that they do business with. This is doubly true for small businesses.

Instead of making sales pitches, small businesses in 2018 will have to figure out how to start connecting with their potential customers. Whether that’s personalized newsletters, an engaging website, or targeted Facebook ads depends on who you are and what you do. Just make sure that it connects.

Trend #2: The Demand for Local Products and Services Will Grow

 Even in the face of increased globalization, there has been a recent pushback against outsourced services and imported products. This places small businesses at a great advantage in the market.

As a small business, your goods or services are almost certainly local. In 2018, you should take advantage of that by truly ‘going local’. With local produce and ‘farm to table’ becoming increasingly popular, small businesses in other industries can take a similar approach with their customers.

The key here is to show your local community that you both understand and care about their needs. Many small businesses are successful because they show their community that they want to be part of something outside of simply day-to-day business exchanges.

Trend #3: Remote Work Will Become More of an Option – Even for Small Businesses

It’s hard to imagine a business world that is completely free of front offices – especially for small businesses. But there is no question that remote work is becoming increasingly common for enterprises of all sizes.

In fact, 4 out of 10 American workers do at least some portion of their work from home. This opens up an opportunity for small business owners and managers.

Depending on the focus of your company, you can make it more efficient and your employees happier by employing some kind of remote option. The idea is to give more trust and responsibility to your employees. In turn, this should make them more productive.

This also holds a benefit for you as the small business owner. Remote work allows you to broaden your potential talent pool. This opens up the opportunity to outsource anything from accounting to web design.

Getting Social: Bringing Social Media to Your Website

The world is a social place. After all, still one of the most reliable marketing strategies for small businesses in the United States is word of mouth. But what if this word of mouth approach could be harnessed through social media?

Here’s the thing: It’s no longer enough to just have a small business website. With over a billion people on social media, one of the best ways to connect with customers and create leads is social media integration. In a phrase, social media integration connects your website with your presence on various social media platforms.

Interested in talking with a small business website specialist? Click Here!

Social media integration essentially harnesses the power of social media to spread the word about your small business, the services that you offer, and the satisfaction of your current customers. It is a powerful marketing strategy, and often very cost-effective for small businesses.

So how can you bring social media to your small business website?

Include Social Media Buttons on Your Small Business Website

If your small business has a social media presence – as it should – it is beyond important to include links to these platforms on your website. By including buttons leading to your small business Twitter feed or Facebook page, you allow visitors to your site easy access to reviews, updates, messaging and more.

Add Sharing Buttons on Your Small Business Blog Posts

Do you publish blog posts for your small business? If you do, you should make sure that each posted blog has social share buttons. Usually this means branded buttons at the top or bottom of the post that allow readers to easily share your content with their own followers. This is essentially a free marketing opportunity, so why wouldn’t you take advantage of it?

Focus Your Marketing Efforts on Social Media – With Connection Back to Your Website

Sales pages on your small business website are important for converting leads. But you should not underestimate the importance of sales content on your social media pages. People will often engage with your small business via social media. Because of this, you shouldn’t limit your sales copy to specific pages on your website. Instead, include images for sales and calls to action on your social media platforms that lead directly back to your website.

Do you have more questions about social media integration or getting your small business website set up? Don’t hesitate to contact us today!

 

9 Questions to Ask a Website Designer

Let’s face it: we can’t all be experts at everything. Thankfully, in today’s small business environment, we don’t have to be.

Technology works for the small business owner. Today the small business owner sees online platforms for freelancers, fast communication with marketing firms and website designers, and the cost-efficiency of outsourcing. With all of this, a small business owner can choose to make the most of his or her time.

This is where outsourcing website design and maintenance comes in. But you want to make sure you are getting the best. Before you jump into creating your small business website with a freelancer or firm, here are some key questions to address.

#1: Can you provide me with a few websites you have designed in the past?

Taking the time to look at other sites that the web designer has created can save you a lot of hassle later. Do you like the look of one website in particular? Ask for yours to be modeled after that.

Interested in talking with a small business website specialist? Click Here!

#2: How much will you charge for creating my small business website?

 Is there a set fee or is it hourly? It may seem like a no-brainer, but it is crucial to make sure that you are both on the same page before jumping into a contract.

#3: Who will I be in contact with about my small business website?

Clear communication is important when creating your small business website. If you have edits, suggestions, or concerns, it is always best to have one person you can contact.

#4: Will I be able to edit the website myself? If not, how will edits work?

Some packages include access to the dashboard to make changes yourself. If you’d rather have a professional do it, other packages include a set amount of edits each month after the creation of the site.

#5: How long can I expect the creation of my website to take?

Set a clear timeline for the creation of the small business website, as well as a hard deadline for the designer or firm to abide by.

#6: Do you provide any other additional services?

Some companies (and even individual freelancers) provide additional web services like SEO, creating and publishing copy, monthly edits, etc. Find out which of these are available and which will fit your needs.

#7: How will you ensure that my small business website is SEO-friendly?

SEO is about more than just keywords. Even if you don’t know a lot about SEO, make sure that the company designing your website knows more than you do. 

#8: What kinds of changes and suggestions can I make for the website design?

 Before even starting the process, make sure you know how many times you can send a website back for edits and changes. It’s your small business website, so you should be allowed the freedom to hone in on what you want.

#9: What do you need from me to get started on my small business website?

A website requires more than the design. Any small business website needs copy, contact information, photos, and other media. Make sure you have all of this readily available for whoever you choose for your small business website design.

7 Mistakes to Avoid on Your Small Business Website

There is no neutral impression when it comes to your small business website. When a visitor enters your website for the first time, their impression will either be negative or positive. How can you make sure that the reaction is positive?

The goal of any website is to make visitors (and potential customers) more comfortable with the business. For your small business, this means making visitors want to do business with you. Unfortunately, many businesses – both small and large – make too many mistakes on their website to create a lasting, positive impression.

If you are looking to create leads out of your small business website, the first thing you want to do is to make sure you avoid these seven common mistakes.

#1: Overloading the Website with Information

Less is more when it comes to creating a compelling image on your small business website. You don’t need to include every single detail of your company’s history, and you certainly do not need to overload the website with self-praise. Instead, focus on the customer and how your business can benefit them. Make bullet points and lists, not a 10-page essay.

#2: No Clear & Concise Message

Marketing content must be focused on a target customer, and online copy is no exception. First, decide what it is that you want to convey to your customers and potential clients. Then create a website that conveys that message in a clear and concise way.

#3: Confusing Contact Options

It may seem like a no-brainer, but many small businesses fail to include clear contact information on their website. In general, you want to avoid the generic “Contact Us” web forms. Instead, include a phone number and direct email address, both on the Contact page and in the footer of every single page on your website.

#4: Not Spending the Time to Proofread

Again, this is an obvious item that often tends to be overlooked. Just like you wouldn’t rush the product or service you provide, avoid rushing the website creation process for your small business. Spend time proofreading every single page of your small business website. This small step can help you avoid looking sloppy to new visitors.

Interested in talking with a small business website specialist? Click Here!

#5: Not Creating a Mobile-Friendly Website

With smart phones as ubiquitous as they are today, it is no wonder that most people tend to access information online using a mobile device. Creating a mobile-friendly website is a non-negotiable for any business, large or small. It’s simply part of making sure your customers and leads have easy access to the information you want to provide them.

#6: A Cluttered and Confusing Website Design

You want to make sure that customers – and leads! – can easily find exactly what they are looking for. Take the time to go through your website and make sure there are no dead ends, that the menus are clear and easy to grasp, and that no page has too much information on it.

#7: Not Including a Call to Action on Every Page

A small business website offers you the opportunity to convert leads. Do not waste that opportunity! Calls to action do not have to be limited to a sales page. Have a sign up form, a free download, or even a ‘contact us’ button on each page. This gives the visitor more of a chance to interact, and more of a chance of becoming a customer.

Conversion: Optimized Landing Pages 101

There are no two ways about it: your website often serves as the first interaction that a potential customer has with your business. With this in mind, it is important to make the best first impression possible. After all, if your WordPress site does not convert visitors into customers, what is it there for anyway?

Writing a compelling and engaging landing page is not an exact science, but it does take more than a bit of time and energy. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but it can seem overwhelming at first blush.

A landing page is there for one purpose: to convince visitors to your website to become customers of your business. While we recommend taking some time to learn what engaging copy looks like, consider this a starting point as you jump into DIY marketing as a small business owner.

These three elements of optimized landing pages are not exhaustive, but they do capture what is most important when writing landing pages that convert for your small business.

Keep it Simple

Let’s be honest: in the Internet age, most people have a short attention span. This is doubly true when visiting websites. The truth is people rarely spend more than five seconds on a landing page before deciding if they want to learn more, contact the company, subscribe, or whatever the case may be.

With that in mind, it is important o keep your landing pages simple. Include a brief headline that highlights your service and keep the main text to a short paragraph with more details. Whenever possible, include bullet points, images, and customer testimonials. All of these have been shown to be more engaging for the customer.

Don’t try to include too much information on one landing page. Have one clear call to action or offer on the page – this is almost guaranteed to lead to more conversions than a page with multiple offers or no call to action at all.

 Know Your Audience

The right voice can go a long way toward building a landing page that converts for your small business. If you are a business-to-business operation, it may be advisable to keep your language more professional. In contrast, if you are offering a service or product for individuals, it makes much more sense to keep your writing style more casual.

The rule of thumb is to write how you would speak. It may seem counterintuitive, but people are much more likely to engage with text if it is readable and relatable. Make grammar mistakes if it makes sound more natural. Use conversational phrases and write in the first person. In contrast, avoid cliché marketing phrases, since these can easily turn people off.

Kill Two Birds

 You don’t need a fancy outline to make sure that you include every single element of your business on the landing page. Instead, all you need is a headline, a subheadline, and a little bit of text with more details. Within these elements you should do two things:

  • Make a promise
  • Outline the mechanism for meeting that promise

By including these two elements, you are telling a potential customer exactly what they need to hear: what you can do for them and how you can do it. It does not have to be any more complicated than that.

 

 

First Impressions Are Everything: 3 Reasons to Have a High Quality and Updated Website

If humans have short attention spans, this fact is only compounded in the online world. This is why it is so important to make a good first impression on your customers with a high quality, updated website.

The time it takes a potential customer to form an impression of your company may be shorter than you think.

“It takes less than two-tenths of a second for an online visitor to form a first opinion of your brand once they’ve perused your company’s website. And it takes just another 2.6 seconds for that viewer’s eyes to concentrate in a way that reinforces that first impression. Given that tight timeframe, making a good first impression should be among your first orders of business.”

~Mikal E. Belicove, Entrepreneur Magazine

In other words, what a potential customer sees when they first land on your company’s website will go a long way toward determining whether or not they will become a customer.

So what can you do to ensure that your website is engaging enough to convert leads?

According to a study from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, there are seven major areas of interest on a website:

  • Your company’s logo: This really is the first impression, especially since it is included in the header of the website.
  • Navigation menus: Users get a quick breakdown of the important content on your website.
  • Search box: It may seem mundane, but this captures a user’s attention and allows them to quickly find what they are looking for.
  • Social media links: People spend most of their online time on social media, rather than on actual websites. It makes sense that they would look for an opportunity to engage both with your company and with other customers.
  • Primary image: This sets the tone for the website and for your brand.
  • Written content: Because users’ attention spans are typically short, keep this content snappy and to the point. But make sure it gets across what your company is all about!
  • Website footer: This is where you can include additional menus, social media links, contact information, and even a snappy slogan.

Of course, these are not the only areas of a website that you need to focus on. However, ensuring that you have each of these elements – and that they are up-to-date – will help your website stand out from the crowd.

“If it’s been a while since you last looked at your own website, take the time now to identify the top three things you want visitors to do as a result of visiting your site. Write these items down, followed by scheduling a meeting with your web team to review the current site. You may be surprised by what you see.”

~ Mikal E. Belicove, Entrepreneur Magazine

Creating and keeping up a quality website for your small business does take work, but it does not have to be overwhelming. More than that, there is no question that it is worth the effort.

Digital Disruption is the New Expectation

Digital disruption – it sounds a little scary, doesn’t it? With technology changing the way businesses do everything from finance to inventory, it is important to stay up with the times. Thankfully, engaging in the digital disruption that is ever present in today’s economy does not have to be overwhelming for small business owners. In fact, digital disruption – and transformation – is the new expectation for businesses of all sizes.

Insight #1: Digital Disruption is Here to Stay, for Both Small and Large Businesses

The ship has sailed when it comes to the integration of business and technology. Even if word of mouth remains the best marketing method for small businesses, there are some aspects of technology that simply must be integrated – no matter the size of the enterprise.

“Software-led advances in technology are digitally transforming industries and enterprises. Digital transformation tends to be a catch-all phrase these days, but one that nicely encapsulates everything from increased efficiency, lower costs, accelerated innovation, easier and newer forms of interaction with partners, higher employee productivity and enhanced customer experience and satisfaction.”

~ Report from PwC, a global professional services network and consulting firm

While small businesses may not necessarily need the large networks and ironclad security measures of large firms, they do need to participate in the technology available to them. This includes having an active social media presence, using low-cost marketing tools, and maintaining an engaging website for their customers.

Insight #2: Engaging in Digital Transformation Takes Work

It can be a little daunting to jump into digital transformation – particularly if your small business’ industry has nothing to do with tech.

 “What holds business leaders back from plunging full-throttle into digital transformation? It’s fear – fear of the unknown, especially since everyone is learning their way around this new world as they go along.”

~ Joe McKendrick, Forbes Magazine

The key is to take the transformation process for your small business step by step. Start with a high quality website. This will allow both current and potential customers to find all of the information that they need on the web – saving both you and them time and money. From there you can start to branch out to social media, direct marketing campaigns, and maybe even an app.

Insight #3: Digital Disruption is an Opportunity for Small Businesses

Even if transforming your business to fit modern Internet technology takes work, it also represents a huge opportunity for growth. Having a user-friendly website can set you apart from your competition by leaps and bounds.

“As new markets emerge, profit pools shift, and digital technologies pervade more of everyday life, it’s easy to assume that the economy’s digitization is already far advanced. According to our latest research, however, the forces of digital have yet to become fully mainstream. On average, industries are less than 40 percent digitized, despite the relatively deep penetration of these technologies in media, retail, and high tech.”

~ McKinsey & Company

As a small business owner, there are a few advantages to engaging in digital transformation for your company:

  • You can use new payment technologies (known as fintech) to streamline payments for your customers.
  • You can take advantage of low-cost, high-impact technology (i.e. WordPress websites, MailChimp newsletters, social media advertising, and more).
  • The social nature of modern technology means that you can keep the personal touch of a small business while also keeping costs low.

If you still aren’t sure where to start in this process, feel free to contact us today. We are here to help!

What Should You Include on Your Personal Website?

These days, investing in a personal website can go a long way toward setting yourself apart from your competition. Whether you are a photographer or a freelance writer, a professional looking website is essential to drawing in potential clients and showing them that you are well established in your industry.

If you are looking to establish a personal website, it is important to know what you should include on the website (and what you should not include, for that matter). While a well made website will help you attract clients, a poorly designed and executed website will most likely turn people away from your services. Make sure you have everything that you need on the website will this list of five recommendations.

Include a Written Form of Your Elevator Pitch

If you are a freelancer, you already know what an elevator pitch is: a thirty-second description of who you are, what you do, and what your vision is. Think of your personal website as the first impression that potential clients will have. With this in mind, write up short bio that highlights who you are as a person and what you do professionally. Keep it short, to the point and engaging. While introducing yourself is probably the most important part of your personal website, it is not necessary (or recommended) to include your entire life story on the WordPress site. You can leave that for another time.

Include Samples of Your Work 

An personal website can essentially act as an online portfolio. Rather than using third party freelancer sites, you can showcase your creative work on your own website. This will make you stand out from the crowd when clients come calling. While you should not include every single piece of work you have ever completed, you should curate a portfolio that highlights the very best of what you do. This is a crucial element of a personal website for everyone from photographers to copyeditors.

Include a Professional Blog Relevant to Your Industry

This aspect of a personal WordPress site will require a little more work, but it will absolutely be worth it. The idea is to regularly update your personal website with blog posts that are relevant to what you do within your industry. You should update this blog at least once a month, though once or twice a week is better. Keeping a professional blog will show clients that you are engaged and up-to-date with your industry.

Include Testimonials From People You Have Worked With

This element of a personal website may seem like a no brainer, but it is important to mention nonetheless. Besides your portfolio, including testimonials from past clients is one of the only ways that future clients will know the quality of your work, your communication and your commitment. If you don’t have any written reviews, send out a few emails to clients asking for testimonials that you can put up on your website. A handful of positive testimonials will go a long way toward rounding out your personal website and setting you up for success.

The Key to Outsourcing Web Management

Outsourcing web management can save a small business owner a great deal of time and money. However, the idea of outsourcing everything web-related can seem daunting at first. So what are the benefits to outsourcing web maintenance, and what is the key to this outsourcing process?

The Benefits of Outsourcing Web Management

Before turning to how to best ensure success in this area, it is also important to discuss the various benefits of outsourcing web management in the first place. The exact benefits of this process will depend on both the needs and abilities of each small business. However, some of the key benefits to outsourcing web management include the following:

  • It allows small business owners to stay focused on the core of their business without getting bogged down in the details of web maintenance.
  • It lowers the overall cost of having a web presence. Not all costs have a dollar sign – sometimes time is the biggest cost for small business owners.
  • It allows business owners to use the expertise of individuals who know exactly what they are doing.
  • It allows business to grow through search engine optimization and driving more traffic to a website.

Outsourcing web management can save you time and money while simultaneously growing your business. The key to outsourcing web management is to make it cost-effective. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about outsourcing.

The Key to Outsourcing Your Website Needs: Know Yourself

The admonition to know thyself is as relevant to the modern world of website maintenance as it was to the ancient world of Greek philosophy. Being able to hire an agency or a freelancer to run your website does not necessarily mean that you can completely take your hands off of the wheel and place everything on autopilot.

Instead, outsourcing web management and updates to your WordPress website should be part of your overall strategy. This means asking key questions both of yourself and of the person that you choose to take care of your web presence. Once these questions have been asked and answered, you will be better able to focus in on the core of your business and trust that the web presence of your small business is being taken care of.

The key to outsourcing your website needs, then, is to ask key questions. This will help you know what you expect to gain from your small business website and help those taking care of your web management know what to expect. The key questions to ask include:

  • What is the overall objective of having a relevant, quality and up-to-date website?
  • What is required to keep the website relevant to customers and potential customers?
  • How can the outsource process be road tested before fully committing to a long-term commitment?
  • How can communication be managed to ensure that both the contractor and the small business owner is kept happy and on track?
  • What steps can be taken to track website maintenance and improve along the way?

Asking all of these questions will no doubt help the small business owner ensure that outsourcing web maintenance is a cost-effective choice. The key to outsourcing web management, then, is to treat this step as any other form of investment for the small business.