With this blog, Web Yodel likes to share some of the recent research, cool tools we found, marketing tips, and anything else that's interesting and related to website design & development.
Search engine optimization (SEO) has changed dramatically over the years and will continue to change. SEO firms of all sizes face challenges with selling, delivering, and ultimately demonstrating results of services to end clients.
However, reporting on improvements in keyword position is pointless without applying keyword visits and conversion data.
We know SEO is an ongoing, long-term process. More specifically, it’s the process of continually discovering highly converting, non-branded keywords that are driving organic search traffic and conversions. It’s about understanding search intent and how keywords used to describe your products and services evolve as a prospect progresses through the buying cycle. It is then about having insight into great data and taking action by including those optimized keywords in your content marketing plan.
When deciding what to include on your mobile website, start with listing your objectives.
Business Objectives
What are the objectives of the mobile website?
Are these objectives measurable?
Should there be a separate mobile site, or one overall site that is responsive for all users?
Are all the needed stakeholders — management, marketing, IT, sales — involved?
What devices do your visitors most frequently use?
Visitor Objectives
What do your mobile site visitors want to do?
What do they need to do?
Do they need to perform specific actions and what are those actions?
In what environment will they be performing those actions?
Is there a simpler way to illustrate concepts — graphics vs. words?
What navigation is necessary to guide your visitors to their desired tasks?
What functions or tasks need to be performed?
The key to a good customer experience is to determine how you can address the needs of your visitors and provide that functionality. Are they looking for a map? Do they want to order something? Compare prices? Need to book an appointment or make a reservation? Remember, too, that your visitors will use their phones and tablets in multiple scenarios — sitting in the car, on the couch watching TV, or browsing at Starbucks.
At all times, keep in mind that your visitor is using a small screen.
Guidelines for Good Mobile Website Design
Below are the most common recommendations for building a mobile-friendly site.
Remember to be aware of your graphic sizes and keep the file size small. This will help with users that have limited data plans and will also allow for fast page loading.
Layout
Provide the most important information at top, such as business name, address, phone number, and a link to directions or map.
When displaying phone numbers, use “click to call.”
Simplify navigation to the most important buttons based on what your visitors are seeking.
What Facebook is to personal connections, LinkedIn is to business. It can be a vital part of your strategy for obtaining new clients. In this article, I’ll detail how the site works and how you can use it to get in the door of businesses, both in the U.S. and elsewhere.
As of January 2013, LinkedIn.com has more than 200 million members, 64 percent of which are located outside the U.S. That means there are still 72 million members in the U.S. As of the end of December 2012, professionals were adding their profiles to the site at a rate of two per second, according to LinkedIn. Companies participate too, with more than 2.7 million organizations having LinkedIn company pages.
That’s a lot of opportunity for you. The key to harnessing it is in making connections.
How To Make Connections
In the world of LinkedIn, users are cautioned to only make connections with people they know, have worked with, and trust. The process of making those connections is easy.
How to Develop Those Connections
Speaking of cultivating your LinkedIn relationships, as your LinkedIn network grows, you will want to use the site to do just that — cultivate relationships. In some ways, it’s much like Facebook in that it behooves you to post regularly to the LinkedIn feed. Here’s how that interface appears, using my photo and account.
Quick Guide to Groups
The focus is on helping you find prospects. Once you have maximized your network through connections, your next task should be to join groups relevant to your market and interests. Visit LinkedIn’s Group Directory page for a comprehensive list of LinkedIn groups sorted by name or select “Groups You May Like” from the “Groups” drop-down menu.
LinkedIn has become one of the most powerful Social Media platforms for business, and by just adding these simple changes below to your LinkedIn Profile you will quickly create a LinkedIn Marketing Machine. Plan on spending a couple of hours to make these changes to your LinkedIn Profile.
Understand Your Keywords
Complete Your LinkedIn Profile
Use Your Main Keywords in your Headline
Select the appropriate industry
Fill your profile with interesting facts about you
Add Multiple Current Jobs
Add Multiple Previous Jobs
Add your email address to your current job listing
Complete Your Summary
Use Your Keywords in Specialties
Solicit colleagues and friends for recommendations
Many businesses are making the mistake in thinking that, because Google+ hasn’t really taken off as a social platform, they shouldn’t bother with it. This in fact is not true, and as this post will explain, Google+ can actually help with your SEO strategy by maximising visibility in SERPs.
Google+ Local
Google+ Local (replacing Google Places) is a great tool that all businesses, but in particular small and medium businesses, should be utilising. Google reports that 20% of all searches and 40% of mobile searches have local intent and that 97% of consumers search online for local businesses. This means that if you’re not taking steps to optimise visibility for local searches, you’re missing out!
By being set up in Google+ local you have three chances to show up in searches; in Google’s usual SERPs, Google Maps and also in local search in Google+:
Whether your business gets a bad review isn’t a matter of “if,” it’s likely a matter of “when.” Whether that bad review truly has a long-term impact is up to you. Perhaps you can’t make it go away, but with some tact and some effort, you can work to resolve the customer’s issue and hope for the best. And if you’re the victim of fraudulent reviews, not only are review sites there to help, so is the federal government.
Consider It an Opportunity
Sometimes, a customer posts a bad review with legitimate claims about service, appearance, or product quality. These are potential learning opportunities for business owners. Instead of letting your emotions reign with an angry retort, try to make contact with the reviewer with the spirit of a problem solver. Ask for more information about the reviewer’s displeasure. Determine whether there is anything you can do to rectify the situation, such as refund.
Whether you’re a plumber, HVAC contractor, dentist, chiropractor, or mechanic, the wording on your website is enormously important because “what” you say can either repel or attract customers. This is one of the most important yet overlooked considerations when it comes to marketing your business online.
Which Words to Use
So how do you know what wording to use on your website or Facebook page? I’ve found the best approach is to figure it out as scientifically and inexpensively as possible.
Google’s pay-per-click ad system is the fastest and least expensive way to figure out your sales message. You can start an account and set up your live campaign within just a few hours. Plus, you can tell how many times your ad has been seen versus how many times customers sought out further information. You can’t do that with TV, newspaper, or radio. Often you can discover what wording to use by spending $50 to $150 in Google’s advertising. With TV or newspaper, it’s much harder, more expensive, and painfully time consuming to hone your sales message.
Search engine optimization (SEO) has changed dramatically over the years and will continue to change. SEO firms of all sizes face challenges with selling, delivering, and ultimately demonstrating results of services to end clients.
