Put the Web to Work

Most small businesses have a rigid budget and it's important that your marketing dollars are being used as effectively as possible. Finding the sweet spot for your marketing mix can be challenging and you may feel like your message is getting lost in the noise. When done right, social media marketing is an effective strategy to gain exposure and build brand awareness for your business. We'll say it again -- online marketing is effective! Source: HubSpot 1) 76 % of adults use Facebook daily.  It's important to find out where your consumer spends their time in order to most effectively reach them with your message. The majority of adults are on Facebook on a daily basis. This is a great place for your business to reach your customers. 2) Content marketing gets three times more leads than paid search advertising. People are interested in content. Organically providing information about your business and/or product can help your message reach more potential customers...

If your website isn’t currently using HTTPS protocol with a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate, getting one needs to jump to the top of your priority list. Having this added layer of security will make your visitors feel safe while looking at your website. Without this certificate, you may be losing visitors…they can see a “Not Secure” warning and then leave. Here are some reasons that an SSL certificate needs to be a top priority. What is HTTPS? HTTPS stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure. It’s essentially an additional and separate layer of protection that Google is forcing websites to use. An HTTPS protocol is required for any website that will be taking payment information, such as an e-commerce website. While this security layer is not required for all websites, it's a good idea with the recent changes in how Google is displaying this type of website. What is an SSL Certificate? SSL is a technology used to establish an encrypted link between your website ...

Hashtags are an effective social media marketing tool. It's a way for searchers to follow trends and other key phrases to help narrow down the topic in which they show interest. Hashtags have been around for a while but have predominantly been used on Twitter and Instagram. More recently, we've seen a shift in the hashtag landscape and more social media platforms are allowing - even welcoming hashtags. Benefits of Using Hashtags on Social Media: Get Found by Interested Searchers A hashtag is a proven search tool that many internet users utilize. If your business comes up for a popular and relevant hashtag, you'll likely be easily found by people who are searching for a topic that pertains to your business. Show Authority in the Industry A hashtag can help brand your business and gain momentum in an online social setting.  This can help set you apart from your competition and give you a competitive advantage in the industry. A successful hashtag that showcases your ...

What Client Would You Clone? Seriously, who is your best client? You know the one.  It's the client that you bend over backward for ... every single time. You take their call ... 100% of the time. If they cause you a minor headache, they send you Excedrin. They value your expertise and trust it. They are repeat buyers. They tell their friends. They are raving fans! Have a mental picture of your best client? Awesome! Clearly, you enjoy working with this client and this client is likely a profitable client for your business. Well, we're going to show you how to use this perfect client to start saving money on your marketing and close more deals with amazing people just like this one. How? By creating an ideal client persona. And once you have it, you use it to start targeting your marketing and messaging directly to this persona and only this persona. By taking this approach, your message becomes much more clear, it resonates with the type of people you ...