Is your website mobile friendly? Did you get an email from Google asking you to fit it?

What does it mean for a site to be mobile friendly? The top three things are:
1.) Test that can be read without having to scroll
2.) Images that automatically resize
3.) No Flash software use.

As mobile devices are fast becoming the #1 method of accessing the internet, Google has started to send emails to non-mobile website owners to advise them that it't time for a facelift, if not a full redesign. Just because you think your site is attractive,doesn't mean that Google agrees.

An email from Google seen below:

 Some people found out by accident, or are still in the dark, because this notice is usually sent to the webmaster of the site.

Visit your own website on the internet. Do you have to scroll to read the test? Go through each page. How easy is it to read by someone who doesn't know what it should be saying?

A website that hasn't been redesigned for over 4 years is not only out of date in design, it is out of date in functionality - two things that hurt your SEO and potential new clients.

If your website is not delivering the results you need or it's in need of a face-lift to become mobile friendly, let's talk. Click to email us.   We'll listen first to your goals, research your Internet presence and provide our solutions to meet your unique objectives.

Photos can either boost your marketing efforts or cost you.

Using photos to market your business is very effective when done properly.  Photos can give your message "reach". In marketing terms "reach" is how far and how long your marketing message will travel on your behalf.

When posting photos on Social Media, they have stronger marketing value when a quote is on the photo and even more so, when your web address is on the photo. This way when people share your photo, they are sharing your attitude and web address.  

If you have a cache of photos (not necessarily product image photos) that you are planning on using online, please consider the following:

 

1.) Just because you find a photo online does not make it public domain. Be aware of any copyrights, or use photos that you have obtained from verifiable public domain sources. Keep a record of where you obtain photos to prevent a huge legal problem coming from the copyright owner in the future. This includes stills from old TV shows, logos and professional (and paparazzi) photos of entertainers.

To make it easy, we use spreadsheet.

 

 

As example, Getty Images sends out threatening letters and an invoices when they find one of their photos being used. They are not always right, however. If you have record of your source and you can prove you obtained it legally, it can prevent fines from Getty and other similar photo suppliers.  "Somebody else posted it first and I did what they did" is not a defense. This reminds me of what a judge said in traffic court when one driver attempted to use as a defense , " other people were speeding on the road, some going faster than him. Why didn't the cops ticket them? The judge simply answered " The police officer caught you."

 

2.) Quotes and cute quips get "liked" and shared most often. Sales pitches attached to photos rarely do.  If you have a favorite saying  or quip by a well know person, that supports your business, ie: health related, incorporate that into your photo. Be careful not to use copyright material here as well.  You can also boost your professional image by writing your own original quotes and using them on your photos.

 

3.) When posting, keep your posts in an album (ie: Facebook, G+) or a specific board (ie: Pinterest). This way when someone likes one photos, they can also view the others more easily. The more they view, the more they often they will like and share.

The best results are achieved when your content is UNIQUE, CLEAR, CURRENT, EDUCATIONAL, CONCISE, RELEVANT, ENGAGING and CONSISTENT.

If you think your marketing needs an overhaul, let's talk. Click to email us. We'll listen first, look at your online presence and then offer our recommendations. One size does not fit all.The solution for you should be unique to your business and goals.

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WIIFM What's In It For Me?

Are you answering the all important question being asked by your customers/prospects/clients?

Everyday I receive calls from prospective clients telling me their site needs better SEO because they are not getting enough traffic, sales or new clients.  When I ask for more information, I seldom hear an answer that indicates that they understand what really makes their website provide the results they are seeking, their definition of success.

To begin with, the overused acronym SEO is seldom understood, and unfortunately is not the holy grail.  Just adding keywords (same used by your competitors) is not enough. Copying content from other sites, even manufacturers of your products, or content from affiliates can cause your page to lose rank, or not show up at all. The new search algorithms were designed to ignore duplicate content sites, and even penalize those that are entirely copies. See my post from last week: How to Kill Your Website with Duplicate Content

You have two sources of customers - those that already know you and those that find you through your marketing.  To get the best results from your website, your content and appearance MUST appeal to your target market, your desired customer. Those that know  you will usually place less focus on your marketing appearance, whereas, those that don't know you are always looking for  WIIFM - What's in in for me? It's similar to a radio signal being set to one priority channel. They are listening (reading) to see why they should hire you, do business with you or refer to you. They want that answered immediately upon visiting your website.

What about your business sets you apart from competition?
1) Do  you have the best service? Everyone says that. What makes you different that tells your prospective customer/client What's In It For Them?
2.) Is it all about money? Everyone says that. What makes you different and better?
3.) What do you give your customers that is unique about you, and satisfies WIIFM?

Are you marketing to your clients according to your customer/clients seasons and needs?
     Have you noticed what is being advertised during various times of the year? During the holidays, it's price, as well as drugs for stress, anxiety and overeating. November and December are two of the most highly traveled months. This causes need for travel accommodations, stress control and car accidents increase. Can you solve any of those?
     January is the month you will see ads for weight loss - why? Because over 60% of the population puts "lose weight" on their New Years Resolutions.
     Every month has a holiday or special event that you can use to increase awareness to you and your offerings. Be proactive and plan your marketing around events and activities that appeal to your prospective customer/client.

Content should be UNIQUE, CLEAR, CURRENT, EDUCATIONAL, CONCISE, RELEVANT, ENGAGING and CONSISTENT.

Do you have a marketing strategy that addresses these questions? If not, December is know as "Write a Business Plan Month"


If you think your website needs an overhaul, let's talk. Click to email us. We'll listen first, look at your online presence and then offer our recommendations. One size does not fit all.The solution for you should be unique to your business and goals.


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How to Kill Your Website With Duplicate Content

It happened again this week. A potential client came to us to find out why their website wasn't drawing traffic. When we ran his site though our software and manual research we discovered his site was over 60% duplicate content. The sites that carried the same content had additional unique and fresh content, plus other SEO activities, making them more desirable to search engines. To change the results he was getting would require a rewrite of the majority of his website. To change the results, you have to change what you are currently doing. Something he is still pondering.

 How many times have you visited a website and thought "Have I been here before?" That feeling of Déjà vu may just be that you are reading content that someone copied from someone else, who copied it from someone else and so on......

 This happens for one of a few reasons:
1.) Lazy webmasters who do a web search for content and simply copy and paste.
 2.) Content is deliberately duplicated in an attempt to manipulate search engine rankings or win more traffic.
3.) Site owners are carrying popular products and have difficulty creating unique content.
 4.) Site owners are publishing articles on their site an then copying the same articles onto blogs and several article sites.

Duplicate content can hurt your website. It will hurt your ranking, and couple potentially cause negative user experience. 

According to Google, somewhere between 25% to 30% of the content on the web is duplicative.

Search engines prefer to show one of those pages of content in their search results. Google, for example, takes all the duplicates and groups them into a cluster. They will then show the best of the results in that cluster. Which may or may not be your website. If you search for the content on your site, and your website isn't the one that appears, you may be included in the cluster and without other unique content and SEO, your site may not rank high enough to be seen.

 The solution is to
1.) Consider what results you want to receive when doing a search for something.
2.) Create unique, useful and quality content.
3.) Add testimonials to add unique content.
4.) If you are writing articles limit the exposure of the full article to your website and/or blog. Post excerpts or comments on other genuinely authoritative sites with links back to your website.

With the new updates in search algorithms, it has become even more important to take the time to make your website uniquely yours.

Content should be UNIQUE, CLEAR, CURRENT, EDUCATIONAL, CONCISE,  RELEVANT, ENGAGING and CONSISTENT.


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Keeping the content on your website current and updated regularly with helpful and relevant information is very important. So if your website hasn't been updated in a while, regardless of how attractive it might be or how important you think that information is, it may be time to tweak, add to, change or restructure your website for better results.

If you think your website needs an overhaul, let's talk. Click to email us. We'll listen first, look at your online presence and then offer our recommendations. One size does not fit all.The solution for you should be unique to your business and goals.

This blog post has been moved to: http://sumnerdavenport.com/many-websites-serious-privacy-violations/

Have you ever wondered how search works?

Have you ever wondered how search engines actually work to deliver you the results you seek in the blink of an eye? The following link is an interactive inforgraphic by Google to give an insight into what happens between the request of a search query and the retrieval of results.

As you watch this, note how often "freshness" and "content" are mentioned. http://www.google.com/insidesearch/howsearchworks/thestory/

Keeping the content on your website current and updated regularly with helpful and relevant information is very important. So if your website hasn't been updated in a while, regardless of how attractive it might be or how important you think that information is, it may be time to tweak, add to, change or restructure your website for better results.

If you think  your website needs an overhaul, let's talk. Click to email us. We'll listen first, look at your online presence and then offer our recommendations.  One size does not fit all.The solution for you should be unique to your business and goals. 

Do What You do Best

Whether you are a solopreneuer or you are a growing enterprise, marketing is essential if you want to keep pace and grow in today's marketplace. The Internet is a powerful marketing tool - when used strategically and correctly. A few common mistakes that can hurt you, might include:

A website that looks like everyone else, with common content.
      When your website looks like everyone else then how does your potential clients see you as any different. This mistake s usually made by using the same template you liked on someone else's site, or using a web company with limited knowledge or access to templates.

Entrepreneurs who post personal activities on their social media profiles.
     Most entrepreneurs (hopefully) know it's important to keep a balance between personal and professional activities. however, what you think is a cute joke or "no harm" comment just might show up in a search by a potential client and it could turn them away. I know one professional who loves to post "funny" jokes on her not-really-private profile, that are demeaning or poke fun at certain groups or behaviors. Not only will this send away potential clients in these groups, it will also alienate those who don't support these same attitudes.

Entrepreneurs who control it all 
     Some people do love to brag how they can wear all the hats, however, that well-known  figure of speech  "Jack of all trades, master of none" is used in reference to a person that is competent with many skills but is not necessarily outstanding in any particular one. This person is a generalist rather than a specialist. In your business, you should be the specialist. It is important that you have an understanding of what the Internet can do for you, however, the playing field is changing multiple times a day.  The learning never ends. What you are doing today may not hold up to the search engine algorithms, or the changes in various social media policies and offerings.  The biggest mistake in doing it all yourself is how much time you take away from what you do best -your business.

The worst mistake is to stop marketing
     Every day new entrepreneurs are entering the already competitive marketplace. Although the Internet is growing in persuasive power every day, it is only one component that should be included in your overall marketing plan.   Some entrepreneurs stop marketing because they think they have enough clients for now; then things slow now and panic ensues.  Marketing through print, personal networking, speaking engagements, associations and events should also be in your marketing arsenal. Each one is powerful, however, putting them together in a strategic marketing plan can be even more effective for you.

Whether you are looking to attract clients or referrals from other entrepreneurs, the image they see on the Internet will play into their decision about you.

So do what you do best, and trust your assistants or outside consultants to assist you in maximizing the potential of the Internet.