Services

Marketing Services

Marketing can seem like an overwhelming challenge for many small businesses. The main issue I see companies do is try and tackle too many marketing channels. They hear they need to be on Facebook, then its Twitter. Next they hear they need a mobile-friendly website, and then they need a new app. What happens is they spread themselves too thin and take on too much. The results:
  1. They end up doing none of it very well
  2. It has a negative effect on their brand
  3. It takes them away from doing the things they are good at
How does it look when someone finds your company Facebook page and it hasn't had a new post in 6 months? The key to a successful marketing strategy for small businesses is test several different channels, find the ones that seem most effective, and focus your efforts towards those 2-3 channels and do them well.

Website Design

I have been building websites for a long time. I have experience with several content management systems (CMS) to know which ones will work for your needs. A CMS will give your company the ability to make updates to your website. However, I have learned over the years that people are just too busy. In that case, I'll make the updates for you for a nominal fee. I can also take care of your domain management, website hosting, and professional email.

Does your company need a website?  Most Definitely
Does your company need a new website?  Maybe

Every company needs a website. Let's be honest, when was the last time you've saw a book of yellow pages? At the minimum you should have a one-page website site that tells people 3 things:
  1. What you do.
  2. Why they should care.
  3. How to contact you.
If you have accomplished those three things on the web, that is a start. However, having a basic website that was done over 3 years ago might need an update. How do you know? Pull it up on your mobile phone and see if you can read it without zooming-in or click on the link below and test it. If the answer is no, then it's time for a redesign and here are the reasons why:
  1. Websites are not timeless, they need attention and updating.
  2. In 2015, a study was done that found 51% of time spent on the internet was on a mobile device. That is compared to 42% for desktops/laptops. View Study > >
  3. Two-thirds of smartphone users say that a mobile website makes them more likely to make a purchase from that company. On the flip side, 61% responded that if they don't find what they are looking for, and probably within 5-10 seconds, they'll click away to another site.  View Study > >
  4. Google is penalizing you for not having a mobile-friendly website. See Proof

Mobile-Friendly Test

Search Engine Optimization

It doesn't do much good to pay for a website that no one is visiting. Prospects and clients need to be able to find you online. That might be for a quote, it might be for your phone number. Either way you need to show up when someone types your company into Google. 

Data shows that people do not type in full URL's (www.yourdomain.com) into the address bar of their browser. Instead, they bring up a search engine (Google or Bing) and type in your business name or a phrase that contains your business name. There are some very basic things your website needs to have to ensure you appear. 

Do the following terms mean anything to you:
  • Meta Titles
  • Meta Descriptions
  • Optimized URL's
  • Alt Tags
  • H1 Tags
  • Anchor Text
If you answered no, then odds are you could make some simple updates to your website that would increase the chances of it appearing in the top 3 organic search results. From a study done in 2014 on desktop searches, they found and average of 71.33% of organic clicks happen on the first page of search results. 

Bottom line: If you don't appear on the first page of search results for key search phrases in your industry, the chances of you getting that traffic is not good. If you don't appear on the first page when someone searches for a branded keyword phrase, meaning the name of your company is in the search phrase, then you should contact someone who understands website design and SEO as quickly as you can. Or simply click on the button below!
I Would Like Some Help

Lead Generation

This really covers many aspects of marketing. The first step to generating a online lead is getting them to your website. Organic SEO is the free way people find you on the web. However, there are a lot of instances where organic SEO isn't enough. Some of those factors would be age of your domain, competition and website content. When this happens, you must advertise your website and products/services through other digital channels.

Google Pay-Per-Click
Google PPC are the ads that appear at the top of search results with the little green box that says ad.
Weather you should use PPC highly depends on your industry and competitors. If you have a national audience that is highly competitive, then PPC will be a costly way to drive traffic to your website. Good thing for you is there are alternative options. If your customers are local or regional, Google allows you to drill down your geographical target area which means you will get more bang for your buck.

The other thing you need to know is that click-through-rates (CTR) on paid ads are below 20%. People tend to skip paid ads and go to the first couple of organic results. Bottom-line, build a quality website with good content optimized for SEO and you won't have to pay for your traffic.

Social Media
Not having a social presence is no longer an option for small to mid-sized businesses. There are too many people using these networks to ignore this marketing channel. Using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and now Snapchat seems like an overwhelming task. The good news for you is you're right. You need to identify 1-2 social media networks that work for you company and stick with them. For example, if you are a B2C (business-to-consumer), your focus needs to be more on Facebook and Twitter. If you are a B2B (business-to-business), LinkedIn should definitely be a part of your strategy. This doesn't mean you can ignore the others. An ideal approach is to try 3-4 of these and evaluate where you are getting the most qualified leads.

In addition, placing ads on social media has drastically improved over the years. You now have the ability to drill down to your target audience giving your business betters odds of displaying ads to people that are actually interested in what you offer. For local B2C companies, Facebook has become a cost-effective way to drive traffic to your website.

For example, if you are a plumber or electrician that provides services within a 30 mile radius of your location, wouldn't you like to promote your business to the people living within those 30 miles? And then only pay for those ads when someone actually clicks on it and goes to your website? If you're not sure, the answer is yes. That means you will appear in their feed the rest of the time for free. What a great way to build your brand and awareness.

Other Services

Email Marketing
Research shows that email marketing is still the best and most cost-effective way of to reach prospects and customers. The challenge: knowing what tools to use and building a segmented contact list. 

Brand Development
The appearance of your company might be the most single important thing you do. It also might be the easiest. However, if you don't have the right resources in place, it may also be the most expensive. Below are a few examples of items that impact your brand:
  • Logo development
  • Business card design
  • Literature design (letterhead, envelopes)
  • Website
  • Social media presence
  • Signage
Website Hosting
Once you build a website, you have to host it somewhere. It's basically like renting a parking spot on the web. However, poor hosting can affect your website. There are a number of issues I could go into her, but the main two are security and speed.

Email
Good hosting plans also include unlimited email accounts for your small business. There is nothing professional about sending emails from name@yahoo.com. This is a simple step to enhance your brand. Send emails from name@yourcompany.com.

Printed Materials
Yes we live in the digital age and yes it takes me 2 years to go through a box of business cards. However, this is another form of marketing you shouldn't ignore. Have a professional appearance on paper takes good design, good layout and good messaging. That means you need a graphic designer, a copywriter and a print shop $$$$. Or you can partner with someone who has the resources to do all these things for you $.
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