Google is continually coming out with new tools to help you with your marketing efforts, and to reward those who have good content and sound expertise with higher rankings in its search engine. One of the more recent and most misunderstood elements of Google's ranking algorithm is Author Rank, which ostensibly allows authors to associate things they write online with a relevant Google profile.
By now you've probably noticed that mobile browsing is the next big thing, and in fact even now mobile computing is of the most popular ways to access the internet. This means that every business owner at some point needs to have a site that is mobile-friendly and optimized accordingly. It may seem like a mammoth task, but if you keep a few things in mind as you're developing your ideas, you can make the entire process a lot easier.
When you're trying to market your business online, the goal is to create a web presence that is popular and far-reaching, with regular site traffic and a community of engaged social media followers. Of course, this can be easier said than done, especially when it comes to creating awareness beyond your company's existing circle of contacts. Guest posting is an effective way to quickly build your presence, as well as boosting brand recognition, and it's pretty easy to get started, even if your blog or site is new.
In the days when a company website was the only aspect of a business' online presence, controlling brand consistency was pretty simple. With everything all in one place, you only had one shot at getting your audience's attention, but once you had it, there was only one set of branding you had to manage.
In the traditional, offline marketing models, often things were compartmentalized and kept completely separate. Your newspaper ads probably had little to do with your mailing list, except that the overall goal was to bring more business in. These days, the online marketing model is a little bit different, with every aspect contributing to the overall goal of gathering an audience so that everyone can join in on the conversation, in the expectation that some of those audience members will become and remain customers.
The winter holidays are upon us, and for most businesses that means the potential for a significant uptick in company interest. However, to convert those interested people into customers- either last minute shoppers or post-holiday sale-seekers - you'll want to give your audience a reason to choose you over their other options.
We've seen the pattern time and time again: companies that incorporate a personal factor in their online marketing often see a significant boost in their business, and adding that human element can help build customer trust and loyalty. People like to know that they're dealing with other people rather than a nameless, faceless brand, so a personal touch can really be a plus. On the other hand, too much of a good thing can be overkill, and it's important to understand where the boundary is between coming across as warm and helpful, versus sabotaging your brand message with too much personal information. Here are three tips to help you maintain a balance.
These days, consumers rely more and more on the social aspects of research when they're considering where to spend their money. In other words, recommendations from real people can mean as much or more to them than advertisements or other marketing campaigns. Testimonials are a great way to show that people find your product or service valuable, but how do you get strong, believable testimonials to use on your site?
