User experience is what separates a mediocre website from a fantastic one. You engineer your site to streamline certain processes, influence visitor behaviour and boost your conversion rate – all key parts of a great digital marketing strategy. There are many ways of going through this process and a never ending list of improvements to be made, but these top tips will help you to get started…
Get Your Homepage Right
Your Homepage is your shop window of the world, and as such, it needs to be both accessible and attractive. You need to focus on your core offer and key messages and use these to populate your home page. Keep everything brief and clear – people are landing on this page to do or find something else. Prune out unnecessary content that is better housed elsewhere on your site so potential customers don’t have to wade through columns of irrelevant information. First impressions are critical online and you don’t have much time to make them.
Speed Is King
What loading time do you think is acceptable for your site? The brutal truth is, if it doesn’t load in 3-4 seconds, you’ll face abandonment rates as high as 87 per cent. Time is of the essence online and users are highly impatient. Make sure that you work on the loading speeds of your site and streamline clunky content that is slowing it down.
Pare It Back
Great website design is as much about what you don’t include on the page as what you do. Content needs to be given proper spacing in order for it to have due prominence. Take a look at some of the best designed websites of 2018 to see this principle in action. This trick improved reading comprehension and click throughs while showcasing your most important products, services or ideas.
Signpost For More
Use your design to help customers on their journey by signposting them to relevant resources, like www.casinoseniors.com. This creates an opportunity to add value to the lives of your customers, which will keep them coming back for more and creates a constantly fresh offed for repeat visitors.
Harness The Power Of A CTA
What are the Calls To Action (CTA’s) that a user encounters on your website? A slick design makes use of these buttons to move customers to behave in a certain way. Clear CTAs have the power to drastically improve conversion rates and average basket value too. Use the psychology of colour to make your calls extra appealing. The text used should also be a little more descriptive than something like ‘next’ or ‘link’. It’s a small thing but it can really make an impact on customer behaviour.
Don’t Skimp On The Images Images and video content is the best way to grab attention and engage people. They up trust levels as people feel they know more what they will be getting, and they also allow more space for you to properly explain the features and benefits of a product or service or demonstrate how to use them.
No matter who you are or what you do, there’s a very good chance that you use the internet regularly to do it. We have, in the space of just a couple of decades, all become extremely proficient internet users and the digital world has become such a ubiquitous part of the way in which we work, do business, shop and socialize that we rarely even think about our internet use. It has become as unconscious to us as breathing, eating or scratching an itch.
Yet, while we love our technology and a great many of us use the internet routinely, we are oblivious of the protocols that can keep us safe or make us vulnerable. We have no idea what people on the other side of the planet can find out about us with just a few keystrokes. Here we’ll take a look at our IP address and why it’s important to know all about it…
What is your IP address?
Your IP address is the address of your internet protocol. While every device that is connected to the internet through your router has its own IP address, the only address that’s publicly visible is that of your router. It’s how the internet identifies where in the world you are. Have you ever wondered why Google always brings you local suggestions when you’re looking for a restaurant, hair salon or coffee shop near you? It’s because you’ve allowed Google access to your IP address. Click this link if you want to find your IP address. Are you a little unnerved by how accurately the page is able to pinpoint you? Any savvy internet user can find your easily.
What can people tell from your IP address?
People can determine your (approximate) location through your router. Don’t worry, your IP address will not give away your physical address. While this is benign enough, in some cases onlookers may parse the online activity associated with your IP address. They can then piece together a lot of information about the people using the IP address or even a single person. What can be accessed legally and by whom depends on where you live and the legalities surrounding digital privacy in your territory.
Can anyone see your IP address? Is there any way to hide it?
Your IP address is information that virtually anyone can access. There are a number of ways in which you can make your IP less visible, though.
You may wish to opt for a private IP address, although this is only really advisable for businesses and individuals who prioritize security over convenience. A less cumbersome alternative would be to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN), which hides your IP address or redirects it to another region. There are numerous plugins on your preferred web browser which use VPN software. Many users use these to access content on streaming services like Netflix or Hulu which is not available in their local market (although services have gotten wise to this in recent years and started blocking VPNs).
You may also wish to try an alternative internet browser like Tor which conceals browser’s IP addresses, although this comes at a cost of much slower browsing speed even over fast connections.
Who uses your IP address?
Most of the time your IP address is used in fairly benign ways. It’s used by websites to bring you accurate weather reporting, local news or area specific deals and offers. If you are guilty of committing a crime, authorities may be able to track you using your IP address. While hackers can theoretically gain access to your devices through your IP address, doing so is far from easy and if you do not make yourself a target for them you will be unlikely to find yourself their victim.
Nonetheless, if you’re concerned for the wellbeing of your online business or personal data, there are numerous ways in which you can conceal your IP address from malcontents.
In this guide, we are going to take a look at two key elements of SEO. So, let’s get started…
Guide To Mobile SEO
With the rise of mobile usage, it is vital to make sure your website
is mobile-friendly if your business is to be a success. Not only does
this involve responsive web design, but also you need to adopt a
strategy for mobile search engine optimization.
First and foremost, responsive website design is a necessity. This ensures viewers can use your website
effectively on a smaller device. If your website has not been optimized
for mobile usage, viewers will get frustrated, and they will look
elsewhere, which essentially means you are gifting customers to your
competition. Not only is responsive website design imperative for
customer experience, but it is vital for your search engine optimization
strategy as well, as Google’s algorithms will detect this set-up, and
they will rank you higher.
Aside from this, you should also use separate mobile URLs, as this will mean you utilise a different website code for each device and this can improve your SEO efforts. You should also avoid using pop-ups and flash when it comes to mobile web design, and page speed is imperative too, as no one wants to wait for ages for your site to load.
You will also need to use an SEO agency
to tweak your digital marketing strategy so that your mobile content is
optimized for local searches, and that your titles and Meta tags are
also optimized, as the perimeters are different from mobile Meta data.
Importance Of SEO Content Marketing
They say that ‘content is king’. No strategy for search engine
optimization is complete without an elaborate content marketing plan.
Keeping that in mind, in this section, we are going to reveal more about
SEO content and why it is so important.
If you looked at search engine optimization strategies from several
years ago, you would be shocked by the difference. Back then, if you
wanted to move up the search engine result pages, all you did was cram
your website with as many keywords as possible. Companies were posting duplicate content
of an appalling quality and simply shoving keywords in at every
opportunity. This may have worked for a little while, but Google soon
became wise to this, and they have updated their algorithms to ensure
that these sites do not rank highly.
Nowadays, your digital marketing strategy needs to consist of
informative, original, engaging and interesting content for your
customers to enjoy. This content needs to incorporate the subtle and
natural use of keywords to help you rank better. Not only will quality
content help you to move higher up on the search engine result pages,
but you will also show yourself as experts in your field, and this will
encourage people to trust your brand, which will, in turn, leads to
greater sales and have a positive impact on your brand image.
In business, our successes are generally defined by our profits. While many of us start a business venture with more than just money as motivation, when it comes down to it, what we earn is the most important thing. And finding the balance between spending and earning is always a tricky one in business. You need to be investing in the best workforce, equipment and materials to create good products or services – while still turning enough of a profit to make things a success. Here are three, tricky decisions you might have to make as your venture grows.
Generic vs bespoke software?
Software is so important in business. These days, so many processes throughout our company will be done online, and so, the right software to run everything on is crucial for speed and efficiency. There are lots of great software on the market that can fit most businesses, but in many cases you will need to adapt your processes around their limitations. If you have more money to spend, investing in bespoke software allows you to tailor everything to your exact tasks and needs. This won’t come cheap, but at some point you might reach the stage where it’s the next logical step.
Outsource or in-house?
Deciding whether to outsource departments of your business, or to hire your own staff and run them in house can be a tricky one. It’s not ‘one size fits all’, and instead, will depend on your personal preferences, time limitations, budget and other factors. When you outsource, it’s a weight off your shoulders. You know the work is being done to the highest standard as it’s being tackled by a business who are professionals in their field. However, it does come at a cost, and if you’re looking for ways to maximise your profits long term then this is an area to assess. When it comes to setting up your own in-house departments, it’s often a lot of money, time and effort up front- but plain sailing once everything is up and running. You’ll need to find bigger premises to house your staff, and spend time recruiting and hiring the right people for each role. You’ll have to train candidates for each position, from PMP and CAPM training for project management to CPCS training for those in construction. Even if the candidates you take on already have experience in a similar role, you’ll need to make sure their training is up to date and that they know exactly what they’re doing in their new position.
Buy equipment or keep hiring?
As with outsourcing, there are plenty of benefits to hiring equipment too. You get access to a high-quality piece of machinery, tool or equipment right away without having to save. Not to mention any repairs and maintenance costs are covered by the hire company and not you (as long as you weren’t responsible for any damage). Hiring equipment also means there’s less risk for you, if your business venture does fail later down the line you can simply give what you’re hiring back. When you’ve purchased an item, you then have to sell it which will almost always be at a loss. But again, hiring equipment can cut into your profits and in some cases it’s worth investing yourself. It could be anything from printers to power tools to machines to vehicles, weigh up the pros and cons and decide if it’s best to keep hiring these things or put the money into buying your own.
Running a small business means being able to do many different tasks. You could be marketing one day, shipping goods, giving advice and bookkeeping, as these are just some of the skills a small business owner needs. Of course, your business could be so well funded that you can outsource some of the jobs, or employ someone to help you. However, most small businesses do not have that luxury but do not despair, there are apps specially designed to make your life a little easier. Best Apps For Accounting And Finances As with all areas of your business, there are many apps to choose from when it comes to the finances of your business. There are ones specifically designed for accounts, investment apps, payroll apps and many others to help with your financial matters. It almost makes accountants obsolete! Gusto is a very good payroll app, while Freshbooks provides a simple way to manage sales and purchase invoices. For a full package for all your financial needs, QuickBooks is ideal, and so is Wave. Best Apps For Communications Good communications are vital to any small business if it is to succeed. Addappt will make it easier to manage your contacts and you can send messages with it. Fuze provides high-definition video calls, and Slack is an instant messaging platform. Skype is probably the best-known video conferencing app, and although many have tried to knock it from its top position, it is still the most used for this purpose.
Best Apps For Time Management
Time is one of your most valuable assets and you need to make sure it is used to its best advantage. Rescuetime will track how much time you have spent on other apps and websites, and then provide the details in a report. This will let you see where time is being wasted. My Minutes is great if you are having trouble focusing on the most important tasks. You can set goals, such as an hour on social media, and it will track the time spent throughout the day and let you know when you have reached the time limit.
Other Good Apps To Help You
These are just three areas where apps can make life a little less stressful, there are many others. Dropbox has more than 500 million users. It lets you store and share files in the cloud. It is a very reliable app that can save you much time not having to send emails to several different people. MailChimp can help you to build a mailing list, as well as customize emails to send to all the people on it. This app is simple to use and can be a great marketing tool. Expensify can be linked to your bank and credit card accounts. It keeps track of money that goes in and out of them, including any charged and interest you may have to pay. You can then extract reports of the information in just a few minutes.
While you are building your business it is crucial to keep all your costs as low as possible Using business apps can be a way of doing this, and they help you to keep everything in order.
For all of the numerous business gadgets we have at our disposal, sometimes, the simplest approaches are usually the best. BYOD, or bring your own device, is something that many young companies use, predominantly for the reason that it saves them money. And while there are so many benefits to this approach, there are plenty of downsides also. So, if you are considering implementing this into your workplace, let’s break down BYOD.
How It Can Benefit The Business Apart from the financial aspect, the bring your own device policy can help in terms of familiarity. For example, if you have employees that use their own tablets or laptops and have their own shorthand with the device, this translates directly into productivity. And while money is saved exponentially from the employer’s perspective, the money that is saved can be implemented in other ways. For example the various cloud computing solutions that can ensure that the devices are in keeping, not just with the BYOD policy, but secure within the working environment. And while there can be issues with this, if you implement an appropriate policy that is followed to the letter, you will see how it makes the lives of your employees easier.
The Overarching Concerns Technologically speaking, the compatibility issues can cause disarray. Conflicting platforms, issues with access rights, or devices that don’t use a specific protocol, not to mention numerous others, can cause a headache for the tech department. Not only this, the issues you have with your employees sharing data on a personal level have to be addressed. As already mentioned, if you have a BYOD policy that is followed properly, and the consequences of not following it are communicated, this can help in one respect. When you are dealing with sensitive data, it’s important that you communicate to your employees, not just what will happen to them, but to the business. When you think about the employees that leave the work environment and have devices on their person that contain sensitive data, they are leaving themselves open to data theft in a personal sense.
Bring your own device policies, on the face of it, are a great way for any company to save money. But when you are thinking about the impact this can have on the business, the financial approach doesn’t dictate everything. BYOD can be a great way to encourage employees to make the work more mobile, especially for those people that work from home, but from a technological perspective, you have to invest a bit more to ensure that the information is secure. In many ways, the ideal solution is to have every device vetted, but this can throw up more issues in terms of your employees’ rights to privacy. And when dealing with sensitive data, in many ways, the best approach is consistent communication. Ultimately, we cannot watch our employees 24 hours a day, but what we can do is provide a very strict policy, one that is continually updated. BYOD can be a boon, but we have to be very careful.
