Social media has turned into an integral part of many people’s lives. It’s how we connect, it’s how we learn, it’s how we are entertained. Social media marketing rose with engagement rates, meaning that social media is also how many of us discover new products and services. Companies and marketing firms recognize the importance of adapting to the ever-changing online world.

But most people get annoyed by ads on TikTok and Instagram and the like, right? So, does social media marketing even work if it seems like most people will just scroll right past or skip what you’re trying to market to them?

So long as you understand your target audience and are aware of how to use social media as a marketing tool, yes, social media marketing can work, and work very well, at that. Here’s how.

Different Social Media Platforms Are Good For Different Things

A key part of social media marketing is understanding what each app is intended for and how to optimize that for your business. Knowing the target audience of each social media platform and what they do will help you craft appropriate marketing strategies. What works on Facebook won’t work on TikTok. You have to adapt to what each platform is good for and who it’s targeted at. As time goes on, new social medias develop and older ones fade. This is why it’s important to…

Stay On Top Of The Trends

It’s a truth commonly acknowledged throughout the marketing world that an effective marketing strategy is one that is targeted, clear, distinct – and current. What kind of ads are doing well at the moment? What are hot topics, and can you relate them to your products or services? This is especially common for holidays and seasons.

Another essential part of staying on top of the trends is understanding how social media changes. Sites and apps that were popular five years ago could be nonexistent now. The ones that stay popular are constantly changing in order to stay relevant. For example, a while ago, Instagram made a switch from focusing on photo-sharing to optimizing reels, meaning that if you wanted to be seen on Instagram, you had a better chance with a reel than a picture.

If you want to be seen, you have to stay up to date with changes.

Have Distinctive Branding And Goals

This works for marketing in general, not just social media marketing. Distinctive branding is what sets your marketing strategy apart from your competitors. If you have a specific look, feel, and understand your audience, it’s much more likely that you’ll draw people in rather than risk them ignoring your efforts. If your business has a specific look and personality associated with it, it’s more memorable and impactful than one that is more general.

This is true for your social media pages too. A social media page that is all over the place and is trying to do too many things at once won’t have as much traction as one that has a cohesive look and purpose. People aren’t going to stay on a page that’s ugly, confusing, or doesn’t know what it’s trying to do. They will stay on one that is aesthetically pleasing and concise. How your page looks matters greatly if you want to bring in followers and reach more people.

Consistency Is Key

Common across most social media platforms is the fact that their algorithms favor consistency. You’re more likely to be seen if you have a consistent posting schedule. If you post whenever you feel like it, that can drop your visibility and make it so that only a tiny percentage of your following even sees your post.

The Power Of Influencers

Influencers can be a fantastic way to increase your brand awareness and reach. Influencers are people with big followings, aka a lot of influence. Businesses and brands often send influencers free products and payment in exchange for them to promote them to their followers. If an influencer tries and likes your product enough to promote it, their followers will be inspired to at least check it out and often want to try the product or service as well.

Be Engaging

This is true both for creating engaging, distinctive content, and for engaging with people who try to interact with your social media posts.If you aren’t responsive to comments and posts, people are less likely to pay attention to your business or think that you don’t care about your customers or clients.

Do You Need Help With Social Media Marketing?

At Performance Driven Marketing, we provide exceptional internet marketing services, including managing social media accounts. We have experience in staying up to date with the ever-changing realm of social media. We also offer multiple other digital and traditional marketing services, including graphic design and sales. If you would like to learn more about social media marketing or how else we can help your business, please contact us at Performance Driven Marketing today!

Content is an extremely important addition to your website. Having compelling and consistent content will cause your website traffic to skyrocket with users coming back to your website more often and for longer periods of time. There are many different types of content including blogs, videos, and photos.

You may ask yourself: “Blogs? I thought those were those write-ups where people complained about their neighbors online?” Yes, there are still blogs where people journal their personal experiences, but these days blogs are used for much more. In fact, according to HubSpot, 60% of people read a blog once a week. This is because blogs have many functions including providing information to readers.

Now to answer the overarching question; is blogging dead in 2021? The simple answer is no. You’re reading this blog right? However, the purpose of blogs and the way they are written is constantly changing. Blogs have many purposes and are useful tools for content creators and businesses.

Blogs Create Connections

Blogs are a great way to make closer connections with your customer base. This is because you are speaking directly to the customer and they can respond with their own thoughts and opinions. With that said, it is important to be careful with your comment settings and be aware that if you allow for comments, the opinions that some users may post on your page may not be to your liking. But if you are creating content that your target market wants to know, you will attract and keep users who are likely to become customers. Blogs are also a great way to create content for your social media platforms to connect to and vice versa.

Blogs Answer User’s Questions

Is Blogging Dead in 2021?

One of the big reasons that blogs are an important part of the content you put on your website is because they are an easy way to share your expertise and increase your credibility. You can answer user’s questions in a professional format or discuss your knowledge of your industry in an article targeted towards a new customer base.

Blogs are where Google and other search engines collect information about obscure or popular topics and are often where people can find information tailored to their specific needs. When you answer your customer base’s questions, you establish a reputation and authority in your industry.

Blogs Help Customers Learn About Your Products

Blogs in 2021 are often run by companies and businesses in hopes that people will click on their website to learn about a topic and then buy a product or service. This is a wonderful system because users are already searching for information about something that you are an expert on and will be more likely to buy from you when they decide to make a purchase in that area. Having a blog also allows you to speak to certain products or services that you have that are unique to your company that your target customer base may not be aware of.

Blogs Help You Rank Better on Search Engines

If a business has a website, it is important to rank on search engines. A ranking on a search engine is your spot on the list of websites that show up when a user enters in a search query. Website specialists use search engine optimization to increase a website’s ranking. It is important to use SEO because search engine optimization brings more users to your website which often leads to more conversions. One of the most important components to optimizing your website is to have great content that is relevant to user’s questions.

Contact Us For Help With Your Blog

Here at Performance Driven Marketing, we write articles and blogs for your website that are crafted specifically to be optimized for Google and other search engines. We also have many other services and resources available to you to help you build your ideal website. Contact us for more information about blogs, SEO, web design and much more!

How important are customer reviews to a business? Nine out of ten customers claim they read online reviews prior to working with a business. With at least 88% of consumers trusting online reviews as much as a referral or personal recommendation, it is an essential component of your online marketing strategy.

Online reviews have an impact on your sales. However, obtaining reviews has always seemed to be a challenge for businesses. How do you know your most satisfied customers will leave reviews? What should you do in the event you receive a negative review?

Getting Started with Online Reviews

Understanding how reviews work is the place to start. Business owners need to take some time to familiarize themselves with Google My Business and other social platforms where customers leave reviews. Depending upon your industry, you may find yourself dealing with reviews on websites like:

Yelp
Facebook
Yellowpages
TripAdvisor
Manta
Amazon
Citysearch
Foursquare

Local Businesses and Online Reviews

Multiple studies show that 53% of customers will visit a business within 48 hours of performing a local search. In addition, 33% of customers surveyed by ReviewTrackers say they will not eat in a restaurant with less than 4 stars or multiple negative reviews.

Bad reviews will hurt your business and can drop your website ranking. In fact, one single negative review can drop sales by 5-8% or more!

Google My Business

Each month, Google averages about 158.3 million visitors. With such high exposure, it pays to spend some time optimizing your profile. It is free to claim your Google My Business profile and it does give your business a stronger local presence. Once you have verified your business listing, your website will start to appear in the search engine results and people can start leaving reviews.

Google My Business does provide an option for businesses to post updates and share information directly with the customers. If you do not have a website, or you feel your website is not that impressive, your Google My Business page will become one of the best free resources you have available to keep focused on attracting customers.

Asking for Customer Reviews

It is important to ask your customers for reviews. We utilize services that make it easier for customers to submit a review. We can customize a personalized email and SMS text message tool that will go directly to the customer, making it easier for them to leave a review.

Never be afraid to ask customers directly for a review. If they are in your store and having a great interaction, ask them to leave a review. Most customers are happy to leave a positive review when they have a good interaction with the business in person.

Handling a Negative Review

What happens when you have a negative review? The most important thing we can stress is to avoid attacking the reviewer. Before you even respond to the review, you need to make sure you know all the facts. One thing you can do is make sure you read the review, take the information into consideration and respond positively.

When you respond, the upset customer may update their review or might even remove it entirely. Potential customers will be able to see the response and notice that the business does care about customer satisfaction and is seeking to always improve.

Add Reviews to Your Website

Customers love testimonials as it gives them peace of mind. People want to know what type of experiences people have been experiencing with the business. Use a variety of clients to provide feedback in multiple industries and continue improving the conversion rates for your business.

Online reviews are vital to each industry. Failing to prioritize online reviews can be detrimental to your business. Reputation is everything in the modern Internet-driven world. Successful reviews may not happen immediately, but with the right tools and engagement strategy, you will be able to see a boost in your online reputation and website traffic!

Are you a small business owner impacted by coronavirus (COVID-19)? In Utah, small businesses make up 90% of all employers and represent just under half of the state’s total workforce, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. As many businesses are closed, or running at partial capacity, many business owners are looking for new ways to try and keep their businesses alive in a time of crisis. Fortunately, the Internet can help local businesses find way to stay connected with customers and continue turning a profit. Here are some tips that will help your business thrive right now, but also be prepared for any future crisis like COVID-19 that have forever changed how small businesses are run.

Creating short-term and long-term plans

Never stop marketing your business. Even if you run a dental practice that is currently closed to everything except dental emergencies, you need to continue online marketing. Internet traffic for many local businesses offering in-person services (dentistry, carpet cleaning, massage therapy, restaurants) are all seeing declines in traffic right now as many people are concerned about exposure risk, and businesses are following Utah state-issued guidelines.

The importance of online marketing comes down to this, when you STOP marketing your business, you will lose business. Pausing your marketing service will place your business in a situation when you are reactive in June, July and August. When businesses can start opening again, where will your website be as they search for local service? In time, markets will start to recover and many of our friends and neighbors will be back to work and back in their stores. Making marketing decisions based on fear will doom your business.

We recommend creating a business reality plan for 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days. Our expert marketing team is here to help you understand your market, and what you need to do in order to get through this crisis. We want to stress to you that there ARE options. While you can look at your past strategies that have worked, we can help you identify other tactics that you have not implemented before. In fact, we recommend local businesses owners should consider marketing MORE during this time.

How can you market with a cash flow shortage?

This is not the time to give up. What can you do if you are trying to stay alive, and have limited funds for marketing? Here’s a marketing game-plan to help you get started:

- Focus on your website. Is this the time to redesign or enhance your website? YES! When traffic is slower to your site, it’s a great time for a website revamp. In a month or two, you can set up a new marketing campaign as the economy reopens to announce your new website and how it makes your customer’s lives easier.
- Google my business. Your best friend online is always going to be Google. Whether you like it or not, Google organic search drives more than 50 percent of all website traffic. Don’t fight against Google recommendations, embrace them and your website will improve.
- Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. All your basic social media accounts NEED engagement. Social media provides one of the easiest and simple ways to get in front of your customers. Local business owners can control the messages that are sent to the customers. We have found great success with social media as it not only gets a clear message to the customer, it’s a great way to improve customer relationships. Over 80% of small business revenue comes from existing customers. If you aren’t getting in front of those customers with social media, you could lose them.
- YouTube. Explainer videos are a great way to educate your customers. For example, let’s say you own a plumbing business and you want to connect with your customers. A great way to do this is to film yourself working on a basic repair job. You can offer some troubleshooting tips to the customers on how they can make some repairs on their own. While you think you might be losing business, you won’t. 90% of online shoppers say they will use videos to help them make purchasing decisions. Basic explainer videos give you an opportunity to showcase your skillset to your customers and show people why YOU are the local experts in your industry.

PDM Pro Tip: “Explainer videos less than 15 seconds long are shared 37% more often.”

Print media. As local business owners are struggling to make ends meet, a number of print media resources are cutting print advertising costs. Ask your account representative about a print marketing campaign that will help you get directly to the doorstep of your target audience.

Know your traffic and clean up your website

If you want to create a comprehensive approach to online marketing, take a look at your analytics data. The referral data can show you if there are other sources you need to update and if there are other places you need to spend time working on in order to remain connected to your customers.

While we know not everyone is an online marketing expert, there are things you can do to clean up your website. Take some time to review every page on your website and ask yourself the following questions:

Is the content relevant to the page?
Are the images and content outdated?
Do we have a clear message on our website?
Is the website easy to navigate?
Are we driving customers to the right call-to-action areas?

Small business crisis marketing gameplan

Keeping your business connected is vital to business success. Follow our pro tips to make sure your business has a strategy for the next three months:

Let your customers know you are open for business
1. If you are still open, tell your customers! Inform people daily on social media how your business is responding to COVID (or whatever new crisis our country may be dealing with). If you aren’t telling people your business is open, your customers may assume your business is closed. Have a clear message on your website homepage and update those social media accounts! If your business has closed, inform customers what they can do in the meantime and when they can expect to hear back from you if they do try and contact your business.
Update your website with a pop-up banner
1. As previously mentioned, you need to update your website. Your website is your 24/7 sales team. Include a pop-up or banner message that clearly informs your customers how your business is responding to the crisis.
Update Google my business
1. If you do not have a website, focus on your Google my business listing. Your business listing is a valuable way to connect to your customers. Update your hours and you can post on there about staffing issues and why it may take longer to respond to messages during this time.
Blog
1. During times of uncertainty, people need to know that something is “the same”. A blog post is a great way to let people know that. Keeping your website updated with new and fresh content keeps your website in good graces with Google, in addition to giving you something new you can share with customers on your social media accounts.
SMS messages
1. Do you have a strong customer base that has signed up for a text message service? Text message marketing is a great way to provide an update on business hours and availability.
Social media
1. We already talked about social media, but we want to remind you of the importance of updating your social profiles. The entire world is facing COVID-19 and many people are stuck at home….and bored. People are spending more time on social media, giving your business ample opportunity to get in front of your customers and leads.

PDM Pro Tip: Use community-based groups to inform local customers that your business is open.

Nextdoor and other local community groups
1. Share relevant information with other local websites. Contact your city offices and ask them if they will provide an update about your business on their website and social media accounts. Join Nextdoor to connect with your local customers and share relevant information.

Handling customer contact during COVID-19

If your business is currently interacting with customers in the office, it’s a great time to make sure you are showing HOW your business is responding to COVID-19. Wearing facemasks in the workplace, practicing diligent hand-washing and cleanliness is essential. Bring our your brand message with some promotional materials you can hand out, like hand sanitizer! Showing people how you respond to COVID-19 is bringing them peace of mind as they know the risk of infection occurring from interaction with your business is low thanks to your adherence to OSHA and CDC requirements.

Community giveaways and local support

A great way to share good news with your local audience is by offering a community-related giveaway. There are some great benefits to working with your local city office and finding out how your business can help support current needs. It can be something as simple as donating facemasks, gloves, hand sanitizer, hand soap, etc. Local offices are working with businesses to give them adequate support during this time, which brings about some great exposure in the community. Here are a few suggestions on what your business can do to show support:

Donate supplies like hand sanitizer to key workers
Donate or sponsor a food giveaway for families in need or to nursing homes and local shelters

PDM Pro Tip: Customers want to know businesses care about them and the community. Do what you can to provide service to strengthen your relationship with the local community.

Strengthen your business reputation

Look for some ways to build your business reputation. Podcasts, digital conferences, and speaking opportunities in your niche market provide you with the ability to truly establish your business as the one “in the know” about your industry. Virtual conferences are a great way to showcase your skillset to your target audience.

Local podcasts are always seeking business owners to interview and discuss various topics. Find a good podcast and reach out to them. Establish yourself as an expert by offering your opinion and return as a guest time and time again to generate more buzz!

How about hosting a digital event? No matter what industry you are in, you can host a digital event. Restaurants can offer a free cooking class and teach people how to make sushi, or some other fun dish! Contractors can show some pro tips on how to correctly finish sheet rocking your business. No matter what industry, you can take your top customer questions and needs and create a date and time to show them to answer with a digital event.

If you have a particular skillset that you would normally charge money for, offer online training courses and charge a small fee. You’d be surprised to see how many people will sign up for a course if you are the expert teaching them valuable information.

PDM Pro Tip: A good email list and a clean marketing message will help deliver the correct information to your core audience and will encourage them to share it with others.

Deep breaths….online traffic will return

We don’t have all the answers, but we know online traffic will return. People are searching online, even if your business is currently closed. When things calm down and people begin returning to their workplaces, searches will increase. In the meantime, we recommend staying on top of Google Trends and finding ways to offer answers to questions. Find a way to make trending searches relatable to your industry.

Avoid Keyword Stuffing

One common mistake people make when blogging is keyword stuffing. Keywords are a great way to help the search engines find your blog, but keyword stuffing can kill your blog. The content on your blog needs to be readable to gain the right attention. A great way to find keywords that are useful is by signing up for a Google Adwords account. This will help you narrow down the list of popular keywords for your market. One tip to remember with keywords is to select a few localized keywords to reach your local audience. Adding the city name, state, and zip code to your website can boost local rankings, and will help you reach out to the targeted customers. To maintain a balance of keywords, select a few and use them for your posts. Start by adding the keyword in the title, within the first paragraph, and last paragraph of the blog post to assist in boosting rankings. You might find that the keyword naturally integrates itself into the content with you actually adding it in there. This is the best practice for SEO success as you want the content to be natural, original, and engaging.

Create Original Content

The search engines have started to crack down on duplicate content. If you are not creating unique, original blog posts, your blog will suffer. Take the time to create new blog posts that are different from all the recycled content on the internet. You need to express your point of view on different trends related to your industry. This can get the customers to leave comments and really start a discussion trend. When you start showing customers you have a voice, it will distinguish your company from others in the industry. Create goals for your blog so your customers will have a desire to read it weekly. Remain active with your posting and place new content on the blog 2-4 times a week to show the search engines it is an active blog.

Effective Marketing

It is common to see companies spend too much time trying to market a blog, and failing to market their website. A blog is a marketing tool that will boost interest in your company, but your main goal is to point people to your website where they can purchase products. Use the blog as a way to get people to sign-up for email lists and other promotional offers. Use social media sites to help build trust and credibility with the customers. A blog will assist in reinforcing branding that you have already set in motion. You must be accurate and honest with the information posted on the blog and social media accounts to effectively market to the customers.

Hire Professional Writers

One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to write content they do not understand. We have seen a lot of people outsource content to freelancers, some without any experience in their industry. Hiring a professional team of professional writers is the best way to ensure the information you are posting on your blog relates to your audience. Contact Performance Driven Marketing to discuss your blog and content marketing needs!

Are you tired of seeing lackluster results? If you do not have consistency with your online marketing efforts, it won’t take long for your website to start dropping position in the search engines. Use our 16 tips to enhance your website, and start seeing the results you deserve!

Include value proposition
Clean, easy-to-use website navigation
Clear call to action
Factual, relevant information
Colors
Valuable sliders and motion
About us company page
Social media engagement
Internal linking
Email marketing sign up form
Effective messaging above the fold
Customer testimonials
Mobile friendly
Team page
Blogging
Effective back-end SEO

Let’s dive right into each topic to build credibility and start generating quality leads from your website.

Include Value Proposition

Your value proposition is the mission statement of your business. What do you do, and why do you do it? When a potential customer is viewing your website, they want to know what makes your company work effectively. Why should someone work with your company over others? You want to let people know exactly what to expect in a clean, precise manner. Take a look at our mission statement below:

Clean, Easy-to-use Website Navigation

We’ve all been to websites that are poorly designed and difficult to navigate. When you have an effective website, you can find exactly what you are looking for quickly. Everything with your website needs to make sense in the way it’s organized, to the way the menu structure works. Here’s a clear example of effective website navigation. You can clearly see all the services provided by HVAC Utah:

Clear Call to Action

Why do people visit your site? What is the action you’d like them to perform? You need to have call to action to help your users find out what they want.

PDM Pro Tip: Use verbs for your call to action text as it engages the reader to actually DO something.

Factual, Relevant Information

According to TechJury, 4.4 million blog posts were posted in March 2019! With so many blogs posted on the Internet daily, how in the world can you make sure your blog is seen? You want to fill up your website with factual, valuable information that does pertain to your reader. Let’s say you are in the roofing industry, ask yourself what you can offer to your customer that gives them value? Perhaps writing a blog about tips on preparing the roof for winter, or a blog with explainer videos about cleaning gutters. The more information you post that pertains to your client, the easier it will be for people to understand the value you provide.

Colors

What makes a website different from all the others? You need to have color! Now, when it comes to color, there is a balance you must meet in order to make the website functional. The call to action must always be different from the rest of the website to draw the attention of the reader.

Valuable Sliders and Motion

Motion on a website is one topic where many people disagree. Some experts hate motion, others live for it! What we recommend is really learning about your customers and their browsing habits. We will recommend carousels in many instances as it does allow your readers to see the most valuable information right away. Keep the sliders short and concise as some people do not scroll past the second slide. If your slider isn’t delivering value, scrap the slider!

About Us Company Page

Did you know the about us page is the third most-clicked on page on a website? Why? People want to know WHO they are working with. The about us page should include the mission statement, but also the company story. Why did the business begin, who started it, what year did it open? The more information you can provide on an about us page, the better!

Social Media Engagement

Like it or not, social media is here to stay, and it means A LOT to your online results. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, etc., each and every one provides search engine rankings to your website. You need to run an effective social media strategy if you are planning to target all of your readers. Social media allows you to have a personality with your customers, making it easier for people to trust your business.

Internal Linking

Help the search engines and readers navigate your website by using internal linking. Internal links help to keep people moving around your website. Link them to the keywords where you have cornerstone content, blogs, and additional information that pertains to the reader. Internal links should also include a contact form to help the reader get in touch with you immediately. We recommend at least 2-4 internal links per page, and at least 1-3 external links.

Email Marketing Sign-up Form

If someone likes your business and your product, they want to sign up for more information. You MUST have an effective email marketing sign-up form that delivers value. Make it clear what your reader is signing up for, and find a way to truly engage your readers.

Effective Messaging Above the Fold

In the past, everything was about “above the fold” as people did not scroll…now, this is no longer the case. People do indeed scroll, but the MAIN information you want to provide needs to be above the fold. Here’s the deal, people are scroller’s and you no longer need to stuff in all your products and services above the fold. The menu bar should describe the services you offer, making it easier for you to add in other valuable information for your website visitors. If you have good content, people will scroll on for more!

Customer Testimonials

The trust factor is EVERYTHING! Customer testimonials are critical to the success of your website. People need to know what other people think about your business, they want to know what others are saying, and they want to know if your business is trustworthy. Highlight a few testimonials on your website, but really encourage your customers to leave testimonials on your social media accounts, especially your Google Business page. Add in other testimonials on various pages on your website like this:

Mobile Friendly

Do you want to boost your online marketing, get a mobile friendly website! The search engine algorithms are always being updated and changing, and mobile friendly websites rank higher. We have all been to a website on our phones that is not mobile-friendly, and it’s not pretty! Your website is all about the customer experience; make it worth the effort for the customer!

Team Page

The team page is different from the about us page. People want to know WHO works for the company. In many cases, the team page is where people build connections with the company. Your staff gives your company personality and gives people the “human element” they are seeking. Start with the management team, and move on down until you have the majority of your “major employees” listed on the website with their biographies:

Blogging

Earlier we spoke about the fact that 4.4 million blogs were posted in March 2019, now let’s talk about the purpose of the blog. Google wants you to blog. Why? They are looking for new, relevant content in your industry. Here’s the deal, everyone is going to have similar content, so your goal is to pull on business experiences and share them. Talk about reasons why people need to change that air filter in the HVAC system IN YOUR AREA. In Utah, we see a lot of differences with the weather here, and the HVAC system needs are drastically different from those in California, Florida, and everywhere else. Blogs are critical. If you don’t want to write them, hire professional writers! Trained marketing writers know how to structure content for the search engines. These marketing writers also know how to write FOR your readers.

Effective Back End SEO

Alright now to our final topic, the back-end of your website. The website back-end can be confusing and challenging for a lot of people, and without some training, you might end up destroying your website and your online rankings. We recommend everyone take some time to learn about the back end of their websites and how they work. Contact our team for a free website consultation, and we can clearly show you how your website works. Then, we can provide you with a task list of items you want to start with in order to start seeing results:

Online marketing is challenging, but taking some time to clean up your site will make a difference. We all live in a busy world, so finding the time to start working on these 16 ways to enhance your website can be difficult. Contact Performance Driven Marketing today for a free website audit, and let our experts guide you through the best way to generate online results from your website!

website redesign More than half of all small businesses do not have a website. We have seen a number of small businesses pop up around Utah, only to see them fail within the first two years. One of the things that often set a small business apart from their neighbor is their website. You need a website as it is one of the first places people will go to learn about your company. If you do not care about growing your business or starting to make a mark in your industry, by all means, enjoy the no website land. However, with technology constantly pushing people to their devices, the time has never been more important than now to create an effective website. Here are five reasons why a website is absolutely critical to your business.

Reason # 1: It Provides a Face to Your Business

When you are talking to other business owners, they almost always tell you about their website. Your website is the foundation of all your marketing efforts. This is your salesman that is ready to sell 24/7. The website is indexed by the search engines and hundreds of other websites to provide you with an online presence. When people are searching for local businesses more than 88% of them will start with the search engines and reading reviews before considering your business. If you do not have an online presence, you are missing a large demographic.

Reason # 2: Customer Service

A website is the place to send people for more information. A good website will have a lot of content. Content is KING when it comes to Google, but it is also KING when it comes to providing effective customer service. When you take the time to create large FAQ pages and blogs, it helps to answer pressing customer questions.

Reason # 3: It is Cost-Effective

It doesn’t cost a fortune to create an appealing website. The cost of building a website is hardly anything when it comes to attracting a new client. In fact, experts estimate the cost of a website is 1/10^th that of all other marketing expenses combined to acquire new business.

Reason # 4: Branded Marketing Works

One of the other reasons why we prefer using a website is how it helps a business to integrate all aspects of marketing. You can have traditional marketing work with digital marketing, creating a smooth brand across the board. Customers will be able to find you online and can recognize your brand easily if you are in local trade shows and events.

Reason # 5: Remaining Relevant

If you want to stay competitive in today’s world, you need to get ready and create a website. Your competition already has one and you’d better be prepared to deal with a significant disadvantage if you do not have one.

At Performance Driven Marketing, we help businesses of all sizes to remain relevant and competitive in their industries. We have been able to create custom websites for a variety of niche markets. If you do not have a website, or you have an outdated website that needs a facelift, give us a call today 801.326.0582

If you own a small business, and you currently have a website, you may be thinking you are set. At Performance Driven Marketing, we see a number of small business owners forget about their website and assume they don’t need to do much for it to bring in leads. The truth is, the Internet is a vastly different world today than it was 10 years ago, in fact, lets take a look at what Amazon looked like in 2008 versus today:

We can see quite a few differences in the home page of Amazon. From the user-friendly design of 2017 vs. multiple menus and scrolling bars in 2008. Websites often fall by the wayside and they aren’t given a fresh look, which makes a website look dated and quite simply, not relevant. While your business might be booming, you may not realize that may of your customers are currently frustrated with the structure of your website. On average a website visitor will stay on a home page for less than 15 seconds. What this means is you have a limited amount of time to capture their attention and become the “solution” to the problem or specific need they have.

Don’t Ignore Your Website

Ignoring your website can have devastating consequences. Google continues to release updates to their search engine algorithm, which could take a website from page 1 to page 3 in a day. You need to make sure your website makes a solid first impression as it is often the first experience most people will have with your business.

What to Consider for a Website Re-do

As you start scouring other websites for ideas on what you’d like to incorporate into your website redesign, we recommend understanding the importance of color, layout, functionality, and user experience. While a great looking site might impress you, it is important to consider the back-end of your website and the work that must be done to help Google and other search engines actually FIND your website and start ranking it. At Performance Driven Marketing, we provide local search engine optimization services for customers all over Utah, Idaho, California, and surrounding areas. Our team will help you bring your vision of a new website to life, or we can create a vision for you. Here are some of the important elements that must go into refreshing your website:

Website Design

The overall design of the website is vital as it needs to have a design that reflects your company image. To be noticed online, the design needs to be relevant and useful while also being unique. To help your website stand out, we use the following techniques:

Implementing geometric shapes and lines
Creative styling and fonts
Multi-tone gradient imagery
Mobile responsiveness
Custom logo creation and home page design

User Experience

While the look and feel of the website needs to be impressive, the overall user experience is vital to keeping a person from clicking off your website. The viewer needs to be able to find their way around your site effectively for them to find what they are looking for. Web users do not have patience and they will jump off a site quickly if they cannot find the information they need right away.

We find that web users like to be told what to do. Well structured menus and organized information helps them to properly navigate the website, making it easier on the user to find what they want. We recommend a clear call to action on a page, and always have your contact information visible for customers that choose to call or email you.
Avoid extra buttons and unnecessary information that can overwhelm your potential customers. Keep a single call to action on a page and stick with a prominent search bar function at the top of each webpage and a link to the sitemap at the bottom. Clean, easy, simple websites are those that often gain the most visitors.

Content

Content is essential for your website to rank properly. Google has been working hard to remove spam websites from the search engine. Websites that clearly copy content from another site risks being banned from the search engines entirely. Content needs to be clear and immediately available for the potential customers to understand answers to their questions. With the right information at their fingertips, customers will start turning to your company as the authority figure and the source of information in the industry. Engaging, useful, and professional content is the best way to accomplish this goal.

How do you create quality content?

You need to start by defining your audience and asking common questions that pertain to them. Fill out each question with an insightful answer, similar to a face-to-face conversation. As you answer these questions, focus on your ability to solve your client’s problems. Quality content will be able to build trust with your industry and can help to spread your brand’s name across the Internet.

Bridging the Gap with SEO

The term SEO tends to cause skepticism to some people as they assume you don’t need to do much for a website once it’s live. However, without the right optimization of the website, your online presence can struggle to be seen. We want your website to meet its true online potential without costing you an arm and a leg. Modern SEO goes much further than adding keywords, ALT tags, and mobile-friendliness. Let Performance Driven Marketing help your website thrive with our proven techniques.

In the digital era of fast-paced Internet and impatient web user, you cannot afford to have an outdated, slow, poorly designed website. If you are planning a website redesign, or you want to see what you can do to improve your website’s visibility, call our Ogden SEO Company today.

Connect Utah Presentation by Victor Hubbard
Internet Marketing – 101

Companies are building trust with customers by creating quality content. Marketing this content is essential to your website’s visibility, and online reputation. How do you market the content to build a strong following? Use our top five web content marketing rules below to boost your online visibility.

Become Diverse With Social Media

Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter were once the dominate social media forces for companies. Now, there are a variety of new social media sites to consider including Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr. They have shown businesses the importance of branching out with social media marketing.

Use Infographics

A picture tells a thousand words. We are seeing a major shift in the content marketing world to image-centric content. An infographic is easy to read, and it is easy to share. Take a look at Pinterest and Buzzfeed to see how the infographic world is booming.

Mobile Friendly Is Vital

By the year 2017, Forbes predicts 87% of connected devices will be smartphone and tablets. If you do not have a mobile-friendly website and marketing strategy, you are missing out on a huge potential customer base. Providing the customer with a user-friendly experience is vital to online marketing.

Google Authorship

Bring your content marketing strategy full-circle by linking it to your Google + account. Signing up with Google authorship will bring your body of work together, increasing the visibility of your posts as your author rank grows.

Engaging Content

Don’t leave your readers bored with regurgitated content. It is vital to your content marketing strategy to create fresh, engaging content. Regular posting of quality content shows the search engines you have an active website, and you post relevant content for your niche market.
Use our web content marketing rules to increase your online audience. Join us on May 21, 2014 for an exclusive Google event. Our Google experts will teach you how to grow your business. For more information call Performance Driven Marketing today (801)326-0582!
Written By: Performance Driven Marketing

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