Digital Marketing News in the Tampa Bay Area and Vestal New York.

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Your Business is Never Too Small to Have a Website

The start of a business is one of the most momentous occasions in the lifetime of any company. And when you’re at the beginning, you make the decision relatively early on if you’re going to have a website for your customers to see. It can be a yes-no decision, or an item where you’ll get to it “someday.” Once the decision has been made, you move on to more pressing matters, and if the website plan has been kicked to the curb, it’s possible that you never went back to it. Many small companies feel that they are unable to afford a website or even handle the positive growth effects it can bring to their businesses. By leveraging the right resources and partners, your company can move beyond such limitations and take advantage of the huge opportunity provided by owning a website.

If you’re in the business of producing media, having a website may seem like a no-brainer, as it offers a cost-effective solution to showcase your products. However, if you’re not producing media that can be digitized easily, then the appeal of a website may not be as obvious. You may feel your product or services speak for themselves, so the idea of relying on images or videos may feel off-putting to your cash-strapped company. It’s this second group that needs the current pep talk.

Having your own website is a critical and necessary driver of revenue in our current market. An increasing number of customers and leads are found online, and not having a website means there is no way for interested parties to find out more about you, and you have no way of controlling your brand online. A random disgruntled customer could write a review of your company on Yelp or the Better Business Bureau website, which may become the first result that comes up from Google when people search for you. Translation: not good. Also, as internet savvy millennials continue to enter the workforce, gain access to company budgets, and become heavy-hitting corporate decision makers, it is vital for your company’s continuing existence to reach this escalating market of untapped potential.

Uncontrolled growth is another concern besides cost that holds back some companies from taking the crucial step of going online. Having a website will without doubt increase the demand and scrutiny upon what your company has to offer, and many small businesses may not wish to participate in the unorganized chaos that sometimes correctly describes the internet. Uncontrolled growth can be just as damaging as rapid decline for some companies, and cautious firms may wish to stay off the radar to avoid the pressure of being in the public eye. In this case it’s important to consider how your website can be constructed so that customers are directed to the information that matters, as opposed to how messy sites look when they were made by a team of unpaid interns. Less is often more in business, and having a beautiful, elegant site can appeal to your own tastes and allow customers to feel like they are working with truly professional partners.

Your company is never too small to have a website. And while there are many cheap solutions online that will allow you to slap together something in a hurry, is that really how you want to appear to the masses of new customers waiting to utilize your services? Turn to Sun Sign Designs for help, where we will allow you to create the website of your dreams while keeping within your budget. Reach out to us today!

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How Google’s New Rules Will Change the Way You Manage Your Content

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One of the realities of managing an online web presence is that the factors that contribute to your overall strategy will always be changing. Seemingly minute adjustments to Google’s algorithm can send your once popular website to the depths of pages 13-14 in the results. For 2016, Google is establishing a new method of ranking content, making expert content a premium influence on your page’s relevance and ranking. Your company’s ability to leverage expert content will ensure its placement in the top of Google’s results this year and ones going forward.

So what defines expert content? It depends on your business and your audience. Google is going to look closely at your website to decide if the content matches your field. If you happen to be in the health care field, for instance, and you are giving medical opinions to patients online, your content must be written by a certified expert (in this case, a doctor or something similar) in order to be ranked high by Google. However, if your content is geared to where your advice is sought on a more casual basis, Google is applying a more informal definition of expert, and won’t penalize your page for not having a certification.

The benefits of having expertly written content extend beyond the compliance with Google’s rules. As Julia Spence-McCoy, the CEO of Express Writers explains, the versatility of expert writers can anticipate reader questions in advance, utilize unique sources of data, enlighten readers with new knowledge, focus on what’s most relevant in a sea of data, and provide a unique charm that their years of experience gives them.

In addition to the expert content stipulation, Google is cracking down on keyword density approaches to Search Engine Optimization. In general, loading your page with repetition of keywords is to be avoided. Besides appearing sleazy to website visitors, there is now a tangible reason for doing away with this practice. Google has employed what is known as a “Hummingbird Algorithm update” to its search methodology, which is causing the need for websites to be more sensitive to what are known as semantic searches. Semantic searches look beyond the mere repetition of keywords to the intent and relevance of the user query. This circles back to our advice about using expert content, as now, more than ever, having content geared to what users are actively searching for is paramount.

Sun Sign Designs can help you further understand the importance of expertly created content, and how to leverage the resources you currently have available along with those we will provide in order to create powerful material that appeals to your audience and ranks high with Google.  Reach out to us today!

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Video Marketing Will Continue to Grow in Importance in 2016

Online video is set to remain a powerful media phenomenon going into 2016, and many companies are contributing to the trend. According to AOL research, advertising budgets are shifting away from TV toward digital platforms. This trend is in line with the viewing habits of Americans, as they are watching less as many television channels than ever despite the increase of viewing options, and there are an increasing number of viewers “cutting the cord” of cable and moving to online only viewing, watching Netflix and Hulu while saving money on the overall package. As mobile technology becomes increasingly prevalent, businesses are making sure that any media they create is able to be accessed online to reach potential customers. By utilizing online video, your company can also maximize its value with its marketing and advertising, allowing you to stay ahead of the trend.

How prominent is video on your company website? Cisco has projected that over 80% of consumer web traffic will be video by 2019.  Now, this doesn’t mean that websites will be 80% video—video streaming alone uses a lot more data than just text on a screen—but it does show just how dominant video will continue to be for the remainder of this decade. If your website does not feature some form of embedded video, customers may form a judgement on your services as not being able to either afford or care enough to go the extra step to connect with them. Another advantage is that on mobile technology, video takes up the whole screen, allowing consumers to focus exactly on the content that you have to offer.

Many small businesses shy away from video marketing, thinking it would be too costly an expense for their marketing efforts. But the impact of video more than outweighs the cost, as your company is 53% more likely end up on the front page of Google  search results just by having it featured. As long as your website landing pages and Call to Action buttons on your website are organized correctly (Don’t know what we mean? Click here!), a higher Google ranking should immediately cause more profits to head your direction. While video does create a positive impact, you want to make sure it creates the most bang for your buck as well. Remember to keep your videos short (less than 2 minutes is ideal to maintain customers’ attention) and to create a link back to your website so consumers know where to find you.

Still not sure what’s the next best step? You can reach out to Sun Sign Designs today, and we will explain all the benefits and opportunities that video marketing can bring. Don’t get left behind on this important trend, as it is here for the long haul!

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Beware of the Dark Side: The Risks of Black Hat SEO and How to Avoid Them

Search Engine Optimization is good. More accurately, SEO is an essential part of the online marketing strategy for your company’s website. We’ve covered this topic before, but the affirmation of SEO’s utility is necessary given the pervasive bias against it due to the shadier practices used in this field, with just concern. Known as “Black Hat SEO” methods, they can best be described as transactional tactics, and at worst, all the negative connotations applied to overly aggressive sales and marketing practices. Your company’s success in SEO will hinge on its ability to avoid this dark side of the spectrum, coinciding with the mastery of techniques from the ethical side of the practice.

Black hat is a term originating from the world of computer hacking, as black hat hackers are whom the modern media portrays as the bad boys of the internet, busting through security measures by big name companies and the government, along with causing the digital arms race between hackers and online security companies today. Black hat SEO is the sleazy cousin to its Hell’s Angel-like hacker counterpart, foregoing the dangerous appeal while retaining its deplorable effect on business. Black hat SEO relies on simple-minded deceitfulness as opposed to earned programming or marketing skills—you may be familiar with the technique of “keyword stuffing,” which requires you to copy and paste the same popular search words repeatedly in order to artificially boost your Google ranking (no, your company is not having a special on Kardashian NFL Iowa Caucus pizza rats). This is an obvious example of the silliness that passes for SEO in the black hat world, but there are subtler methods at play as well. “Link schemes” are where a company will ask an online publisher to provide ad space along with having a link directly inserted into the content text to increase web traffic. Any blatant manipulation of content text along these lines, where it is creating traffic without adding actual value, could be considered black hat.

How do you stay out of this zone? Part of the issue with drawing arbitrary ethical boundaries is that the circumstances of your company’s business could impact how you approach your overall web marketing strategy. However, it is fair to say that there are consistent best practices in the SEO field that should be used whenever possible. To start, as mentioned in the previous article, Google has put together a convenient guide to SEO for all its new employees that covers the basics of the topic. But to really take your SEO game to the next level, you need the dedicated expertise that Sun Sign Designs can provide to your company, geared exactly towards the intricacies of your web marketing strategy. Go ahead and reach out to us today, and we’ll make sure that you hit the top of Google’s results the right way!

Health Wear Rental Gets A Facelift

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Heath Wear Rental of Endicott New York just got a website facelift. The company supports local doctors and medical agencies by providing a dedicated laundry service for scrubs, gowns and lab coats. The update was designed to modernize their website and bring their web presence to the current 2016 standards. The project also included five instructional videos to assist them with their customer service needs.

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Constance Foundation Hockey 4 Hope

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In 2010 the first Hockey 4 Hope game was played and the Constance Foundation was established. Perhaps you remember Constance “Connie” Glauser, she passed away in May 2006, leaving a void that has never been filled. Connie was known for her witty humor and smile; she was admired for her attitude towards life.

The Constance Foundation serves cancer patients in Central NY Area. The foundation assists with the costs of treatment, services that are necessary in the fight yet not always covered by insurance. The goal is to ease the burden of those battling cancer so that their focus can be on healing. Portions of the H4H proceeds are donated to the Geller Oncology Fund and Make-A-Wish CNY.

Sun Sign Designs Inc. is very proud to be a part of donating time and efforts toward the Constance Foundation and the H4H program. Our contribution this year (2016) was to design the poster, post cards and raffle tickets associated with this great cause.

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Strategy Vs. Tactics: What Does Your Company Really Need?

Do you know the difference between strategy and tactics? Unless you’re in the military, the difference between the two words may seem semantic and meaningless for practical concerns. Both are ways to organize your efforts and energy towards a goal. However, the difference between the two couldn’t be more important, especially in terms of handling your business.

A strategy is the overarching framework and plan used to meet your goal. For instance, if your goal is to increase profits, you may want to look at updating your atmosphere for conversions of your website. This initiative – “Promote Conversions” – would be your strategy for improving profits. The tactics would be the individual actions you take in order to carry out that strategy. Maybe you’ll move your Call to Action button to a more prominent place on the website, or employ video in order to engage the customer so that they stay for a longer period of time. These tactics are relatively easy to change and switch in the face of incoming analytics and changing circumstances to your business’s industry, as opposed to your strategy, which should be more stable in the face of changes.

So, why the vocabulary lesson? As the New Year arrives, a lot of online business blogs  are publishing articles suggesting new online marketing “strategies” for your business to take on for 2016. And while many of these strategies can be truly beneficial to your business, you must also be aware that their solutions may not be what you actually need. Connecting with LinkedIn users through its Groups function and using Facebook custom audiences aren’t necessarily bad ideas– in fact, the social networks want you to use these features in a beneficial way so that other companies will follow your lead.  But these aren’t strategies – they’re actually tactics, methods you can implement, test and tweak to your heart’s content, but don’t say anything about your company’s individual and unique strategy towards an overarching goal.  Furthermore, they’re fads; a flavor of the month that the business blogs will grow tired of in two weeks before they start touting a new “world-beating” plan. Suffice to say, if you are lifting an entire strategy straight off a random internet article published within the past week, you either have A) lost your mind or more likely, B) lost serious confidence in your company’s current strategy, and you are now desperately looking for answers.

There is no way a random news editor or blogger will know exactly what you’re company needs in order to optimize its digital and online marketing strategy. Only you can truly discover what your company requires in order to take it all to the next level. The experts at Sun Sign Designs will be able to help bring out the true remedies of what your business requires, as we have done for many other clients before. Reach out to us today so we can help you bring your strategy into the New Year!

The Internet of Things: The Revolution will be Everywhere

There’s no question that Americans have become increasingly attached to their smartphones to complete daily tasks. The innovation of having a handheld device connected to the internet has had an dramatic effect on our everyday lifestyle, but some are wondering if that’s really the limit on the potential of online connectivity. In recent years, companies have sought to expand the reach of the internet beyond phones, tablets and computers. Dubbed the “Internet of Things,” this phenomenon is set to change the information technology industry once again, and this time the results truly will be everywhere. By leveraging Web Analytics, your company will be able to best take advantage of this rising tide as you develop new products and services for the Internet of Things.

The Internet of Things has already collected a few successes in its beginning. If you’ve bought a new vehicle in the past 5 years, you probably noticed the gleaming smart console installed in the front of the car. Those who own the Fitbit have seen the value of a small electronic device able to communicate your physical activity with corresponding apps on your primary devices. And if you’re obsessed with gadgets, you may want to own a Smart Umbrella, which provides you the handy service of messaging your phone if you’ve forgot the umbrella while it’s raining. The Internet of Things isn’t all fancy gimmicks, however, as there is also some serious money on the table: the McKinsey Global Institute estimates the industry value of connecting the world’s devices together online at $11 trillion by 2025, equating 50% of the U.S. economic output in one year (Source: Global News).

Given the huge financial opportunity, it’s no wonder why companies have been clamoring for the Internet of Things to take off. However, there are some serious obstacles in front of the developing industry before it can match its advertised potential. Perhaps the most glaring issue is data protection. Security experts note that the devices meant to connect via the internet to your phone and laptop won’t have the same anti-virus and hacking prevention capabilities, and the operating system for these devices won’t be standardized—can you say that your future Smart Umbrella will have the same processing capability as your iPhone? As a result, a talented hacker could bypass the security measures on your primary devices through these connected peripherals. How companies respond to the overall security risks will play a large part in the potential success or failure of the Internet of Things.

If and when the Internet of Things does reach the tipping point where it becomes a financial boon, you will want to make sure your company is positioned correctly. The best way to do so is by using web analytics. Analytics firms are partnering with product companies to provide data on when and how the latter’s products are being bought and used by customers. By collecting this data, the partner company can then best direct its efforts into either modifying current products or developing new ones to match the behavior. By following this path, Analytics will continue to grow into a influential force as the overall Internet of Things develops.

The Internet of Things provides a gigantic financial upside in the next ten years, with a corresponding risk of potential disaster if customers’ data is compromised on any level. Who do you trust to guide you during this exciting yet uncertain time? Turn to the experts at Sun Sign Designs, where we have worked to anticipate the changes arriving to the IT field and will help you navigate through them so you can achieve success. Feel free to reach out to us today!

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Analytics: How Do You Know How Great You Are?

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You can do everything right. You can strategize with the best of the online marketers, be a social media superstar, have your website be the top Google search result, master email communication, and drink coffee with the rest of the closers when you convert your visitors into customers. If you do all of these things, you will generate revenue from your website and all your hard work will pay off. However, unless you employ Analytics to track your progress, you will not know where your strengths and weaknesses are located, and you will not know how you can improve your website to maximize its performance. Analytics does not stop at examining the performance of your own website. The ability to properly mine online data will also let you see where you can take advantage of emerging online trends, to the point where you can direct future content to match the interests of your customer base. By enabling you to learn from your past efforts and providing you the path for the future, Analytics will become the force multiplier for your online business.

Classic management advice: “What gets tracked, gets done.” Being able to track the performance of your website is essential for its improvement. The use of Analytics gives you a sharper set of tools to examine your online traffic beyond just seeing the number of people who visit your website. It allows you to track the demographic data of your visitors, to the level of detail where you can see how they accessed your site, if they are repeat visitors, and their geographic location (you might be big in Japan and have no idea). You can also see the nature of their behavior as they move through your website – did they stop at your home page and move on? Did they make it all the way to the checkout page without proceeding with their order? Maybe you’re getting a lot of visitors, but are they pushing on your Call to Action button so they can be converted? With Analytics, you can see where the winners and losers are within your organization and modify accordingly.

Where Analytics really can shine is in the world of observing trends. You may have heard the following quote by hockey star Wayne Gretzky: “Some people skate to the puck. I skate to where the puck is going to be.” Being able to go not only to where the customers are, but where they are going to be will propel your business to the top of its industry and provide you with an enviable reputation for being ahead of the innovation curve. And while it sounds nice, it ain’t easy—if it were, wouldn’t everyone be doing it by now?  The sheer quantity of data online will force you to think in terms of strategizing where you will target your Analytic efforts. And… wait, didn’t we talk about Strategy before? Indeed, Analytics will provide you with the raw data for your Strategy, where you start the online marketing process anew with more experience and clearer eyes.

So if you’ve been reading our previous articles, you now have all the tools required in order to dominate the online landscape: Strategy, Social Media, SEO, Email Marketing, Conversions, and now Analytics. And we know it can be a lot to take in all at once, and it’s not like you get extra credit if you can name off the core concepts for each tool. What will earn you extra revenue is having a qualified team dedicated to the future success of your website. Reach out to Sun Sign Designs today to find out how we can help your business with all of these tasks!

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Conversions: Transforming Website Visitors to Customers with the Right Call to Action

Over the past month, we’ve explored several concepts that will serve as the foundation of success for your website and online marketing strategy. We saw how Strategy can make or break your business, and how Social Media has grown to become one of the primary drivers of new website traffic. We looked into the importance of Search Engine Optimization for people to be able to find your site, and how Email Marketing can be implemented to maintain customer relationships over time. Today we’re adding a new ingredient to mix, and much like baking powder in a recipe, the correct amount must be used for the dish you’re serving to your guests to come out right: Conversions. The importance of Conversions can’t be understated; once your website visitors are there with their interest engaged, do they know what to do next for your business to benefit from the interaction? The Conversion is the “moment of truth” for your website and online marketing efforts, as everything has led up to this point where the visitor decides to choose you as the provider for the product or service they are seeking.

The best way to capitalize on the Conversion opportunity is with a Call to Action. The Call to Action (CtoA) is to online marketing as the Close is to direct sales. Yes, those are uppercase letters and yes, it’s that important, because if your website does not incorporate Calls to Action then you are losing out on potential customers and therefore, money. In most cases, the CtoA will be a link often in the form of a button – easily seen and used in order for them to go to the correct next action. A brilliant example of a simple CtoA comes from none other than our friend Google, which has perhaps the single most used Call to Action of all time right on their home page:

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The “Google Search” button is how Google users, well, Google something, and it’s the all-important step for visitors to be taken where they would next like to go. Note that in this case that this particular Call to Action does not directly provide revenue for Google; it is however the essential step for Google to use its money-making AdSense and AdWords functions as customers click through to participating websites (you can find out more about how the Google revenue model works here).

While the Call to Action is perhaps the most important element of Conversions, there is more to the concept than just having your very own magic money button. The Landing Page is the destination where the Call to Action link will take your customer, and you will want to make sure the page is correctly organized so the customer knows where they should go for the next step if needed—if the Call to Action is the door for your customer, the Landing Page is the room where they’ll find themselves after entering.

Amazon provides a great example of how Calls to Action and Landing Pages work together. For every one of its product Landing Page displaying the item, product description and reviews, Amazon uses an “Add to Cart” button to select the corresponding item for purchase, followed by a “Proceed to Checkout” button from the Cart page, with a final “Place Your Order” button at the Checkout page. On each Landing Page, Amazon asks you to fill out the necessary information for your order to be completed. This all feels natural to us as customers and we normally complete the steps without thinking much beyond the requested information—in fact, the majority of vendor websites offering a product are built this way, to the point where it’s hard to imagine a successful widespread alternative (Amazon’s own 1-Click ordering being a very notable exception, something few businesses other than Apple’s online stores can pull off). The interaction on your website between Calls to Action and Landing Pages should likewise feel natural, where it eases the visitor along the process to their desired destination.

Conversions are critical to the strategic success of your online website, and while this article provides a brief overview of the process, you’ll want to make sure your site is configured correctly so you can maximize the revenue it is bringing to your business. The experts at Sun Sign Designs are here to help you as you navigate this process. Reach out to us today so we can successfully turn your visitors into paying customers!