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

The Importance of Having a Responsive Website

Do you keep hearing the term Responsive Web Design but you’re still not certain as to what it really is? RWD (Responsive Web Design) refers to the actual approach in which a website is laid out and the coding that goes into the framework of the site. Both of these components play an imperative role in providing an optimal experience for all viewers on a desktop, tablet or mobile device. Living in a digital society means taking the rights steps to ensure that your website is not only easy to navigate on all types of devices but also that the scrolling, panning and resizing is spot on.

When users go to visit your website on something aside from a desktop computer, they want it to be an enjoyable experience. Users are looking to find the exact information they would find on your site on a desktop right on their mobile device or even on a tablet. A responsive website should and will automatically adjust itself on various devices, these elements include: any text, pictures, video and navigation elements. The less zooming and searching around for the viewer means better end results across the board, it should  not have to take users several minutes just to zoom in close enough to read the text, try to search out the contact information and finally find a phone number 6 clicks in.

Internet traffic coming from mobile devices is growing exponentially, each day, more and more people are using their cell phones to do their banking, shop, communicate and pay their bills- hence why it’s so important to make sure that your website is responsive. It may seem a little daunting to have to pay a little bit more to ensure that your site is responsive or that your mobile site is setup in a fashion that makes it extremely simple for users to navigate but the cost is absolutely worth it and you will see that it can pay off in the long run. Imagine for a moment that your website was not responsive and that a potential client/customer went to visit your site on their mobile device… it was not easy to find what they were looking for, the search took forever and now the user is so frustrated that they simply close out your site, go to one of your competitors’ sites which is responsive and bam, just like that you lose a potential customer. Well, truth be told, it is that easy for that to happen if your site is not responsive! At Sun Sign, our team of experts are in the know when it come to building custom websites that are coded and laid our properly to ensure the best experience on not only desktops, but also tablets and other mobile devices. Whether you are looking to start from scratch with a new website or you have a website, currently but it does not seem to be responsive, we can HELP you! Call or email us today for any website inquiries or if you think your site is not providing the absolute best experience to its users. We look forward to hearing from you! 570-594-4216

Too Much Thought Into Social Media Posts

If you’re posting on behalf of a company on any social networking site, yes of course it is important to take a step back, re-read what you wrote and check for any errors before posting…But just how intense are you analyzing your content before publishing? A recent studied showed that individuals posting not only for personal networks but also for businesses are obsessing about the content in which they are posting whether it’s a photograph or plain copy- they are overdoing it. Why is it that people are becoming so obsessed you ask? It’s simple- Acceptance and Approval.

The fact that so much thought is being put into content posting for social networks is derived from the need to be accepted and feel as though others approve or even applaud what you are posting. Have you ever found yourself, well, missing the actual moment while trying to capture it whether it be a photo or combination of photo and text? I think we can all admit that we are guilty of this, but the fact of the matter is… If you’ve already established a content strategy for the business in which you are posting for, it should realistically make posting that much easier. Chances are you already know what type of content you want to post, right down to the actual topic. If you are posting content, think it through, type it, re-read for any errors and post it! Yes, walk away from the keyboard… it’s ok to press post. The more time you spend re-thinking what you are creating the less effective the content becomes—you’re actually over-thinking. If you are taking a photograph and posting it in real-time, snap the shot, edit whatever is necessary and post it! You don’t need to take fifteen different versions of the moment you are trying to capture because 1) You have most likely missed the moment if you’ve taken more than one photograph and 2) The first photo you took is probably just right for the occasion. You’ve got to stop doubting yourself and obsessing with how others are going to accept your content.

At times, I’ve been guilty of developing content for a post, sitting, reading and doing it again and again wondering if it’s just the perfect thing to post. What did this do? Wasted precious time that could be done doing something else! If you’ve got an effective strategy in place, move forward with it, execute it just as you have outlined and once you’ve done so- typing out text for a post or posting a photo, publish it, let it go and move on to the next thing. Remind yourself that while you sit or stand there obsessing, you are actually being counter-productive. The toughest part of social media marketing is developing the actual strategy… not the posting…So don’t let it be. If you are unsure of where to start as far as your social marketing strategy is concerned, that is what our experts at Sun Sign are here for. We analyze your business, do the research and help you piece together a creative yet effective content strategy for posting across various networks. We even get so specific that we can give examples of what types of photographs to use and we will write up your copy for you. If you’ve got questions on your social media marketing plan, call us today, we’re ready to help!

More Does Not Always Mean Better

Of course we have all had those moments where we think, Yes! More is always better… It has to be, right? In some cases, more can be better- but when analyzing certain marketing metrics sometimes more does not necessarily mean better… As a matter of fact there are metrics you really don’t need to tracking at all that you might think are important to measuring the success of your business, but in reality that is not the case. Here are a few!

  • Email Open Rates- These rates seem like a great metric to track, we can see the percentage of individuals that actually opened our emails compared to how many have been sent but be careful because this statistic can be misleading. Be you didn’t realize that an “Open” is considered an “Open” when images load in the received email…What does this mean for metrics? If the recipient’s email only reads in the text version or chooses to not have images open by default, these individuals will not even be included in your open rate. Also, just because someone actually opens your email, does not even mean that they read it. As an alternative, try taking a look at the click-through rates on your emails. These rates correlate your opens with who is actually going a step further and engaging enough to click through to your website and find more information on your business.
  • Facebook “LIKES”- We are all guilty of wanting our Facebook LIKES, whether they are page or post to increase dramatically with a snap of a finger. Obviously it looks better when your business page has 1,000’s of LIKES as opposed to 25 or even with a post but that does not always mean that you’re driving traffic to your website or that you are generating business for yourself. The whole point of posts on any social network is to create engagement for your visitors that make them want to go one step further and click through to your website to find more information on what you can offer them, just because you have a page LIKE or someone LIKES your post doesn’t necessarily mean it drove traffic or became a legitimate lead. Awareness is always important which created by LIKE-ing but we are talking real-time leads that turn into profit for you… When you are planning your content strategy, be sure when you are creating posts that you think about what will hook readers and drive traffic to click through to your website.
  • Blog Comments- Oh, blogs… Businesses blog for several reasons. They blog to gain credibility in a specific industry, for search engine optimization reasons/rankings and also helps to generate leads. It’s pretty standard to encourage engagement through commenting and continuing the conversation but these comments don’t always line up with your business goals of driving traffic one step further to maximize visits to your website. Just because someone comments on your blog post does not mean it is generating a lead or bringing traffic through to your website—leads are what matter, here. The actual number of leads and visits that are generated from an actual post are what you should be watching… Yes, engage with comments but also pay close attention to whether or not your traffic is coming from these posts (track links) and if they are turning into leads.

 

With so many social networks and online marketing tactics it is important to be able to measure only the most important metrics. After all, we only have so many hours in the day and they cannot be wasted paying attention to metrics that don’t really mean anything to us! There are so many ways to measure the success of various channels of marketing and although all metrics seem like they matter, you have to weed out the less-important ones. Unsure of how to do that? Our team of marketing experts can help you to understand which metrics are crucial to keep an eye on and which ones you might be watching that are actually a waste of time. Call us today for more information on how we can help grow your business and show you what’s working and what’s not.

Making Technology Age-Friendly: Designing for the Elderly

In this day and age when we think technology, typically we associate the younger demographic with knowing the most about it, and most often in the technology industry, most workers are in actuality…well, young.  Sit on this fact for moment- in the year 2030, approximately 19% of the US population will be over the age of 65, yes that’s a lot, in fact it is very close to the number of iphone users in the US currently. It’s important for those of you out there involved with design and development having anything to do with technology, that you consider all demographics, including the elderly- ageing can make the things we take for granted each day more difficult, especially when it comes to using technology.

There are some important things to take into consideration when developing to cater to an older demographic. With ageing comes both hearing and vision loss. After the age of forty, the lens of your eye actually begins to harden. This is normal as you get older but makes it increasingly difficult to read especially if text is small. Studies indicate that elderly individuals hands-down picked a tablet at 36 pt text to read over the standard 12pt font on the iphone. Whether you are developing applications or responsive site designs, give users the ability to adjust text size on their own. Ultimately, you could just avoid using any text smaller than 16pt but giving people the option of making text smaller or larger is more appealing. Did you know that color vision also decreases with age? Blue is perfect example. As you get older, deciphering between certain colors can be very difficult especially with the color blue; it tends to become blurred/faded and desaturated. When designing, take into consideration color usage and try to avoid blue for any major elements, especially if you are designing for an older demographic. It is true that the younger population tends to migrate towards technology more than the elderly but it is untrue that the elderly are afraid to use technology, as a matter of fact- they as long as they see a benefit to it they are very much open to it but it’s got to be user-friendly and accommodate them in the certain aspects that we mentioned above. They want to be able to control text size, audio, be able to see subtitles if audio/video is a major component of what they are seeing and lastly, make the content and functionality relevant. If you are creating something that requires a security question prompt—make sure it makes sense for everyone, for example try not to make a security prompt that asks the user What is the last name of the teacher who gave you your first failing grade?—Chances are, if the user is 70+ years old, they may not recall an answer like that…So make the content relevant.  Remember, when you are designing and developing to try and appeal to the masses, poor designs are excluding themselves from entire demographics.

At Sun Sign Designs, we all experienced in responsive design and development. Our team of experts can do anything from building you a custom website to designing your next mobile app. Have questions on design, development or the latest in technological advancements and how this might affect the end user? Call us today, we are happy to help! 570-594-4216

The Importance of Happiness in the Workplace

When you wake up in the morning to get ready for work, do you find that you could actually get up without an alarm, have your cup of coffee and just be fully ready to take on the day? Or… are you finding that you need the jaws of life to pull you out of bed because you are so slow-going to get yourself prepared for the work day?  A lot of how you feel in the morning relies heavily upon your happiness in the workplace. Whether you work for a small mom and pop business down the street, for a Fortune 500 company in a big city—Or you work for yourself, happiness in what you are doing is essential to success. Did you know that if you were to consider yourself “happy” in the workplace, studies have indicated that you six times more energized than someone who is unhappy and nearly twice as productive? In a similar study conducted amongst 180 million individuals, it was found that only 13% of those people considered themselves to be “happy at work.” We have outlined a few helpful tips to help ensure that you are able to flourish in your work environment.

One thing is always certain, you must remember that essentially, you are in charge of your happiness… You control that very aspect of your life! If you are in a position where you would not consider yourself to be happy, you’ve got a couple of choices, one you look for a new career opportunity or two, you make the best of it and try as hard as humanly possible to make it work because that is the only option. Either way, feeling down and unhappy every day will only make it worse. If you are in fact, stuck where you are for a long period of time, understand that it is out of your control, accept it and make the best of it- after all, that is really the only positive thing you can do and most importantly, realizing that some things are out of your control is the next.

A quick-fix would to clean up your workspace… research indicates that those who are surrounded by clutter whether it be at their desk or in general when coming home, are more likely to be stressed out. If you simply clear any clutter or messes you may have surrounding your work area or even your home- it can help immensely with stress.

Lastly, stay away from any negative people whether it is at work or outside of the workplace- these people can affect you much further beyond actually interacting with them. It’s important to surround yourself with the best people, whether that be your team at work or your friends and family… If you find yourself spending time with negative people you will notice that it eventually takes a toll on you as well and has the capability of changing your outlook on things. Remove any toxicity in your life that comes from these individuals, you’ll be happier for doing it! Ok, ok… really the last thing to remember is to laugh at yourself, well, really just laugh in general. It’s important to have a little fun and smile once in a while, if you are having a bad day at work, stop and smile—it’s proven to make you feel better. Whether it’s your favorite comedy, a friend you can count on for a good laugh or joking with your cubicle neighbor, do it! Loosen up and smile… it can’t hurt.

You don’t necessarily have to love what you to in order to be happy, remember that, but you have to take steps in the right direction to achieve happiness. Being happy in the workplace makes for higher productivity and raised energy not only to yourself but your work environment as a whole. If you are not happy, only you can change that. Always remember to surround yourself with positive people inside and outside of work—it’s important to achieving true happiness!

 

Major Cyber Espionage Group Discovered & Who this Poses a Threat To

Researchers at Kaspersky Lab in Russia have discovered a highly sophisticated cyber-espionage group that has pulled of some jaw-dropping cyber invasions unlike any in the past. Kaspersky researches have indicated that this group, known as “The Equation Group”  likely originated in the U.S. and has been using various malware and spyware tools to infect computers tied to not only the government but also telecoms, military, nuclear research firms and other major companies. So, who does this affect and what are the consequences?

Although, specific consequences cannot be pin-pointed, currently, researchers have found that this group has infected computers in over thirty different countries which could be hugely detrimental to many, worldwide. At a conference in Cancun, more findings revealed that the virus was similar to that of another developed by the group, Stuxnet, whose virus infected Iran’s nuclear plants and even ended up leaking into Russia’s plants as well. Although there were similarities shared between the viruses, researchers say that this current operation that was discovered makes Stuxnet’s virus look like child play.

The Equation Group may have been established as early as 1996 and boosted in development in 2008 with powerful cyber weapons that had the capability of affecting any Windows computer, USB sticks and even drive firmware—which is really quite incredible. Unfortunately this virus had a “self-destruct” mode which means that from the 500 computers that were recently found infected, thousands more could be out there but no one will ever know because the virus is virtually untraceable. Scary isn’t it? Unfortunately this is the risk we take living in the digital age… And although this a very extreme circumstance, the truth is any circumstance seems extreme when something of ours personal or business is compromised, it’s actually terrifying. This is just one case on top of many that relate back to internet security and the importance of protecting yourself and your business as much as you can online. Unfortunately this example is one of the highest level of security breaches and there would be no stopping this virus, but you as the end user can still take steps in the right direction to keep your information secure! If you would like to learn more about how you can do this, call Sun Sign today and see how we can keep you safe and compliant.

Twitter Launches Group Direct Messages…What Does this Mean for Users?

When I initially read about Twitter launching group direct messages all I could think about was the amount of SPAM people would now be exposed to and that this could be a little invasive for some. After investigating a little further I found that group DM could actually be a very useful tool!

Twitter group direct messages allows up to twenty people to participate in a group chat at one time. Any individuals within the group can freely add another to the group whether or not they are followed by the others. Essentially, this feature gives users like us more options for how we choose to communicate and who we are communicating with. These group chats give individuals a chance to communicate within small groups about a shared interest/topic.  Some are calling this feature a “social media network within a social media network.”

Group direct messages can actually act as a quick in and out meeting for some, including those who have accounts linked to a network of related Twitter accounts. Take for instance a chain beauty store that may have a Beauty Binghamton, Beauty Syracuse and Beauty Rochester account… When corporate gets a tweet about an incident at Beauty Binghamton, the social media managers for each can hop in a group chat and decide who is addressing the tweet and how. Rather than group emailing back and forth, cluttering inboxes or trying to explain the situation over the phone they can simply screen shot and start a group direct message and address from there.  It’s also being seen as a way to make informal introductions for not only work purposes or recruitment but for match-making, too!

Of course, there will always be a downfall and many, including myself are wondering about the trolling and SPAM aspect of it all- but for business owners and those trying to use Twitter as a viable media outlet for marketing, this could be hugely beneficial! Celebrities are the ones who have it worst right now—unfortunately for those celebs who have followed their fans back, fans have begun  the direct message group chats and started inviting their friends, frantically messaging in hopes that the stars will respond, it has actually become a bit over-the-top for some celebrities but unfortunately Twitter does not offer special protection for them. If you are a business owner or even a social media manager, look forward to take advantage of this new feature! If you aren’t quite sure how you fit in the mix or how it can benefit your business, give our team a call! We develop custom strategies for each and every one of our clients not just for social media but for other outlets as well. We are current with all of the changes going on in the social universe and how best to take advantage of these changes… We’re ready when you are!

Android Users Feel the Wrath of Malicious App Viruses

In one of our recent articles, we talked about internet security and how precious our personal information I, and how awful it would be to have it compromised… Well, technology and feeling secure are two things that don’t necessarily mesh all of the time, in fact- the more that technology advances the less secure we feel. Now think, what if you’re phone was compromised? Yes, that device that you can’t seem to ever put down even though you should, you find yourself constantly checking emails, social media or messages… Imagine that little device disappearing from your hand. Not a warm, cozy feeling is it?

Google play has recently blocked access to numerous phone applications that when downloaded, infect your device with malicious code and pop-up software. It may not sound so bad, but it’s also a lot harder to detect than you think. Most often, the virus will send a notification to your phone as a standard phone notification—sometimes saying you need to conduct an update or some items on your phone may have been compromised, download this app to uninstall virus…It’s so easy to fall for those scams because so badly want to rid our device of whatever it is that has taken it over, how do we know what is real and what isn’t? Some of the infected apps were simple things like card game, photo editing apps and even wedding planning software. These things appear to be normal, so why not download them? That’s how they get you! In today’s society, indeed, we are living in the digital age, which means we must be extra cautious in everything that we do digitally. Whether it’s on your computer, phone or tablet- viruses are everywhere, some well-known that you can avoid but some, like these apps, are very well-disguised.  Luckily, Google has done several scans for these malicious apps and viruses and will do their best to prevent digital “outbreaks” such as this, but we, the users must prepare ourselves and also do our best to prevent our devices from being compromised. You’ve got to take steps to ensure that you are secure. Unsure of what that entails? Ask us! Our team at Sun Sign is well versed in security and compliance, we also are in the know about what types of viruses exist and which viruses are currently a threat to us users. The moral of the story? Always be cautious when downloading new software to any of your devices and feel free to call and ask us how we can help you feel secure!…Our internet security experts are standing by!

 

Be Careful What you Tweet!

 

Well, there is some hype in the social universe… In specific, the rumors are regarding the talk of Twitter and Google partnering up in the very near future that could allow tweets to be searched for on Google. This may not seem like a big deal for some, but for the many tweeters who are looking for a job or have applied for a job and have also fell guilty to the “accidental-intoxicated-twitter-rant,” it may feel like the heat just got turned up.

Of course, everyone knows that we are living in a digital age and that anything that we may post online through our social networks stands the chance of being seen across the world—but you probably never thought that every little thing you tweeted could actually be searched for… yup, that’s right. A recent article released the buzz about Twitter and Google joining forces sometime this year and that the partnership between the two would be greatly beneficial for Twitter, allowing more searched traffic back to their site and more engagement. All of that is true, but it also means that any future employers could Google your name and have tweets from you appearing right before their eyes. So, remember that obscene tweet you sent out last Friday at 4am after a night out on the town with friends? Well, that might be able to be “found” much easier than you had thought. The moral of the story is to take caution with everything that  post to the social world and that if you think that no one will be able to see it or find you even after you delete your account, you are wrong. Take this into consideration every time have the urge to post something that may be deemed as highly inappropriate. Social media is a great way to stay connected and for businesses, can be an exceptional marketing tool- as long as you use it correctly!

Be sure to check back on the latest news about the Twitter-Google partnership or check us out on Facebook! Also be sure to pay close attention to what you are posting and how things are worded. The rules, regulations and game is always changing when it comes to social media and you can count on Sun Sign Designs to keep you informed on all of the above. If you’re unfamiliar with any new changes, don’t hesitate to call or email us- we are experts on social media strategy, development and management and can surely point you in the right direction!

Preparing Content for Social Media

Did you know that 64% of adults take part in social networking? I bet you also did not know that the majority of individuals using social media check their profiles every morning upon getting up… Crazy huh? No, not quite. We are living in a digital age where almost everything we do is online. Checking your Facebook news feed is almost as important as feeding your dog every morning. With so many networks available in the palm of our hands we have to pick and choose which ones to be a part of. Once we’ve done that, it becomes a routine for us to check it—but do you ever feel completely overwhelmed with information you are seeing? Sponsored stories, sponsored posts, ads, promotions, specials… Exactly, it’s content overload! When you are posting on behalf of a business, it is so imperative that you know your customer and what types of information they are interested in. Content is key, folks… and so is content strategy. Here are a few helpful tips to take into consideration when preparing posts for a business.

  1. Develop a Plan of Attack…or in other words a strategy! The goals is to attract fans to your page, maintain them and get them to engage or interact with what you are posting. The only way to do this is to understand your customer/client- know exactly what they are interested in and develop a strategy for your content. It’s guaranteed that if you fly by the seat of your pants and post random thoughts when you get around to it, your fans will not be interested nor will they have a reason to check back. Develop a strategy- no matter the type of business you are posting for, define your goals and what it is that you want to accomplish through each network. Brainstorm . Write down words, phrases and ideas that come to mind when you think what would be customers/clients want to know about? Next…
  2. Create a Calendar… This is all part of the strategy and goes hand in hand with the items above. Once you have developed a strategy, it’s time to start implementing it. Try mapping out a content calendar for the month ahead—write specifically what you will be posting on which days- with social management platforms and even the Facebook platform offering scheduled posts, you can actually sit down and schedule items out and not have to worry about them again! It’s also helpful to think about what is coming in the next 30 days…specials, holidays, events, etc…. not only will it jog your memory but it will help you develop content around these items.
  3. Mix It Up… Don’t ever consistently use one type of post over and over, your fans get bored and will eventually stop checking back. Post a healthy mix of photos, videos and text. Don’t forget to share and engage with other pages as well, it never hurts! By changing it up from time to time, your fans will take higher interest in what you have to say are more likely to interact with what you are posting and remain engaged.
  4. Lastly, Pay Attention!… Always watch to see what your fans are engaging with the most, things they tend to ignore and what is trending with others in your industry! Use the analytical tools provided through each network to measure just how effective your content is, who it’s reaching and how many. These statistics will help you to make the most appropriate adjustments in your content strategy and posting moving forward. You can always go back to the drawing board and make changes to your strategy.

Read the tips and are still unsure of how to prepare a content strategy for your social networks? Call Sun Sign Designs! We are well-versed in social media and specialize in creating custom strategies that work for you, development whether that be content calendars or customized artwork and most importantly, management. We know how to best manage and analyze all of your content and data. Social media plays a huge role in online marketing and can greatly benefit your business… Call today for more information on how we can help your business create a custom strategy for your networks!