Propel Internet Marketing

Local SEO VS Global SEO

SEO, or search engine optimization, is such a hot buzzword in online business that it’s become its own meme. It’s listed as a job requirement for new applicants for a lot of companies. It’s a selling point for B2B relationships, and it’s even worked its way into a subcategory in some business fields. But with all the hype surrounding broad-scale SEO, it’s easy to forget that local SEO is just as important, if not more so. In the 10 years that my company has served the business world with digital marketing services, we’ve conducted numerous SEO audits and provided visibility support to companies across every type of industry.

And no matter the business, SEO concerns are usually quite similar. Local SEO gives businesses in different industries just as much of a boost as broader, geo-specific SEO. Local businesses have just as strong a need for ease of searchability, new client connections and brand recognition as large companies, even if the scale is somewhat smaller and more regionally confined. But that’s where the similarities end: Everything you think you know about global SEO does not apply when you’re narrowing the scope.

Focusing on Quality Over Quantity

 Just like with a large campaign, local SEO relies on keyword searches and links to produce traction. But unlike global models, those links aren’t the be all and end all.
At the local level, it’s more about quantity than quality. Rather than a major name brand sharing the link to you and your company, it’s better to get numerous smaller companies to provide link support your way.
A simple request such as, “Enjoyed our products? Tell others!” that directs to your social media buttons could be all it takes. Reviews are far more important to a local SEO campaign than a global one since they’re generated by tangible user experiences. Contact information that is consistent on every page and on various channels (social media platforms as well as your company’s website) is critical to building that searchability and user experience.

Having Your Customers Speak for Themselves

How do people physically find you within your region? Two key indicators are Google Maps and Apple Maps, both of which are driven in rankings by (you guessed it) those previously mentioned reviews. Google Maps relies on Google reviews, so it’s important to claim and establish a strong ‘Google My Business’ page for your company. Apple Maps, on the other hand, snags its reviews from Yelp. That means you’re going to want to encourage reviews on both of those sources in order to target potential customers who are using a mapping app to find you.

Reach out to existing customers and encourage them to leave a review, and connect with new customers by giving them easy instructions and opportunities to post a few words. Asking customers to leave a review is a slippery slope, however, that should be approached carefully. Reiterate that you’re seeking honest reviews and avoid giving anyone the impression that their writing of a review would be in exchange for any product or service. Simple phrasing, such as, “We appreciate your support and hope you’ll leave an honest review” works well.

Getting on the Small Screen

In today’s tech climate, it just makes sense that your company’s website would be optimized for mobile, but did you know that having a mobile-friendly website can actually boost your standing in terms of local SEO? If you’re not consumed on a palm-sized device, you’re missing out.

Again, that all important consistent contact information has to be present, even on a small screen. If done well, SEO can mean the difference between high visibility and relative obscurity, as long as you know where to find your market — either on a worldwide web stage or right at home — when tailoring your search efforts.

5 Tried and Tested Tips to Manage Your Online Reputation

A fact of life is that nothing stays constant. Things change and you have to learn to adapt if you want to stay in the game.

For example, with the rise of the internet, practically everything changed.

Apart from having to deal with rankings and getting in touch with an SEO agency, businesses quickly learned that survival meant entering an online ecosystem, an ecosystem where the playing field between brand and consumer is closer to even than ever before.

That is to say, whereas companies didn’t really engage with their customers before the internet—they treated them as a passive audience whose only feedback came in sales or lack thereof—the internet amplified their voice and changed the communication from “top down” to “back and forth.”

In other words, the consumer became something to reckon with for reasons other than them being the ones with the money. With the internet, what they said meant something because other people like them started listening.

With the internet, came online reputation management.

What Is Online Reputation Management?

Online reputation management is a thing because of a simple fact that goes with running a business: no matter who you are, your industry or your size, people are talking about you.

Whether it’s through a Tweet, a Facebook post or a comment on your blog, you can bet people are talking.

As such, you need to do something about it; if people are talking about you online, i.e. saying things that are impacting your reputation, you should be able to manage and control it.

This is especially true when you realize that what people are saying about you has a BIG impact on your future. If it’s positive, wonderful; if it’s not, it can really impact your sales… negatively.

Online reputation management is the action of influencing the narrative around your business, AKA its reputation. It’s about controlling what people are saying about you, your business and its products or services.

Although it sounds like something a PR department should take care of, online reputation management actually encompasses everyone in a business because, from the newest entry-level employee to the most senior C-level executive, everyone associated with a business has a say about what its reputation is.

No matter who they are or what position they hold, what an employee says and does has consequences because, again, they are associated with that business.

As such, having a proper online reputation management strategy that covers how to behave and how to react is paramount.

How to Do Online Reputation Management

Like we just covered, online reputation management covers how you and your employees should behave and react to whatever is said or done to your business, or if it should even react at all.

After all, sometimes the best reaction is no reaction at all.

With that in mind, let’s cover how to do online reputation management by starting our list of 5 online reputation management tips.

1. Closely Monitor Your Social Channels

The biggest reason behind the need for online reputation management is the advent of social media. When we started getting social online, we gained the ability to directly interact with brands on a one-on-one level.

As such, Facebook and Twitter will be your go-to for social media monitoring, as they’re the most popular social media platforms for venting or praising a business.

To this end, regularly check up on what your audience is saying about you and your business by going through their posts and comments on your own posts, and performing Google searches about your brand to see what else is being said online.

2. React Quickly and Appropriately

If you’re properly monitoring all your social channels, you should know exactly when something requiring a reaction comes up.

Likewise, just because something comes up does not mean that it requires a reaction. For example, if you can accomplish absolutely nothing by doing something, such as if someone makes a random comment about your brand, there’s no need to react.

When you do need to react, though, do it quickly and appropriately. Even if you can’t do anything at the moment, at least let them know that you’re trying and will soon be able to solve their problem.

If you don’t and choose to wait, even the best answer will not be able to save you from the damage caused by the delay.

3. Be Completely Transparent

When you do react and respond to your audience, make sure to be completely transparent, as transparency builds trust and trust is exactly what your business needs for a positive reputation.

What it doesn’t need is a scandal borne out of trying to hide or cover up negative press.

4. Address Both Criticism and Praise

Going off of what we just covered, you should address critiques and praise both.

For the former, when someone leaves a negative review, ALWAYS respond.

Did they not like your product or service? Explain why it actually is great and what you’re going to do in the future to make it even better. Even if you think they’re in the wrong, tell them you appreciate their feedback and kindly explain why you think you do, in fact, offer great products or services.

5. Learn from Your Mistakes

Finally, the best way to manage your reputation is by ensuring you’re doing everything by the books, which is accomplished by learning from your mistakes.

For example, whenever someone posts something negative about your business, don’t just respond to appease them and make the whole thing go away.

Instead, use their feedback to your advantage and actually improve your business with it.

At the end of the day, the whole point of being able to post on social media and comment about something in regards to a business is to create a dialogue in which both parties get something out of the interaction.

For your users, they gain the ability to vent their frustrations and let you know how you can improve future interactions. For you, you get a chance to learn what you’re doing wrong and how to change for the better.

Final Thoughts

Owning a business today means managing an online reputation. If you’re not, it’s likely you won’t be in business for too long.

It’s unfortunate, but that’s the reality of working in a digital age where practically everything is connected and out in the open.

Remember everything we covered today, and most importantly, learn from your critiques — if you can improve something, do it.

How Are Smart Devices and Technology Changing Browsing Behavior?

Technology is advancing every day, leading to countless new discoveries like smart devices. It’s no secret that these devices are quickly taking over the technology industry, but these devices are also ultimately changing how users browse the internet and how technology affects customer value as a whole. For instance, according to CNBC, around 75% of people will only use their smartphone to access and browse the internet by 2025. With that many people ditching their computers and desktops for smartphones, we’re seeing a whole new type of browsing experience in the digital world. The remaining questions are: how is the technology industry reacting to this, and how does technology affect user behavior?

Technological Advancement, Smart Devices and the Digital World

Technology and smart devices play a huge factor when determining how users interact with the information on the web. With the intense rise of smartphone users, it is now vital to ensure that websites are created with the mobile user in mind. In fact, since 2001, there has been a 504% increase in media consumption on mobile devices.

This rise of mobile and smart devices has grown so much that people are now beginning to switch out technology behaviors like traditional texting and actually watching a television with services like Snapchat and Netflix. The switch in how users are consuming their media and information thanks to smart devices and the software associated with them is a huge topic of discussion. While the internet has changed the way consumers think and interact, it is the way users are now behaving that is changing the technology world forever.

User Behavior and Smart Devices

The way a user behaves on their smart device vs. a traditional desktop is a completely different experience. The use of AI tools and big data gives businesses an idea of how users are taking in and interacting with their content. With smart devices being so instant and, well, smart, user expectations for things are now ten times higher, and they are less likely to wait. For example, Google has told us multiple times that mobile visitors leave a page that takes longer than three seconds to load. With these high expectations, smart devices are the average user’s first stop when browsing the internet and finding information.

Not only that, but a huge way smart technology is also advancing is by eliminating any sort of waiting and clicking thanks to smart home devices like the Amazon Echo line and Google Home family, which bring you what you want directly as if you were communicating with a human. Many worry that this will eliminate the need for authentic human interaction, but others think it is an advancement needed to happen.

The Future of Web Browsing

With smart devices taking over the web browsing industry, creating a mobile site is critical for optimal page views and keeping up with changing trends. This also brings up the importance of creating quality content that is easy to find. For example, if you owned an Italian restaurant and someone were to ask their smart device what the best Italian restaurant in their town was, you would want yours to be optimized to be the first one that comes up.

The future of web browsing looks to be a lot of swiping and automated talking rather than traditional typing and clicking thanks to tools made available by AI. Exactly how is AI changing the digital and user experience, you may ask? Well, many websites have already taken a step into the soon-to-be future and are implementing AI technology trends like chatbots, personalized recommendations, and personal talking assistants. Implementing these tools into your website will not only keep you on par with the latest trends, but will also ensure that your website works the best on smart devices.

Social Media and Web Browsing

On top of all the new AI tool technologies, many social media platforms like Instagram have created updates to give users a shopping experience through the app. Allowing influencers and companies to sell, users are now able to shop products and looks from the pages they follow with a simple checkout process. While Instagram is a great example of this, they’re not the first and will definitely not be the last who will implement this.

How Smart Devices Are Shaping Consumer Lifestyles

Going back to smart devices, it seems as if users can’t even leave the house without their smartphone in tow or asking Alexa what the weather is like outside. It’s almost as if smart devices have morphed our brains into needing that automated reassurance from our smart device before doing our daily tasks.  It has even gotten to the point where most need Google Maps to tell them how to get to places they’ve been to countless times before, just because they trust their smart devices and AI tools more than they trust themselves.

While there are a lot of things that make us wish we weren’t so reliant on this technology, it does bring countless benefits to our lives, both personally and professionally.

What Are the Benefits of Smart Technology?

There are countless different types of smart technology devices that range from everyday devices like the iPhone, Echo and Google Home, to more specialized ones like the iRobot Roomba and the Nest thermostat. Each device has different qualities and levels of technology that makes it unique. For instance, let’s take a look at three such examples of smart technology devices and what they can do for us.

Smartphones

Smartphones are probably the most widely used smart device on the market. When you consider the incredible utility they provide, it’s easy to see why this is. After all, with a smartphone like an iPhone or Galaxy on-hand, you not only have access to digital assistants and all they can do, but also access to the internet and MANY tools and features like a camera, GPS, book libraries, games, scanners, and so much more.

Smart Speakers

Having a quick and easy way to simply speak to a device and order whatever you need is not only convenient, but genius as well. Smart speakers like the Amazon Echo and Google Home bring incredible features that include personal assistants, a twist on traditional online shopping whereby a command is all that is needed, and a whole new and advanced way to browse.

Smart Appliances

Most people hate cleaning and doing chores around the house. If that’s you, smart appliances are just for you. For instance, devices like the Roomba vacuum cleaner that does all the cleaning for you, and the Nest Thermostat that smartly manages the temperature around your home so you stay comfortable and keep your energy bills low, both work to automate your life and making living easier than ever.

In Review

So, has the internet changed the way consumers think and behave thanks to smart devices? In short, yes. It’s clear that smart devices and technology play a huge part in the way we browse, how technology influences consumer behavior, and even how we live our lives. Be sure to keep an eye out for just how much these devices have altered your own browsing behavior, and keep the trends they produce in mind when marketing and optimizing your content for your customers.

The Intersection Between Branding and Design

If you are in need of a solid logo and a strong branding effort, you need to understand the relationship between logos and branding and design. The reality is that logo creation, branding, and design are inseparable.

This linkage exists from the moment brand development and initial logo design commence. The connection never ends as long as a brand and associated logo remain in existence.

Understanding a Brand and a Logo

Experts in the realm of design maintain that a logo is not a business’ brand. A logo contributes to conveying the brand. In the final analysis, a brand is something of a gut feeling that people have in response to a business and its products or services.

In some ways, everything a business does contributes to its brand. This includes a business’ logo.

A Logo Design Needs to be Strategic from the Outset

When it comes to designing a logo, the process must be strategic from the start. In other words, when it comes to a logo design, a comprehensive consideration must be undertaken as to how the logo will be part of the overall development of a business’ brand.

A business develops a business plan and a marketing plan. Time and again, businesses overlook the idea of having a branding plan. This type of strategic plan is vital. It works to ensure that a brand properly launches and that the associated logo is properly reflective of the brand.

Do Not Over-design

In addition to taking the long view, a strategic view, when it comes to creating a logo, a business must never over-design. One of the biggest mistakes a business makes when it comes to branding and logo issues is that they over-design when it comes to a logo. In other words, they keep working and reworking a logo design and fail to stop at an appropriate juncture.

When it comes to branding and logo design, a business or designer must know when to stop. Knowing when to stop the design process is something that can be made easier when that milestone is made a part of the overall strategic plan at the commencement of the logo and brand development process.

Redesigning a Brand

If a brand needs to be re-positioned or redesigned, a logo can serve a significant purpose in the process. Rarely should a logo be changed. This is even the case when a brand needs to be re-positioned.

When a brand is being re-positioned, maintaining a logo in its current configuration sends a message to clients and customers. It sends a message that even though the brand is being re-positioned, its still the same quality product or service.

Professional Assistance for Branding and Logo Design

A business typically is best served by seeking professional assistance when it comes to branding and logo design. There are specialists that focus their energies on branding and logo design.

This includes professional assistance when a brand is being launched and a logo is being developed initially. Professional assistance is also a preferential course when the time arrives to reposition a brand and determine what design changes, if any, need to happen with a logo at that juncture. Again, oftentimes no alteration in a logo design is warranted even when a brand is being re-positioned.

A final note on a professional brand and logo designer. A business should consider hiring a professional as an investment in the future of the enterprise. Yes, a business pays money for this type of assistance. However, the expenditure pays off with a solid brand and dynamic logo into the future.

14 Insights to Consider Planning Digital Marketing Budget

Marketing is one of the most important tools to give a boost to your sales and help your business grow. It is a tried and tested way to reach out to a wide target audience. These days, when it comes to working out marketing strategies, it is found that companies concentrate not just on the traditional modes of marketing but they give equal importance to digital marketing. Several bigwigs make huge investments in digital media. Here are some of the important insights about digital marketing that you should take into account while planning your marketing budget.

14 Insights to Consider When Planning Your Digital Marketing Budget

1. Digital ads gain more importance

According to reports, it is found that companies are spending more on digital ads rather than television ads. This is a clear indication that the target audience of different industries is today more focused on the internet than on television.

2. Increase in investment in social media marketing

Social media like Facebook and Instagram is where you will find the youth and even people of the older generation. So, it makes sense to invest more in social media marketing. This is a much easier way to not just reach people, but you can actually interact with them, know their opinion, and get their feedback. Social media marketing is not only confined to the big names in the industry. It was found that organizations of all sizes are increasing investments in social media marketing.

3. It is FB all the way for small and medium sized companies

Facebook has come up with a number of new features like Creative Hub, updated metrics and reporting, dynamic ads for mobile app installs, and Facebook Live 360 Degree videos, which are very useful in digital marketing. It has been found that small and medium sized businesses are reaping maximum advantage of Facebook advertising because it is an easy and effective way to reach out to large number of target audiences.

4. More concentration on content marketing

Earlier, investors did not spend much on content marketing. But slowly they have realized the importance and effectiveness of content marketing. This is the reason many B2C marketers are now allotting more budget to content marketing and paid promotion methods.

5. Greater effectiveness of social media posts

Everyone knows how tweets and posts on social media can easily go viral and this factor can be very useful if one wants to reach to more number of people. No wonder today these tweets and social media posts are one of the most effective marketing tools which help in reaching out to audiences directly.

6. B2C marketers must focus on content strategies

The content strategies on social media have proved to give a major boost to business promotion and hence it is only right that B2C marketers focus on building effective strategies. Like in case of Facebook platform, it has been found that the focus in on posting about the product, promoting the business page, posting videos and trying to create a brand image of the product, and directly interacting with the audiences. Instagram is one more channel the marketers must use more effectively. Instagram has already opened the stories platform for advertisers and they are also coming up with more marketing tools. Marketers should note that Instagram already has more than 600 million monthly users. So, you can imagine the target audience base that you can get with Instagram. It is estimated that this year B2B advertisers will invest more in content marketing and social media marketing.

7. Email marketing is a powerful channel

Marketers need to understand one thing that just like social media marketing, email marketing is also one of the best channels to market your products and reach out to more number of people. What is needed is an effective email marketing strategy whereby you can promote your products to target audiences via emails.

8. For B2B content distribution, email is the best

For informative content distribution like ebooks, guides, white papers, research reports and more, emails are the best thing. However, there’s a lot of hard work that needs to be put in and the marketing strategist needs to ensure that the informative material is ready on time and reaches the audiences on time, in order to create maximum impact.

9. Personalization of email messages helps B2B marketers and B2C marketers

It is possible to give a personal touch to email messages and this is turning out to be quite effective for B2B marketers. The marketers must make sure that all the data in the email, including the contact information, is correct and complete. The automation of the email marketing process is also important. B2C marketers are also comfortable in using emails for promoting content.

10. The growing popularity of digital videos

Most companies these days like to concentrate more on digital videos than on television advertising. The reason for this shift is simple. It is much easier to reach more target audiences through digital videos than with television advertising. The most important thing about digital video advertising is the timing of the digital ads. These ads need to be available at a time when the target audience is more approachable.

11. Measuring the performance of digital videos

The site traffic is definitely one of the best ways to measure the performance of a digital video. But marketers also need to make use of cost per acquisition for measuring the performance of digital videos.

12. Length and audibility of the video is crucial

The increase in the rate of purchase will also depend on the length and the audibility of the video. According to certain surveys and reports, it has been found that a video that is watched for 7 to 16 seconds will normally help in generating more sales.

13. Mobile marketing

With people mostly using their mobile phones for accessing the web and social media platforms, marketers just cannot miss out on mobile marketing. Websites that are mobile friendly are a must. The budget for mobile advertising will surely keep on increasing in the future.

14. Focus on SEO marketing

Most of the companies are already spending more money on search engine optimization and this will only increase in the next few years. This is because if you want your products and services to reacha broader target audience, then it is important that your website gets the best possible ranking in the major search engines. The marketing strategists should focus on generic searches as well as PPC marketing.

Final Takeaway

Digital marketing holds the key for successful marketing strategy. An effective digital marketing strategy has to be the perfect combination of SEO marketing, mobile marketing and mobile optimization, video and social media marketing, and more. Along with new trends in digital marketing, it is also important to focus on older methods like email marketing. The content, the timing of promotion, and many other factors are crucial for an effective strategy. The bottom line is if you want to establish the brand image of your products and services, then irrespective of the size of your company, digital marketing strategy is a must.

9 Signs That Indicate It’s Time to Redesign Your Website

The prime objective of any website is to grab the right eyeballs, publish authentic information, and ensure that the visitor is entranced into re-visiting the portal time and again. Irrespective of whether the website is an e-commerce site, private blog, or an advisory, it has to be projected in a professional manner.

Now, how does one ensure that all these factors are catered to and the objectives of the website manager are achieved to the optimum level?

Change is a constant and an absolute reality in the virtual world. You need to keep multiple factors in mind while ensuring constant visibility of your website at all times. Any individual evincing interest in your product or services would have conducted an elaborate research through search engines such as Google, etc. Therefore it is imperative to ensure that on visiting your website, the individual is instantly enamored by the products or services offered on your portal. If a significant drop in website traffic is noticed at any given time, redesigning your website should definitely be accorded top priority.

Here are a few pointers that indicate your website requires an immediate overhaul:

1. Is your website appearing obsolete?

You need to constantly ascertain if your website is in tune with the current trends as per the market demands . You will also need to ensure that the portal is visually appealing to all genres of visitors. It is mandatory that your website exudes a contemporary vibe with updated, catchy, and interactive content to keep visitors engrossed and guarantee repeat visits.

2. Does your website seem text heavy?

In the times that we live in today, the attention span of people visiting your portal can make or break the desired impact. You need to incorporate trendy visuals with eye-catching graphics and the text aspect needs to be crisp and accurate. The required information should be conveyed to the user in a swift and efficient manner in the shortest possible time. Quick response time on the website will keep the visitor captivated and will also enhance the credibility of the brand.

3. Does your website have navigational ease?

A website needs to ensure that visitors have easy accessibility to all the vital pages that provide the desired information regarding the rendered services or product specifications offered by the company. If the users find it tedious to navigate through the web pages, the chances of losing out on prospective clientele become inevitable. Therefore, it is always recommended that a sluggish portal is redesigned to ensure navigational ease to users as a flawless interaction will go a long way in retention of a loyal client base.

4. Does your website lack search engine optimization?

If there is a significant drop in your website traffic, you will have to instantly take adequate precautionary measures and ascertain the reasons for the decline. You must ensure that your website has optimum visibility when users log on to a search engine. Your portal needs to be featured prominently in the top half of the first page of the search engine results. Most users do not browse beyond the first page of the search engine, so the need to redesign the URL structure of your portal and inclusion of relevant content are of paramount importance. The portal can improvise on these points and capitalize on the inbound marketing aspects to capture the desired target audience.

5. Is updating content on your website an issue?

You must always ensure that any changes related to the website content must be done in a swift and efficient manner. Updating of relevant content or any other changes or deletions in your website should be done with relative ease. This will simplify the website operations to a large extent and will make it easier for you to comply with the changing trends and demands of the user base.

6. Is your website having a low conversion rate?

If you have observed a drastic drop in the conversion rates of your website visitors, it is time to re-evaluate the website design and make the required changes in the user interface. Redesign your website after identifying the problem areas and add all the interesting inputs that will evince continued interest in your products and services. Also take necessary steps to speed up the responses to any queries related to the website. An efficient customer support system can help in mitigating all queries effectively, thereby making client conversion as well as retention a lot easier.

7. Is your website slow?

With technology moving at a frenetic pace, the attention span of individuals is dwindling at a rapid pace. Research has shown that the human brain has an attention span of approximately 8 seconds. This precious time of 8 seconds is the only window of opportunity that you have for your portal to captivate their interest. Always ensure that your website loads all the desired pages quickly in a seamless manner so that the visitors find the content engaging and are encouraged to browse the portal further. The speed at which the web pages load will also help the users understand your core capabilities faster and aid in taking quick decisions.

8. Is your website conveying the right mission statement?

The mission statement of your website denotes your goals and future expansion plans. This is an integral aspect that needs to be conveyed to all the users with utmost clarity. The marketing dynamics of the website rely entirely on the visitors comprehending the product concepts and details of services rendered by your company with exceptional ease. Redesign your website if any of these parameters have not been taken into consideration.

9. Is your website mobile friendly?

With increasing dependency on mobile connectivity, it makes prudent sense to redesign your website keeping this trend in mind. An efficient mobile friendly website gives your portal an infinite reach as a marketing tool. Most users prefer to browse on their mobile phones in the fast-paced lives that we live in today. Companies or individuals need to redesign their websites accordingly and cater to this emerging trend to sustain and ensure longevity of the business model. Keeping up with the latest technological advancements is the key to success while redesigning any websites.

All these factors coupled with an enhanced user experience will give your website the required edge over the competition at all times.

So if you feel that your website needs revamping, go ahead and redesign your website right away!

Are You Including Alexa, Cortana, and Siri in Your Digital Marketing Strategy?

The future of the Internet will be decided by the spoken world, if the popularity of voice search continues to grow at present rates. Voice search is gaining popularity with every passing year, and online businesses are adopting and incorporating this feature to enhance their digital identity. Voice search is not only making life easier for existing Internet users, it is helping make the web accessible to millions of people around the world, who might earlier have been unable to utilize the resources of the Internet, fully.

One of the unique characteristics of voice search is that it doesn’t force users to compress their queries into short phrases, comprising as few words as possible. Instead, people using the voice search feature can simply talk to their digital assistants – such as Apple’s Siri or Microsoft’s Cortana – as they would have a conversation with a friend in real life. This allows them to browse the Internet in a more natural and intuitive manner, forming their queries in full sentences and speaking as they would in a regular conversation.

The Emergence of Voice Search

The rise of virtual assistants such as Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, and Cortana has made voice search marketing and voice search optimization of the chief concerns of online businesses, big and small. In order to stay competitive in the market and increase traffic, it has become necessary for online businesses to incorporate voice search features into their website.

Voice search, as a concept, originated almost two decades ago, with Google filing a patent for a ‘search engine voice interface’ in 2001. However, it was the emergence of the smartphone that gave this feature the popularity that it now commands. Smartphones are essentially computers that are portable and mobile.

People use their smartphones for to perform various functions, at all times of the day. The GPS on a smartphone is used during travel and commuting. You might want to search for recipes while cooking or watch a video as you wait in line at the billing counter of the supermarket.

This is why the voice search feature has gained such prominence over the past few years, as it allows the user’s hands to be free while they are using the Internet. Thus, you can ask your digital assistant for directions while driving, pull up a recipe video on YouTube while cooking, and read the latest news on the Internet while dropping your children off to school, all without ever having to use your fingers to type out a query on your phone.

Some Optimization Techniques for Voice Search

There are many ways in which you can optimize and improve your voice search SEO. Some of the most popular voice search optimization techniques have been listed below.

Incorporating Long-Tail Keywords Focusing on User Intent

One of the first steps to take when implementing a voice search marketing plan is to replace shorthand keywords with long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are both longer and more specific in nature compared to the types of keywords commonly used in text searches. According to digital marketing expert Neil Patel, long-tail keywords are the heartbeat of voice search technology, as they help in capturing the exact intent and meaning of a query. Apart from long-tail keywords, therefore, content that has been optimized for voice search must focus on specificity and intent. The content must answer, in explicit detail, every question that a potential customer could have about a topic.

Extensive Usage of the FAQs Page

In the modern world, almost all businesses that have a website also have an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page. FAQ pages are ideal for voice search optimization because the content is written in a question and answer format, similar to that of voice searches. Most FAQ pages consist of a conversational question, followed by a clear, concise, and informative answer. FAQ pages are full of content that can be optimized for voice queries, as the questions answered therein are the ones that customers and other site visitors are most likely to ask. Therefore, a good FAQ page, with the intelligent usage of voice search SEO, will allow a business to attract website visitors who are specifically interested in the products and services that they provide.

Think and Write Like the Customer

The primary feature of voice search is that users say their questions out loud, rather than typing them. As a result, the queries are more direct and conversational in their approach. Therefore, voice search optimization works best if you write in the tone and style that a customer is likely to ask his or her question. People tend to speak to their digital assistants, such as Alexa, Siri, or Cortana as if they were speaking to their friend. Therefore, they are unlikely to use formal or overly pedantic language. When writing content for a voice search enabled website, the writer must use a conversational style that best replicates the way people normally talk to each other.

In Conclusion

Digital assistants such as Siri and Google Assistant are all set to become a permanent fixture in the lives of smartphone users in the near future. Voice search technology is also evolving and becoming more sophisticated and intuitive with the passage of time. In order to stay competitive and profitable, businesses must undertake voice search optimization and incorporate voice search SEO in their digital marketing strategies.

Top Digital Marketing Trends in 2019

 

A few years ago, Business @ the Speed of Thought, a book by Microsoft founder Bill Gates was published. The book attempted to explain how digital infrastructure and evolving technology can help businesses enhance their efficiency and productivity, and succeed in the modern corporate landscape. While some of the specific technologies that the book talked about are now obsolete, the basic premise of the book is as valid today as it was at the time of its publication.

In it’s most basic iteration, the book discusses the fact that the rapidly evolving technology of the modern world helps businesses move fast and increase their efficiency. As a result, to make the most of the technological advancements and maximize profitability, businesses must innovate constantly and keep moving forward in the realms of marketing and promotion as well. And when it comes to marketing, the fastest growing sector of that field is digital marketing. Nowadays, the Internet is where the world is and no company can thrive and prosper without properly harnessing the marketing potential of the World Wide Web.

Changes in the Domain of Digital Marketing

Some of the things that are responsible for bringing about the rapid changes in the world of digital marketing are:

  • Social Networking Sites
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The more things change, however, the more they remain the same. The basic tenets of good marketing, such as crafting attractive messages to attract your ideal customers, still remain the same, and probably always will. The only things that has changed are the methods and channels of delivering these messages. Social media, SEO optimization, pay-per-click, and search advertising have now replaced door-to-door selling and telemarketing to a great extent.

In order to keep pace with the fast-moving marketplace, businesses must constantly update their marketing tactics and policies to make optimum use of all the technological and digital resources available. So, listed below are two of the most promising digital marketing trends of 2019 that you should pay attention to and keep track of this year. You can also consider applying them to your own business, in case they suit your needs and purposes.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

In essence, artificial intelligence or AI involves the theoretical and practical development of computer systems that are capable of performing tasks that would otherwise require natural human intelligence. These tasks may include decision making, visual perception, speech recognition, language translation, and much more. Digital marketing is one of the most important tools that are currently being used by savvy digital marketers around the world.

Currently, artificial intelligence is being used for various purposes such as customer segmentation, push notifications, re-targeting, click tracking, etc. These different functions can also be combined in innovative ways to come up with effective marketing strategies. Thus, AI is all set to be one of the most significant digital marketing trends of 2019. With every passing year, artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly sophisticated and the gamut of tasks that it can perform is expanding quite steadily.

The Advent of Chatbots

A chatbot is basically a computer program – that may or may not use artificial intelligence – which is designed to conduct conversations with potential customers via textual or auditory means. These programs are often specifically designed to mimic human behavior, speech patterns, and conversation styles. This is meant to help potential customers feel at ease when speaking with the chatbot and sharing their questions or problems.

The desire to interact with other human beings, to have a voice and to be heard, is an essential aspect of the human condition. In part, the popularity of social media networks can be attributed to this desire. This is where chatbots come in handy. As a business owner, you may not have the time to constantly engage with current and potential customers of social media. However, you can save a lot of time and effort, while getting the same results, by installing a chatbot on your company’s website.

This chatbot will interact with customers and website visitors on their own terms, freeing up your time so that you can engage in more productive activities. Technological advancements have ensured that modern chatbots can easily hold a basic conversation with customers and answer common questions in the same way that a human being would. Thus, a chatbot on your website can easily function as your customer support representative, allowing you to build relationships with customers with minimal effort and investment.

Some of the primary benefits of chatbots include – uninterrupted, 24-hour service instant response, easy communication, answers frequently asked questions, resolves complaints quickly, friendly and approachable manners which ensure good customer experience. Chatbots can also be taught to greet customers and can help businesses save significantly on customer service expenses.

In Conclusion

These are just some of the digital marketing trends that have been gaining traction in recent years. Of course, while keeping a lookout for these innovative digital marketing trends in 2019, you must also continue the more common digital marketing strategies such as SEO optimization, social media marketing, and building email lists. All of these marketing tactics together will help you create a marketing strategy that will propel your business to the heights of success.

Tips to Building the Perfect Landing Page

Achieving perfection is a state of mind and that drive helps you to get close to that sky-high standard. In a quest to establish an online presence and dominate the e-commerce market, it is the subtle details that make all the difference in the world. In the end, unparalleled user experience is what wins customers over and retains their loyalty.

The easier it is to navigate through your site, search, and buy products, the more you will be able to convert potential leads to actual sales. These consumers are also likely to exhibit brand loyalty with time. If you are experiencing less traffic on your website despite the fact that your products and services are some of the best in the market, it is time to fine tune your product landing pages to make them perform better.

8 Tips for Building the Perfect Product Landing Page for Your Website

Here are some tips for creating the perfect product landing page for your e-commerce website.

  1. Consistency is Key

Try to maintain consistency throughout all the pages of your website, including the product pages. The user experience must not fluctuate from one page to another or from one device to another. Suppose, you make a cleaner design for the desktop view but do not spend an equal amount of effort for the mobile version, you will definitely lose out on leads. Furthermore, design the product pages of the less popular items with the same zeal as the popular ones. The layout and content of the less popular products must not be lacking in any manner.

  1. Implement Mobile First Design

Apart from creating a fully responsive site for desktop, the current scenario makes it mandatory for the website to have a mobile-optimized design. The product image galleries must be fine-tuned for easy navigation and viewing on a mobile phone. As a matter of fact, according to Statista, 52.2 percent of the global website traffic comes from mobile phones.

Therefore, incorporate product images in the slider and enable the zoom feature, allowing visitors to see the details. Furthermore, all the product information that was included in the desktop site must also be present on the mobile site. These small details make for a perfect product landing page.

  1. Include Interesting and Prominent Calls to Action (CTA)

Prominent Calls to Action are essential for creating a perfect product landing page. The “Add to Cart” CTA must be prominently displayed on the product landing page to subtly push the customer into making the purchase. Apart from that, you can also add a “Buy Now” CTA to provide the customers with a shortcut to buy multiple products at the same time, without going into the many levels of the purchasing process.

  1. Enhance Readability

Apart from the web design, you must also maintain consistency in the text content of your e-commerce website. Therefore, all the product copies must be written in simple English which can be understood by all. Refrain from using flowery language and complex words as it decreases the overall readability of the copy.

Always remember to break the whole text down into several paragraphs, as this helps the reader focus on the information better. A concise and well-written message should be placed on top of the page and a more detailed description must appear near the bottom of the page. No one wants a barrage of information thrown at them as soon as they visit a product landing page. A picture of the product should also be prominently displayed near the upper part of the page.

  1. Include Relevant Information

Providing relevant product information helps in creating a perfect product landing page as it helps the customers make informed buying decisions. The various specifications of the product must be displayed clearly and the reviews – positive and negative – for the same must not be hidden. If your product is bad, the customers will find out about it somewhere or the other from the Internet.

  1. Convey the Story of Your Brand

Direct and crusty copy does not have much impact on the customer. Therefore, you will have to find out unique ways to convey the story of your brand in an interesting way. Telling the brand story can be carried out both directly as well as subtly. Subtle details like the way you write the product copy and the icons you use on the website can refer to the brand and convey its core motto. More obvious ways to tell the brand story include the overall writing style of the e-commerce website.

  1. Include Returns and Shipping Information

Apart from the product description, the shipping and returns copy receives quite some attention and must contain updated information and all the relevant details. A majority of the customers these days expect free shipping from e-commerce sites. So, if you levy shipping charge for those making purchases under a minimum order amount, then make sure that you justify it in detail to your customers. At the end of the day, all your customers want is reassurance that they will be able to return a product they cannot use in exchange for an item of their choice.

  1. Organize Content According to Priority

All the products on your website are like your babies – you like them all and would like to highlight each and every one of them. However, you must keep in mind that the new customers who are visiting your site for the first time, may not be interested to read or see so much information. Therefore, it is important to prioritize which content is the most popular or relevant and organize them so as to optimize lead conversion. Do your research well and place the key points about the product that most of your customers are interested in, in the description. Place the less relevant information further down the page. You can also create a separate and more detailed information page for interested customers.

In Conclusion

Creating a perfect product landing page is not costly, but can increase your profits significantly. As stated at the very beginning of the article, it is the details that matter, and they can make a landing page informative as well as beautiful. Simplicity and quality are what you should be aiming for.

Schema The New SEO

Is Your SEO Company Using Schema?

 

If you aren’t sure whether or not Structured Data has been used on your website check the Structured Data Report in your Google Search Console or right click and view your page source. This will tell you if there is any structured data on your page and where it is. It will also help debug any errors resulting from an improper markup. If you haven’t started using Structured Data but want to improve your sites SEO, simply audit your site for opportunities where you could use this helpful tool. However, make sure you are following Google’s recommendations for proper use or you could be penalized. Remember to let the type of business you have guide your choice in the best type of Schema.org to implement.

Although employing the use of Structured Data can be a bit confusing to navigate if you are unfamiliar with it, your business may be well positioned for using a tool like this. If you take your time and determine the type of markup your business would benefit from the most, the results will make it worth your effort. However, do your homework and understand Google’s general recommendations for the proper use of Structured Data. This will help you avoid being penalized for its improper use. In addition, use the tools that Google provides to make sure that you avoid bugs and errors in your coding before you launch a page. You may even have questions regarding whether or not Structured Data has been used on your site before.

Google has a tool to determine that as well. Use everything that’s available to you to properly use Structured Data for optimal results. It’s not difficult, but you will need to follow all the proper steps to ensure its success.

 

Structured Data Important a  Necessity for SEO!

Structured Data is used to provide additional information about a web page in order to improve the relevancy of search results from search engines. This additional information is utilized to create more information for search engines in order to return more relevant and enhanced results. This information is referred to as a markup.

However, it should also be noted that search engines provide incentives for websites that properly use Structured Data. These incentives include a variety of different helpful features in search results. Keep in mind that these enhanced features ultimately improve click-through rates and boost traffic, which in turn improves rankings. This makes sense because the search results are more visually appealing and provide more information. Some of these features include:

Markups need to be consistently understood and parsed by search engines and people. As a result, there are standard formats, syntaxes, classification concepts, relationships, and vocabularies that should be used to achieve this. There are three syntaxes that are supported by most search engines, as well as two vocabularies. However, it should be noted that Schema.org is the vocabulary used most often for SEO purposes.