Be Online Inc

#BIPPlan - Basic Internet Presence Plan

Why do I need a website for my business?

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Why do I need a website for my business?

Yes!  If you have a business, you should have a website.  A website is your current day business card, tri-fold marketing brochure and billboard all in one and, best of all, found in your future client’s house and at their convenience.  There are exponentially more options for a user to get your business information from a website versus other marketing means.  Your website address is one of the basic questions any directory or organization will ask you for when adding information about your company.  A clean website also improves your business image to future banks or loan officers if you are considering asking for a business loan.

What Kind of Website Do I Need?

WordPress offers one of the easiest ways to get your company into a website.  You may have heard of “WordPress”.  This is an open source Content Management Systems (CMS).    A CMS allows a website owner to log-in online and make edits to their own website.  Some CMS are easier than others. We recommend you use a CMS that you will be able to make changes to yourself if you want, versus getting stuck with a CMS that you don’t even know how to navigate within, let alone find where you want to add new information.  In addition, rather than choosing a CMS that is proprietary (Website Tonight on GoDaddy for example) to one company, WordPress is available free to anyone at WordPress.org.  We typically use a professional generated version of WordPress to make it a bit more customized to your business.

Who Will Find My Website In a Search?

Contact Us page imageAnother reason a website is a necessity is that the search engines would like to find you for people searching for your type of business in your area.   Search engines (like Google, Bing, Yahoo and many others) like a website to have certain elements so they can determine what it is you do, for what type of customer and where.  Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the act of helping your website become more available to show up high searches made on the internet.   While it is true that search engines want to make money selling advertising, they do also want to provide searchers with relevant information on their Search Engine Results Page (SERP).

Why Can’t I Just Use Facebook For My Website?

Websites can provide a lot of information about your company that you cannot say to someone in one short conversation.   When you meet someone new that you think might benefit from your business, you can easily communicate your website to them so they can find out more information.  If someone comes across the fact that you have a business on a social media channel (Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, etc.), a website offers more information when they may want to review prior to contacting you directly. It is great to have social media influence (having followers and engaging with them), however, if you only have a Facebook page, you will be excluding those potential customers that do not use Facebook.

This is your time to show off!

Some clients have mentioned what a relief and joy it was to be able to tell their potential customers, just go to my website – it has all that information.  There is a motivating factor when you have an updated and informational website users can look at.  This is your time to show off!  People want to feel confident in who they are hiring and a current website helps convey this immediately.  Your website should have these 8 items at a minimum.

If you have any more questions about why you should have a website for your business, we will be happy to discuss further.  Yes!  You need a website for your business, unless you are a spy – then you shouldn’t have a website because you might be found!

Content Marketing is Essential!

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Content Marketing is essential to any internet  marketing strategy in this free-flow of information frenzied environment.  Ages ago my mom told me a story of getting a job in a delicatessen and the heavy set, accented supervisor continuously insisted upon her, “Speed is Essential”!  In these search engine marketing days, “Content is Essential”!

Content marketing includes more than just a written blog article or home page blurb about your company.  There are so many uses for video content, picture or photo content, infographics (like the one below), white papers – or PDF’s that talk in depth about a certain topic, DIY guides, case studies, slide presentations, specific landing pages for targeted campaigns and much more.   All of these content opportunities provide valuable resources to the user or reader.  Once it is found to be valuable, natural linking will occur.

The fundamentals to making your content valuable is through making it useful, interactive, relatable (relevant, applicable) and having some emotional impact.  Another perspective is to write with your character – focus on the key characters that make up the author and the company.  Some of these might be honesty, integrity, professionalism, hard-working, unstoppable, creative, etc.

When writing or designing these content marketing assets, allow the writing to flow organically so the target keywords happen naturally in the copy.  Basically, content marketing’s altruistic use is to inform the public; to help a seeker find the answer for which they are looking.  However, providing great content is also very useful in search engine optimization (SEO).  Strive to accomplish both.  We all love a win-win!  Also, don’t forget to sprinkle a call to action every now and then.  After all, this is the real purpose of the content – to engage the reader in an influential way so they will consider moving to customer.

Finally, always return back to measurements to see that you content marketing is on the right path.   Go to your analytics to prove you are finding the right people, that your branding is working, your message is valuable, interesting and engaging.  Finally, make adjustments as necessary and repeat the process.

content marketing infographic
Infographic posted on ezedia.com

 

Take Advantage of Google Authorship and Blogs

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Face it people, Google is the dominate player in search engines.  The noun has become a verb it is so popular.  I try to take advantage of as many options as Google is going to give me to have my clients show up in the top natural search results.

One way to help Google find you is to identify yourself as an Author.  If you are already blogging and contributing to online groups, it will help your identity come up in Google’s search engine results page (SERP) by going to Google’s help section on linking your Google+ profile.  It is a relatively easy process as long as you meet a couple of their criteria (have a picture on G+, use byline on your articles, etc.).

Also, once you claim your Authorship, depending on who is searching for you and whether or not they are signed into Google, the results may serve up your name and contact information to the right side of the SERP adding instant credibility.  Try it!

Google authorship