Online Content
What Happens When You Quit Blogging?
Blogging isn’t something that is reserved for only the famous and super elite brands — it’s something that even small businesses should keep up with. But why should blogging be important for a website that’s main goal is to convert users? What if you just cast blogging aside for awhile? Well, I’m glad you asked. Here are the hard-hitting stats about companies who blog: Brands that create 15 blog posts per month average 1,200 new leads per month. Blogs give websites 434% more indexed pages and 97% more indexed links. Blogs on company sites result in 55% more visitors. So what happens when a business decides to quit blogging? WordPress developer Robert Ryan took this question to the test by abstaining from publishing new content to his blog for 251 days — and his results were alarming… Organic Traffic Takes a Huge Nosedive When Ryan quit blogging, his overall traffic … Continued
Why Do I Need an “About Us” Page on My Website? #FAQuesday
For many businesses, the traffic coming to their website represents potential sales. But as digital marketing moves towards creating a more comprehensive experience rather than being only a sales funnel, it may be advantageous to explore ways to make connections with your website’s visitors. Having an About Us page is key to portraying your company as a client-focused business with actual human beings behind the wheel. Tell Your Story What sets your business apart from your competitors? An About Us page is the ideal opportunity to showcase your “P.O.D.” or Point of Difference. Whether your company’s story grew from humble beginnings and became a local legend or you run a nationally branded organization, there’s always a story to be told. Make sure users on your site are well-acquainted with the positive attributes of your company (including the people who work there) that make you the right choice for their needs. … Continued
Do I Need Outbound Links for Blog Posts? #FAQuesday
As a form of online content, links provide a great value for users. Without links, a blog post is simply a dead end and may not be very helpful if people need more information than what is offered in the article. SEO industry experts often mention the importance of getting backlinks to your website, but should outbound links be totally left in the dust? What Are Outbound Links? First off, outbound links, also known as external links, are defined as links on a web page that link to pages on other websites. Examples of outbound links include press releases, industry-relative blog posts, and government regulations. While overloading your blog post with a large quantity of outbound links is not an effective digital marketing strategy, linking to other articles with high quality content can help provide additional sources for your audience. A big part of incorporating outbound links is understanding which … Continued
Why Do Websites Cost So Much? #FAQuesday
It is now 2016. Every business needs a website. The size and scope of that site varies by company, of course, but a presence on the web is a must to help grow and spread its reach. Web design professionals are frequently asked why websites are so expensive to design, create, and manage. The answer is fairly simple: there are a lot of moving parts at play. Let’s take a look at some of the forces behind building and maintaining a website. The Design Everyone holds their brand near and dear to their heart, and they should. Your brand is a representation of you, your employees, and the work you do. This needs to be incorporated into your site. In order to accomplish this, you need to sit down with a designer and go over what is important to you. The important pieces of your business need to be highlighted … Continued
Want to Increase User Engagement? Try Interactive Content!
Help! The Internet is swimming with content, and your audience might be drowning. Because more and more businesses are trying to capture the attention of Internet users, the amount of content across the web is, well, overwhelming to be honest. Industry experts even have a name for it: content shock. Although content shock isn’t an entirely new concept, it’s still something we at The Web Guys consider when crafting intriguing copy for users to read. Besides the content on your company’s website, how do you continue to engage people who are overwhelmed by a sea of websites? Our creative team can come up with unique ideas for your website during the design process. Here are some examples of interactive content: 1) Helpful Tools If you deal with a service that’s complicated for the average customer to understand, tools can be beneficial for breaking down hard-to-digest information. For example, applying for … Continued
Connect the Dots for Digital Marketing Success
Now that you’ve spent a few weeks learning about digital marketing, it’s time to summarize the takeaways. It isn’t enough to know about each individual aspect; you should also understand how they connect and work together to provide the results you need to grow your business.Build a Solid FoundationThe foundation and beginning of your digital identity is your website. Design a professional, credible website you can be proud of that properly portrays your business. Make sure to make it “mobile-friendly” so it’s appealing from any device, and fill it with useful content that provides the experience your target customers expect when navigating a website.Get Found LocallyNow that you have the proper online foundation, it’s time to drive targeted local traffic to your website. That being said, not all traffic will do, because you offer a service or product in a very specific geographical area. Let the right customers find you by setting up and … Continued
What 2015 Google Updates Did I Miss? #FAQuesday
If you hit the snooze button at all last year, you may have missed an alarm for one of the huge updates from Google that hit the digital marketing stratosphere — hard. Businesses that didn’t keep up with crucial 2015 changes felt the pain. But there’s still time to wake up and do something about the latest SEO developments. Grab a cup of coffee and see what you missed and how The Web Guys can get you ready for 2016. Mobilegeddon: Go Mobile or Get Left Behind From asking for driving directions to shopping for shoes, almost anything can be accomplished using a smartphone or tablet. Google took note of the continued growth of mobile searches and made a significant change to its search algorithm. As of April 21, mobile friendliness became a search-ranking factor, ensuring users receive high-quality results when using mobile devices. Don’t worry you haven’t gotten on the mobile trend yet. Our Web design team can revamp your … Continued
Start at the Beginning for Digital Marketing Success
In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, it’s easy to get distracted by the never-ending array of shiny objects designed to get Web surfers’ attention. But even the latest and greatest innovations can’t accomplish much unless they’re supported by the right infrastructure.It is crucial for businesses to build a solid foundation for their digital marketing efforts before attempting anything else. At The Web Guys, we start at the beginning by designing engaging websites that appeal to potential customers and search engines alike. Craft a Custom Strategy Our website-development process begins with a deep dive into your business, exploring everything from its history to its ambitions. We also research the broader industry to make sure we understand the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for you and your customers. Understanding who your targeted audience is — and what they’re searching for online — empowers our team to create a well-thought-out website … Continued
How to Leverage YouTube for Your Business
When most people think about digital marketing, their minds probably wander toward social giants like Facebook and Twitter. But what about YouTube? You know, that video streaming giant that generates an astonishing 4 billion-plus views every day? Even though shooting, editing, and uploading video can seem like a scary, unfamiliar task, when used properly YouTube can do wonders for your brand. Viewership numbers in the billions are certainly not something to ignore. So how exactly can your business get started in a place where adorable animals and music videos reign supreme? Here are five helpful tips from The Web Guys to get you going: 1. Start with a How-To or Top 10 List YouTube is becoming the search engine of choice for people looking to learn basic skills and/or to research top products, brands, and companies. That’s hardly a shock, since it is owned by the search king, Google. How-To and Top 10 videos are simple but … Continued
Why Do I Need to Keep Updating My Website? #FAQuesday
Anyone who has been through a business website launch knows it can feel like pulling off a minor miracle. Even with experts like The Web Guys handling the programming, content creation, and design, it takes a village — and months of hard work — to build a site that attracts visitors and turns them into customers. So it’s understandable that many companies aren’t eager to start making changes after crossing the finish line. But as we tell our clients, that natural inclination to take it easy could be a big mistake when it comes to search engine optimization.That’s because industry giant Google’s search algorithms tend to reward sites that have fresh, high-quality content, ranking them higher in search results. Ironically, it’s not a recent development; freshness has been a ranking factor since 2007, when Google began using its “Query Deserves Freshness” model to boost new content tied to “hot” topics. … Continued
