Posts

Phoenix SEO – 10 Tips on How to Get Online Reviews

/in /by

Word of mouth is good, but potential customers will still Google your business to find out the online reviews of other people. That is why online reviews is important to your success. Here are the steps that may help you get started:

  • Do a Good Job. Doing your best in every job increases the possibility of having more reviews. Ask for a review after a transaction. Add a link to your Facebook page, your website, or your Yelp profile.  Showcase these important links in your business place.
Thumbs Up Gesture

More tips on how to gain positive reviews below.

 

  • Complete your online profiles and then verify them.
    • You really don’t need to sign up at every website. Choose what works for you and start working on your online profile!
    • Knowing your own industry will help you a lot. Choosing the right business partner is important. In Yelp, for example, there are over 100 million online reviews now. Aside from that, relevant results will show up when someone searches for your business or name.
    • If someone else did your business page, another person has added it for you. The next step is to take ownership of the page to have a certain control.
  • Know What You Are Asking.
    • Either you ask a person you have worked with or someone that you’ve done business with, but be selective. Ask customers that aren’t so ideal to give you a review through your email. This way, you know what to improve without going public.
  • Just the Right Timing.
    • It is hard to ask for reviews if the business has no physical location where display review stickers can be displayed. For businesses like real estate or insurance, one of the best strategy is to ask an online review after a completed transaction.
  • Ask!
    • There are many ways to do the asking for online reviews like texts, phone calls, emails,  and face-to-face. Make sure, you thank them for their effort. After all, their reputation is on the line.
  • Be Definite and Make It Easy.
    • After a job well done, you can ask your customer if he or she could help out with a review in your Facebook Business Page. If the customer agrees, send an email with a link to your Facebook page.
  • Give an Incentive.
    • You can ask customers for a review, give an incentive like a gift card or a voucher after. But be cautious, people might think you are paying people for a good review.
  • Always Follow-Up.
    • If the online review does not happen, remind them again, but be very careful in doing so.
  • Evaluate, Tweak, and Do it Again!
    • Review your approach the minute you get started. Assess everything, date, used email, text, phone, face-to-face and how successful you are in making people write your online reviews. Do it again and again until it becomes a business routine.

  • Don’t You Ever Stop!

    • You have done the short term by getting good reviews but what about the long-term? It is simple, keep in touch, and a referral might be on its way.

How Microcopy Can Improve Your Web Design (Part 2)

/in /by

In the first part of our microcopy discussion, we talked about how a good microcopy can alleviate fears and apprehensions. This time around, we will dig deeper into the several ways that microcopy helps users. Despite its smallness, microcopy is effective in guiding users throughout your website. Almost every transaction clients make on your website involves words.

A dialog box won’t be complete without any microcopy prompt. Empty fields will be confusing without any microcopy guide on what to put. Therefore, you should not undermine the importance of microcopy in achieving an excellent web design.

Here are 4 ways on how a microcopy can help users:

Navigating a website can be tricky without any clear “road sign” on where to go, what to do next, and how to complete a task. There should words that are ready to assist any web visitor. A good microcopy allows a smooth transition from point A to B.

  • Helps users what to do.

    • A website’s user interface should be natural and perceptive of the user’s way of thinking. When someone browses your website, he should be able to tell what do at this moment.
    • Take a look at Facebook’s home screen. The moment you enter your username and password, you will immediately notice the status box. There’s a microcopy saying, “What’s on your mind?” Naturally, users will have an idea on what to do the moment they log in on Facebook.

      Facebooks asks about your thoughts for today.

    • If you look up, there’s also a search bar just above the status box. A microcopy indicates that is where you should input your search keywords. At a glance, users know the different parts of the website through its microcopy.

  • Helps users to take action.

    • A good microcopy convinces users to do something willingly. In the example below, Tenta’s newsletter reminder reassure users that they value privacy and will not give out personal details such as name and email address.
    • Generally, people are hesitant if they should sign up or not. Plus, it gets more difficult if users are required to pay for the subscription. Therefore, a microcopy can really help in reassuring users that every transaction is secured and privacy is not breached.

      Tenta explains their privacy settings.

  • Helps boost your website’s engagement.

    • Microcopy can give your users a nudge to do something. The example below is Shopee’s cart page. When the shopping cart is empty, it encourages people to go shopping and keep searching for products they might like.
    • The best thing about this microcopy is that it is paired with an image. A shopping bag is smiling at the users to give them a friendly and subtle hint to stay and shop some more.

      Shopee’s empty cart is smiling at you.

  • Help users know what to expect.

    • In Facebook where privacy is a main concern for most people, a microcopy is inserted in many parts of the website.
    • In the settings where you are asked on who can see your friends list. You can set it to “only me.” However,  below that, there is a reminder that your friends control their own Timelines. Your activity with a certain person will be visible in their Timelines. So, your friendship can be seen in the News Feed and other parts of Facebook even to those people you are not friends with.

      Facebook reminds users about the visibility of their friends list.

The Basics of Hashtags

/in /by

adolescent, adult, beautiful

WHERE TO PUT THEM?

A hashtag is a type of metadata tag used on social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other micro blogging services, allowing users to apply dynamic, user-generated tagging which makes it possible for others to easily find messages with a specific theme or content; it allows easy, informal mark-up of folk taxonomy without need of any formal taxonomy or mark-up language.

THE HASH

Seen as a number sign, a US pound sign, or a hash symbol, (#), a hashtag is commonly used to highlight a particular or special word or meaning so that that particular activity can easily be seen by others looking for the exact or similar content or theme. In a simple sense, it is used to automatically classify exact or similar posts or activities for the convenience of other users.

THE FORMAT

So basically, let us say for example you want to post something on social media and you want to put emphasis on a specific topic about your post, this is where a hashtag enters the picture. You first type a hash or pound symbol preceding the topic that you want to be highlighted, making sure that it does NOT include letters with diacritics (a sign, such as an accent or cedilla, which when written above or below a letter indicates a difference in pronunciation from the same letter when unmarked or differently marked), dashes, ampersands, question marks, and other characters.

Your post will then be classified according to the topic that you have highlighted making it easier and more convenient for other users who are searching for the exact or similar topic. That is how a hashtag basically works but as simple as it sounds, there are things that you need to consider when you use a hashtag.

THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND IN USING HASHTAGS:

  • A hashtag must begin with a hash character followed by other characters.

    Some of the popular hashtags on Instagram are: #love #ootd #tbt #beauty #cute #fashion #photooftheday #selfie

  • Remember to precede the hashtag with a space.

    For example: We travelled to Portugal and Spain! #TravelGoals

  • Make sure that it does not include letters with diacritics, dashes, question marks, ampersands, currency symbols, and other special characters.

    So, typing #Beyoncé will NOT give results regarding the singer Beyoncé. You can type #Beyonce instead. Numbers and underscores are allowed though. For example: #Samoa_Travel_2000

  • The misuse of hashtags can lead to account suspensions.

    The use of too many hashtags and irrelevant hashtags can distract your followers from the important content.

  • Your brand name is NOT needed in every hashtag.

    That’s gonna be an obvious hard selling tactic on your part. Sometimes, you need to use specific hashtags to let other people share their thoughts, talk about a particular topic, and etc. It does not have to be a business promotion at all times.

Hashtags are everywhere!

These are only the basics of what a simple hashtag can do. Hashtags have become widely used and popular that it has become a staple in every social networking posts and activities.

What is a Hastag? How Important Is It?

/in /by

facebook, instagram, network

WHAT’S IN A HASHTAG?

You have most probably seen hashtags being widely used on various social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and most especially on Twitter highlighting the trending topics in the online world. The truth is: hashtags are more than just the most talked about topic. A hashtag may just be a simple number or pound sign, but it can also be a great promotional tool to boost your website and all of its content.

HOW CAN A HASHTAG BOOST YOUR WEBSITE?

  • First of all, let us start by discussing the significance of a hashtag. In the age of social media, we can say that hashtags have really been important in making posts, activities, topics more visible and accessible to online users. Since a hashtag is a symbol we affix to a topic that we want to put emphasis on, or to a topic that we want to reach thousands or millions of people locally and internationally, it has been a great tool for content creators to promote their websites or contents.
  • It is basically just typing a hash symbol preceding the topic of choice, and that’s it. When online users search for that same hashtag, or even a topic with a similar theme, your content will be categorized as one of the possible choices, allowing users to easily see your work. This increases the chance that they will click on your website and read its contents. In a simple sense, it works like an online filter, which classifies posts for the convenience of the online users. But there are a few pointers that we need to consider should we decide to use hashtags in promoting our content.

THINGS TO CONSIDER IN USING HASHTAGS

  • It is important to remember that in using a hashtag in a general sense, especially for promotional purposes, that the characters preceded by the hash symbol should not be separated by a space, there should be no spaces in between those letters or words.
  • It is also important to remember that your hashtags should be in line with your website. Of course it is common knowledge to use a hashtag that relates to the content that you want to promote. You cannot just use a hashtag that has nothing to do with your content because that will mislead the users.
  • Also, using long hashtags can be a disadvantage because using hashtags that are way too long are not too memorable to online users. That is mainly because, it can sometimes be tiring and hard to remember long phrases so as much as you can use as little words to make it easier for the users.

A NEW WAY

These are only some of the most relevant things that you need to remember if you want to use hashtags as a promotional tool for your website. Hashtags are basically a fresh way to promote your website and its contents. It allows content creators to boost their social engagement and promote their contents in the most modern and convenient way possible.

How to Effectively Use Facebook and Instagram to Promote Your Website

/in /by

 

apple, applications, appsA good website also needs an equally good marketing strategy to promote the business, to increase audience reach, and to enhance visibility. Since Facebook bought Instagram, I thought of compiling a list of strategies to promote your website on both social media platforms.

FACEBOOK

  • Post Inspiring Quotes. People did not join Facebook to know drama and gossips. They want to connect and read something that will motivate them. You make can your banner that includes famous quotes and add a motivational caption along with a link to your website.
  • Use GIFS. One way to increase traffic is to use images. The best part is: Facebook now supports GIF. Why stick with just pictures when you can now attach animated pictures? You can use relatable GIFS to reach the millennial crowd.
  • Post on Facebook Groups. While there is an option to make a group private, most groups on Facebook are open to the public. You are free to post and promote anything you want.
  • Make Polls. With Facebook Business Manager, you can create your own poll. You can ask your followers to choose a color of your next product, or you can ask to choose their favorite from your new collection.
  • Boost Your Blog Post. Once you posted a new blog post, share it on Facebook and give it a BOOST after an hour or so. This is a paid service and the fee depends on the duration of the boost, but it sure will guarantee that your post will show up on your audiences’ timelines. Since this a paid service, utilize it wisely by boosting your best products or a sitewide sale.
  • Facebook’s Lookalike Audiences. This is ideal for bigger businesses. Lookalike Audiences is Facebook’s way to reach people who are most likely interested in your products and services. Facebook will be using your best existing customers to profile your Lookalike Audience. You can select a source and Facebook will indentify the common qualities these people. The selected source audience should be at least 100 people from one country, but the recommended about is between 1,000 to 50,000 people.

 

INSTAGRAM

  • Post on Instagram Stories. These stories are viewable for the next 24 hours only. After the time period, the story gets deleted and you can freely add another story of the day. Instagram Stories is great for previews and sneak peeks. If you have an upcoming event or sale, you can tease your followers with the items up for sale.
  • Use Instagram Bio. Instagram focuses on pictures, but that doesn’t mean you cannot include texts in your bio. Usually, people just add their choice of emojis as bio, but you can post links too! It is recommended include a catchy one line bio, a link to your latest promotion, and you can even add an emoji to attract younger audiences.

 

These applies to both Facebook & Instagram:

  • Use Videos. There’s a live feature for both Facebook and Instagram. From time to time, use this feature to interact with your followers. Ask them what they like about your website, what their favorite products are, what they like to see more on the website. They can even ask you a question! Videos make Q&As more personal and not to mention very fun. Your followers see the face behind the website. People can identify with you and they will feel at ease buying from you.
  • Post more than once. You would probably wondering why and think that it would annoy people off your feed. Nope, it won’t. Share your content twice or even thrice. Post them at different times across different platforms to introduce your material to new audiences.

 

The Different Social Media Platforms

/in /by

social media appsThere are so many social media websites out there that you can choose from. The question is, what social media websites are best suited for your brand?

If you are ready for the experience on social media, here are social media sites you can choose from.

  • FACEBOOK has 1.65 billion very active users and it is one of the most well-known platforms for personal and business use. This is a good venue to post updates, photos, news with the users who follow or “like” you. Your business fans visit the site to know what the latest in your company is and see photos or explore your events. Facebook is now using activities to qualify the market that needs your brand. It uses social graph and their ads are effective too.
  • TWITTER is a concise and easy way to communicate with your audience. It has 310 million users and still growing in number. This micro-blogging service, permit short messages that can be sent and received from consumers and potential clients.

    Use hashtags (#) as your key tool. These will surely reach a broad audience than just followers. This is when users involve themselves in a conversation. You can read more about it in this Twitter guide.

  • GOOGLE + is Google’s version of a social networking site. It is like Facebook but it has an additional feature of being able to create “circles”. This separates your followers in many different groups. This is a good system to know which group you would want your announcement to be shared. No other social media can do this.
  • YOUTUBE is another social media that can also widen your outreach. This can be done through Google search results. A grand total of 6 billion hours of video are being watched every month. You must make a good video, otherwise, you will get many negative comments. YouTube also offers marketers the chance to promote their products or clients through its target group. You can also post videos speaking on a topic or webinars where you can educate your audience.
  • PINTEREST is a distinctive platform for marketing. You will post clickable pictures with just a short caption. Every image must be good in quality and should pop-out in your feeds. Link back your images to your page or a related blog. Your caption should be keyword optimized as your caption is exactly how your pin will show when visitors browse.
  • Linkedln shows job experience and professional thoughts that is why it is an important site to those in B2B. Linkedln is not just a tool to drive traffic but establishing though leadership, recruiting, and prospecting. There are less conversation in this site, but you can meet people from the same industry. Ask and others will answer. This can lead to a conversation. It will show that you are an expert in your field.

These websites were in list the list because these sites are where the people are. The more people using it, the more you can convince to give your products a chance. There are other sites you can utilize like blog sites, online photo-sharing services, coupon sites, customer review sites, location-based marketing sites, and the list goes on. Choose the website that fits your brand.

© 2017. All rights reserved. Phoenix Website Design • Sitemap • (602) 388-8622
20 E Thomas Rd #2200, Phoenix, AZ 85012
Phoenix Web Design

Serving: 

Apache Junction, Avondale, Buckeye, Carefree, Chandler, Chandler Heights, El Mirage, Fountain Hills, Gilbert, Glendale, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Mesa, New River, Paradise Valley, Peoria, Phoenix, Queen Creek, Scottsdale, Sun City, Sun City Grand, Sun City West, Surprise, Tempe, Tolleson, Wickenburg

Top Digital Marketing Agency in Phoenix