Facebook and Instagram

Why We Must Have a Facebook Presence

Facebook is changing. Facebook and Instagram will continue to be a critical part of any marketing strategy for small business.

With a huge audience of 2.27 BILLION users of whom 75% log in daily, this is an audience online looking at content that interest.

If you sell anything at all you should have a credible and up to date Facebook page.

60% of consumers visit your Facebook page before visiting a brick and mortar location.
80% of consumers are more inclined to purchase from you if they find your company Facebook page credible and up to date.
62% of consumers say Facebook is the most useful social platform they use.

Changes Though Are Afoot

Facebook is getting so busy it will start filtering and reducing content served to its users – this includes your content and posts, reducing your free exposure. Therefore as a business owner, it is essential to have an active credible Facebook page. Alternatively, you will fall for the paid advertising model to keep up with the competition. (More about this later).

Algorithm Changes Will Reduce a Small business easy reach of prospective customers.

Simple brand pages with little content and engagement will experience a drop in numbers.

Facebook are to reduce the Newsfeed, 1500 posts could appear on average, this is expected to reduce to 300.

We Need To Be Savvier

Post 80% helpful information directed towards your customers and 20% sales content.
Check and update your page often as you can, respond to comments and messages timely.
Post Efficiently
Facebook Insights suggest the following optimised times to post.
B2B 9 am and 2 pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
B2C Noon on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Saying that in my experience, I do find other optimum times when working with clients. For example; A Hobby store optimum post times are early evening at the weekend. A Furniture design company is popular at weekends and Sunday afternoons, especially when it’s cold outside.

Include A Mix Of Posts

URL posts are simple posts, Facebook pull-in an image from the linked page automatically. The benefit is a click of the image takes the visitor to the page, its fast and easy sharing.

Add some #, your own or Facebook will suggest some from your text content.

Get some #s. You can get #s you may never of thought of online.

Add your own corporate graphics. Make some graphics optimised for Facebook posts (correctly sized images get more exposure). These posts look great and promote your brand.

Add ALT the to your images to describe what the image is, this stronglt has an effect on Google search ranking ;)

Spread posts by at least 15 minutes apart, this is a better experience for your page visitor and is less spammy. Use scheduling to help with this.

Zedcomms are the ‘Marketing Arm’ of more businesses than you may be aware of. We will be please to see how we can support your company growing and benefiting online.

Pricing

February 15, 2021February 15, 2021

Gate Automation Specialist

Livewire Gates and Doors are a specialist in access automation and bespoke security solutions; electric gates and door automation services for domestic, commercial and industrial properties.

We originally rebuilt the Livewire website using historical cached information from the Internet due to the original website being unavailable. We updated the branding with a new logo and optimised the website for search.

Ongoing Service

During the initial meeting, the owner mentioned he wished someone would ‘look after the website’ so we instigated one of or standard service packages that covers website maintenance and SEO of the website along with updates of the main social media platforms; Facebook, Twitter and Google Business.
(Google Business updates• Facebook manage and 5 posts• Twitter manage and 5 posts• Website maintenance and base SEO ongoing adjustment • 4 update reports per month• Yearly Update and Compare Marketing Analysis).

The client’s requirements were to promote the business in a professional manner, increasing the online profile, maintaining search ranking status and constantly refreshing the company profile within several media platforms.

The Outcome

Technical and marketing suggestions have improved business performance overall. This includes the addition of SSL certificate (more secure domain name which increases search ranking). Update of the PHP software on the website, installing the latest software is good for speed, security and search ranking. And the addition of more recently enhanced images of completed works which were not been published previously.

The website is now a much more integral part of the business, customers can see examples of completed gates and doors, the salesperson refers his prospective customers to the site and the search exposure is progressively getting bigger online

Continuous Improvement.

We report our actions to Livewire four times a month along with any additional suggestions to continiously improve the business online profile.

January 18, 2021January 19, 2021

Good search engine optimisation (SEO) habits

Search engines strive to create the best user experience possible, providing the most relevant, useful information based on the user’s search terms. If they didn’t, users would no longer rely on them for information.

Therefore we should provide informative, accurate information to the search engines to attract that perfect customer.

Remember; The only person Google is concerned about is the user – the person searching on Google – so we need to reflect our business online neatly.

This is good news: the more relevant, informative and useful user experience we create, the better the chances that search engines will serve your website pages. By practising good search engine optimisation (SEO) habits, you can continually work to increase your search engine results page (SERPs) position. Here are some top SEO practices for SERP success.

On-page (your website) SEO best practices:

First, let’s talk about the platform you use, some website platforms do not have the option to add SEO information we talk about below. The main platforms like WordPress have lots of SEO options. If your website does not have SEO options within the back office admin area this does not mean you will not show in search results but its restrictive.

Relevant keywords: Using a keyword tool can help determine which words will help attract the most visitors based on popular search terms. Pick the most relevant, popular keywords for your business and try to rank for different keywords on your web page.
Short, catchy and original title tags: Title tags describe what your website is all about while attracting the user’s attention enough to (hopefully) click through to your pages. Limit the title tag description to 55 characters so it will display well on SERPs. Keep title tags descriptive yet short and sweet to help search engines and users determine the relevancy of your page. I like to add a little call to action, see photos, contact us or simply read more.
Keywords at the beginning of page title tags: Google puts more weight on the start of the title tag, so try to keep the keywords at the beginning. All we are doing here is making our key word priority.
Keyword focused meta descriptions: The meta description appears under the title tag on SERPs and gives users a chance to learn more about your company before clicking into your site. Aim for a meta-description length of 150-160 characters.
Proper sitemap: Make sure your website’s structure is up-to-date and easy to navigate. The better the site structure, the easier search engine crawlers can find and index pages. Aim for a three-click rule—customers should find what they need on your site in three clicks. You will need to add a site map and some websites allow multiple site maps for pages, categories and products etc. The more accurate detail you add the better as it allows search engines to know all about your company.
Properly structured, SEO-friendly URLs: URLs help crawlers to figure out page topic and relevancy. Don’t use UNDERSCORE Creating short URLs with your keyword in it, using “-” instead of “_” between words as well as static words (rather than numbers) will help users and crawlers read URLs faster and easier. Also, try to use sub-directory root domains instead of sub-domains.
A subdomain is an additional part to your main domain name. Subdomains are created to organise and navigate to different sections of your website. You can create multiple subdomains or child domains on your main domain.
For example: store.yourwebsite.com
Link internally with anchor text: Linking internally to your other web pages adds keyword-rich internal links to every page. Internal linking helps search engines crawl and index your site, provides readers with more reading options and improves ranking for some of your keywords.
Outbound links: Referencing and linking to reputable (authoritative) sources shows you are a helpful internet information steward that is willing to share pagerank. On the internet, helpful sharing is caring.
Website’s loading speed: Search engines do not like slow pages as they know that users will not wait long for a website to load. Provide the best user experience possible.
Really helpful content: Create relevant content on your pages that is easy to read, unique, helpful, fresh and grammatically flawless. Your content should be so helpful and relevant that your target audience will want to stay on your page and others will want to link to it.
Although not mandatory, using a copyright notice costs nothing, and may help to deter infringements or your website content, look professional, tells your visitor your site is up to date and Google rank sites higher with an up to date copyright notice.

Off-page SEO practices:

Search engine submission: It can take a while for search engines to find and crawl your site. You can help to speed up the process by submitting your website to popular search engines.
Local directory submission: Submitting your business listing information to top or niche directories creates more places where users can find you and crawlers can confirm your business information. Be sure to submit NAP (name, address, phone number). And, if possible, website and category. A high percentage of searches are by keyword rather than business name, so strive to use category information wherever possible.
Social media marketing: Be present on all relevant social channels and manage your online reputation. Strive to get likes, shares and links by being 80% helpful and 20% promotional.
Video marketing: Help users find out about your business by sharing your relevant and helpful videos on sites such as Youtube, Vimeo, etc.
Backlink outreach: Earn backlinks by conducting content PR to get others to read your pages and possibly link to you. The more quality backlinks your web page has, the more authority it has, and the more search engines will deem the page as relevant and useful.
Forums and communities: Answering questions in forums and communities can help to build your reputation as an industry expert. This can provide a possible opportunity to include your website or blog link if it is relevant to the answer.

A fantastic structured way to tap into the search engines

A powerful way to link all this together is to post to a well-structured blog type website like a WordPress website with detailed information about your product and services. Include information that your prospective customer is interested in; what you provide, the detail, location, cost, availability, results, what the problem and solution were, all along with good quality images. Reflect what is happening in your business to the search platforms and your central website. Add to this a consistent social media campaign and you will attract the perfect customer.

Find out how Zedcomms can support your marketing.

October 14, 2020October 16, 2020

Reputation Management

Managing your company reputation online.

A business’s reputation used to be what they said about themselves in their advertising and the reach their customers had via word of mouth. Now, consumers are pushing out a company’s reputation and image collectively by providing real-time feedback online through review sites, social media, forums and other channels. Basically, if it is an online source and a consumer can say something about business on it, then it is a channel where your business’s reputation should be managed. In addition, your company reputation can be affected by listing accurately, or more to the point, inaccurately online.

Digital marketing and online reputation management for businesses

Online reputation management is a part of a greater digital marketing strategy that works alongside review management, business listings, paid search/ads, social media management and SEO to help your business stay competitive and relevant online. While your business should be managing each of these segments of digital marketing to maintain your online presence and (consequently) offline reputation, many businesses are not. They really should: four in five consumers surveyed use search engines to find local information from multiple devices to find store address, business hours, product availability and directions.

Online reputation management: your business has options

Your business’s reputation can be affected at any time on just about any source across the web. You can use products (SaaS), services (outsource services) or people (outsource or hire a digital marketer) to cut down on your reputation management time expenditure. Even if your business tracks and constantly checks on social media, there may be sources that your business is unaware of such as a new review site from a listing that your business never knew that existed.

Your business should weigh the pros and cons of conducting online reputation management in-house or outsourcing, but there are definitely best practices when responding to reviews that your business should be aware of. Maintaining your business’s online presence is one of the most worthwhile services a digital agency or local media company can provide your business and is one of the most worthwhile services you can invest in.

Why your business’s online reputation matters

An online reputation needs to be backed by reviews and ratings by consumers. Without them, there would be no reputation to manage and quite frankly, it would appear as if no one ever visited the business.

Ready or not, consumers are talking about your business

Whether a business chooses to manage their reputation online or not, consumers are talking about their favourite and not-so-favourite businesses. If a business simply ignores their reputation online, the consequences can be detrimental.

Unmanaged negative responses can create an angry mob mentality and bad word of mouth spreads like wildfire. While a business may not realize how exactly one instance can affect their online reputation, it is possible that only one negative post on a highly ranked site can actually be what shows up near the top of a search results page when a consumer searches for that business’s name.

Consumers Control the Conversation and Everyone’s Feedback Matters
Social media is a two-way conversation — businesses can no longer broadcast the message they want people to see. There is a democratic nature to social, with brands, consumers and everyone having an equal voice in a shared space. Customers can rave about a business or let everyone know they had a terrible experience. Social networks have dramatically changed the way businesses communicate. Today, consumers can converse with brands and vice versa as if they were talking to a friend. As a result, businesses have had to become more personable than simply a business entity and manage their social presence in a manner that reflects as such.

Reputation drives conversion

What people see online matters. Approximately 74% of customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations—this is a huge shift in thinking that has become more prominent as time goes on. This trust in reviews translates to dollars, as customers put their money where their trust is. A Harvard Business School study found that a restaurant that sees a one-star increase on Yelp will see revenues increase anywhere from five to nine per cent.

As discussed previously, many businesses find that cultivating their digital profile on their own is too time-consuming. There are reputation monitoring tools that make keeping up with customers way easier, saving time and money. Whatever your business does, it is essential that you are not perceived to be ignoring your customers online. The worst thing your business can do is appear unresponsive.

What makes a good online reputation?

Being present (listed online) and having a good reputation (reviews and reputation management) go hand in hand. Not being listed on a reference site customers use is just as bad as having bad reviews on that site. Building a consistent online presence and a positive reputation is important for both consumers and search engines. Some of the most important aspects of the online footprint include:

number of business listings
consistency of business listing information (name, address, phone)
overall sentiment in reviews
frequency or current velocity of new reviews
the overall volume of reviews
social activity and engagement (especially with reviewers)

Customers now view social recommendations and reviews as more authentic, expecting \\reviews to be a mirror of the actual customer experience that they would experience themselves. This means that maintaining your business’s online reputation is gaining importance as each review is a perceived snippet of what your potential customer expects to experience.

Online reputation management: the main points

According to Google, 9 out of 10 of local searches lead to action, with more than 50% leading to sales. If businesses have a good web presence, customers will go to them rather than the competitor. Once they’re in the store, 79% of customer use their smartphones inside to look at reviews or compare prices and 74% of them end up making a purchase. Those numbers alone make the opportunity clear: online reputation management is essential for your business to get consumers in the door to make the sale.

We manage your company reputation for you

Most packages include some reputation management.

September 26, 2020September 28, 2020

Search Local

When looking for services or products locally,
we turn to our phone first.

Is the local chemist open?
When does the pizza shop open?
What sort of reputation does the local car repair garage have?
– all quick searches online.

Company representation online is important in three main ways:

Be found. People must be able to find your business easily.
Accurate Data. Your opening times, location and contacts must be accurate and up to date. Out of date or wrong information will adversely affect your search ranking and your company online reputation.
Active. Active profiles look better and perform better. Impress your visitors and search engines by updating and adding new content to your social platforms.

Top places to promote Search Local:

Google. Google business is a great place to publish your location, opening times, COVID updates and what’s new. Google account holders can add reviews, which are very valuable.

Facebook with Instagram. Facebook is the most active of all the social platforms for most businesses. Here you can add your opening times, location and attract reviews. Posting at least once per week will keep your online reputation looking good. Depending on your industry you may have to post more often to keep up with the competition. Remember to use hash-tags.

Twitter. Twitter is nice and simple, fast to update and looks professional. For most sectors, it’s not really very active but I always suggest the addition of a Twitter account, keep the account active to help with the overall reputation and it helps with search too.

Directory Listings

There are about 40 recognised directories we suggest you list on. These include Bing Maps, Foursquare, Manta, Brown Book and Show Me Local etc. You can also be active on Yell and Gumtree, this all helps but depends on your industry.

Listing on all the directories requires an investment of time and going forward effort to keep up to date. Don’t expect a huge response or uplift in traffic immediately. Listing accurately on the directories strengthens the business online profile and will benefit search ranking.

I do suggest you list on all the main recognised directories; helps with search local and overall search results. You will notice directory listings are starting to pop-up at the top of search results when searching locally, your company needs to be there. See screenshot.

Last but certainly not least is the fact that local search results are considered the most trustworthy. In a study by Neustar, it was determined that these searches, such as “used games Darlington”, are what people do the most since they put that trust in local business more than big website stores.

Local searches lend themselves to instant requirement and the interaction between browser and business will convert that browser to a loyal customer.

Let’s say you need new brake pads for your car. You want them today; want to pop to town to collect the parts, you may want to look at the item before buying to be sure the right fit etc. A search of say ”Car parts shop in Darlington’ will work. Or you are looking for a local service that can only be local; Joiner, Decorator, Loft Conversion Company, Upholsterer etc. These all need to be local.

Those interactions are what lead people to local searches and the absolute necessity of getting your listings correct. Trust leads to loyalty, which leads to more business, which leads to happy customers and business owners.

And it all starts with that correct listing in that customer’s local search.

Lastly, you should be everywhere. When a browser searches for your local business you should be everywhere, accurately presented with an active and up to date profile.