It's What You Don't Know That Can Hurt You

Is Your Website Performing The Way You Expected?

On page SEO is the most important process for better rankings and for a successful internet marketing campaign. 

Every campaign starts from the web site and if your web site is not optimized for both search engines and users, your chances for success are minimized.

For purposes of this blog article, we'll discuss the relationship between on-page and off-page SEO at a later time. In order to give beginners a complete picture, I will explain in brief a few basic terms.

Search Engine Optimization :  Search Engine Optimization or SEO is a term that encompasses everything you need to do to improve your web site’s ranking position in the various search engines, and in particular, the most widely used ones like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. This includes configuration settings you have to apply on the website (that’s on page SEO) and techniques you can use outside the boundaries of the website (that’s off page SEO). Oh sure, you can use an online service like Wix.com or Weebly but there are vital tidbits of code that should be uploaded to your server provided by your site host - and these sites not only don't inform you of this critical information, they may well be selling you false hopes. With this being the case more often than not, I would venture to say that the only people who will see your attractive website are the one that you provide your web address to.

Is on-page SEO more important than off-page SEO? That's a good question.

To achieve maximum exposure in the search engines and keep your users happy you need both off-page SEO and on-page SEO. I believe on page SEO is more important and I will explain below why.

1) ‘Speak’ the search engines language: It makes more sense to start with on-page SEO and get it right rather than trying to convince search engines to give you better ranking with off page SEO. Search engines are computer programs (software) and they understand a particular language. With SEO and especially on page SEO you ‘speak’ their language and your goal is to help them understand what your website is about. In other words the more signals you can give them, the more chances you have of achieving better rankings.

2) On Page SEO is about the user as well: Never forget that your primary target is to keep your users happy. Off Page SEO may bring traffic to the website but if it is not setup correctly, if it is not user-friendly the desired results will not be achieved.

3) Many websites get it wrong: It’s amazing but it is true that the majority of websites today are not optimized for search engines. Despite the plethora of information about SEO many website owners believe that it does not worth to even do SEO and they quit before starting. For those cases on-page SEO has a lot to offer both in terms of usability but in terms of traffic as well.

4) Good On Page SEO is in many cases all you need: If you are running a website for a small business and you need to get local customers searching for various terms on Google then on page SEO is all you need to do.

5) Off page SEO comes after on page SEO: In order to start thinking on how you can promote your website you need to be sure that the website is optimized and in good condition. So I would strongly advise you to work with on-site SEO first and then go off-site.

Let's work together to get you the recognition you deserve. Call CompuAssist today @ 705-828-7411 or email us at info@compuassist.ca and discover how we can improve your on page SEO today.

Visit Us Online:  www.compuassist.ca

Read More

Why Are We Not Seeing More Text Message Marketing?

Most Effective Way to Use Text Messaging 

for Your Business

Text messaging is one of the latest crazes to hit the world of mobile marketing, and it’s spreading like wild fire for good reason:  

                                          it is cheap, easy, and highly effective.

If your business has not yet incorporated text message marketing into its business plan, it should be. Just make sure you are using text messaging to its highest potential.

How do you do that?  Here are some pointers for the most effective way to use text messaging for your business.

Offer something. Don’t make the mistake of bombarding your customers with promotional message after promotional message. Otherwise, you risk seeing them opt out as quickly as they opted in.  

Make sure you are offering them something of value.  

Coupons and specials are great way to reward those who opt in to get your text messages, 
and making the mobile customer segment privy to these “opt in only” offers is also a great way to keep them loyal, and to ensure they continue to open your messages.

Keep it simple. When it comes to text message marketing, short and sweet is a good rule of thumb. Remember that mobile phone users don’t like to scroll, and they are generally on the go while reading their texts.  Get to the point, and quick

Know your audience. Are they paying to be able to receive your texts?  
Are they willing to follow-through with a phone call, or a visit to your website?  
What time of day or night are they most available on their cell phones and able to respond?  
Analyze your target market to answer these questions, and you will be able to target your text messaging specifically to them and their needs and, in turn, get higher rates of return.

Have respect. Don’t spam the people who opt in to receive your messages.  It’s an insult. 
What’s more is that it increases the likelihood of them opting out. 

Remember that many people must pay fees to receive texts.  

Be prudent when deciding how often to contact your customers via text and, as 
previously mentioned, be sure you give them something of value, if even just a message of gratitude.

Text messaging can be a very powerful marketing tool for your business.  

Use it to its full advantage by keeping these guidelines in mind.

Read More

5 Ways QR Codes Can Be Used To Promote Your Business

QR Codes As A Marketing Tool

Custom QR Code with Logo

If you are responsible for marketing your local business, then you have most likely heard about QR codes, and it is even more likely that you have noticed these unique-looking “codes” popping up all over the place.

Those pixilated boxes on coupons, advertisements, signs and more are QR codes.  And those codes are your next great marketing ploy.

Keeping up in today’s technology-based culture means staying abreast of the latest marketing advancements, and QR codes are at the top of that list.

Interested in what QR codes can do for you?

Here are five great ways you can use QR codes for your local business:

Showcasing your goods.  Do you have a new product or service that you really want to promote? Then link a QR code to an online product presentation. Feature your business offering in full color and detail, so that when customers scan your code, they are put face to face with your tempting advertisement.

Offering special deals.  One great way to get people to scan your QR code, and to in turn win them over as customers, is to offer a special deal via QR code. Link to a coupon or web-only offer and watch the new business roll in.

Measuring marketing effectiveness.  Using QR codes to market your business offers you a unique opportunity to measure the effectiveness of that marketing. When you use QR codes, it is easy to track turnover rates, so that you can alter your marketing as needed to improve your results.

Branding.  One very creative way of using QR codes to better your business marketing is by branding them. How do you brand a QR code? Well, you can actually incorporate your business’ logo into the QR code, itself, to create a lasting impression on your customers. How much of your competition is making use of QR codes in this way? Not much (if any).  Now that’s staying ahead of the pack!

Social media.  There’s no argument that social media marketing is pertinent to the success of your local business. Link a QR code to your social media accounts to increase your followers, and thereby increase your reach and strengthen your Internet presence.

QR codes are a great way to increase your local business’ customer base. The best thing is that QR code marketing campaigns are extremely cost-efficient, as well as extremely effective.

Read More

The Time To Go Mobile Is Now

Fundamentals For Building A Mobile Website

It is old news that any business that wants to compete in today’s

techno-centric market must have a strong Internet presence,

which generally centers on an effective website.

One fast-growing trend effecting web design is the optimization of sites to make them more easily accessible and viewable for mobile phone users. But just how important is it that people are able to access your business website from their mobile devices?

Given the statistics, it’s very important.

These days, people actually access the web from their smart phones much more often than they do their desktops or laptops. Therefore, it pays to have a site that caters to those people.

Here are the fundamentals for building a mobile website:

Simplicity.  There are number of reasons for why you must keep a mobile website as simple and sparse as possible. First off, people who use mobile devices to access the web must often pay data transfer fees. The more graphics you use, and the more complex the content, the more it is going to cost mobile users to view your website. They will not appreciate that. Additionally, mobile devices feature small screens; therefore, the more you try cramming into your mobile website, the harder it will be to view.

Navigation.  Whereas traditional websites allow viewers to navigate a page vertically, mobile websites utilize horizontal navigation. Generally speaking, navigating left should lead back to the home (or previous) page, and navigating right should lead to the next page.

Content.  Again, due to data transfer fees and viewability, it is important to fine-tune your mobile website’s content. Avoid flowery language, over-explanation, and anything else that is not absolutely necessary to imparting the ideas you want with your text. Your content should be short and concise – just enough to get the point across.

Graphics.  When it comes to graphics, it is important that you keep loading times and clarity in mind.  Complex graphics will not view well on a small screen, nor will they load quickly. Use graphics sparingly. A good rule of thumb when it comes to graphics and mobile web design is to avoid the use of purely decorative graphics, and to stick to using only super-simple graphics that are either necessary to illustrating the site’s textual content or navigating through the site.

Thumb friendliness.  Build your mobile website with the touch screen in mind. Use large navigation devices like buttons and arrows to make it easy for even big thumbs to get from point A to point B on your site. 

Building a mobile website is not that much different from building a traditional website, when it comes to the technical aspects.

However, when it comes to the creative design aspects, it’s a whole different ballgame.

To get the most out of your next mobile web project, contact us, CompuAssist.ca.  We may be contacted via email, info@compuassist.ca, or at 705-828-7411.

Read More

How A Website Can Help Grow Your Business

SELLING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS ONLINE

Your website is one of the most powerful marketing tools you have. By itself it may not produce the results you’re looking for, but when combined with your other marketing initiatives it can be a vital source for your lead generation campaign while helping you increase sales, reduce advertising costs, and produce a higher return on investment. The key is including your website in all your marketing pieces. Whether you engage in online, print, TV, radio, or affiliate marketing, all roads must lead back to your website in order to maximize your return on investment.

1. Your website is a reflection of who you are as a company.

    Your design is worth a million words, so make it count by ensuring it is specifically geared and tailored to your target market. A good design should capture visitors’ attention the moment they arrive on your site.

2. Engage your visitors with a compelling message with instant impact

     Once you have captured visitors’ attention with your design, your marketing message is the key to getting them to stay on and learn more about your company and what you have to offer. Keep it short and include a problem statement and your solution.

3. Ensure your website has a Call To Action

     Whatever action you want visitors to take once they arrive on your website should be clearly stated and highlighted. Say it once and say it again, not just on your home page but throughout your website and at every opportunity you get to increase your chances of converting your website visitors into leads.

4. Use ethical bribes to boost lead generation

     You will maximize your return on investment and reduce advertising cost if you are able to convert more of your Web visitors into leads, which will in turn allow you to establish credibility and build a relationship. The best way to accomplish this goal is to use ethical bribes that are irresistible in exchange for their contact information. Try things like "free trials," "free reports," or "free consultations."

5. Nurture leads easily and effortlessly with website marketing automation

     Integrate your website forms with a marketing automation tool that saves you time and money. You can easily schedule a series of follow up e-mails or phone calls to stay in touch with prospects and move them further along in the pipeline and into a sale.

6. Increase number of customers, frequency of purchase, average spend

Increasing market share means demand will grow, in fact, it might even boom, even if only in bursts. Make sure your internal systems, processes and customer support infrastructure can cope with the increased demand. A sudden increase in business can bring down a company as easily as no sales can. Be sure to add extra staff and be able to increase the product/s or service to cope with demand. Again, market research is invaluable in forecasting what will be needed.

Increase the number of customers:

This may not be the easiest of the three choices but it can be done. Enticing more customers to try your product may not be all that difficult, but to keep their custom and not have them revert to their original supplier means you need to offer more than a quick buy one get one free sale. Know who your competitors are and find out their marketing strengths and weaknesses. What product advantage do you have to attract their customers? Speak with staff about customer feedback and what they might like or dislike about a specific product you or your competitor may offer.

Increase the frequency of purchases:

Existing customers can be easier to sell to, but you still need to get the marketing right to get them coming in more often.For example, supermarkets often place the bread at the opposite side of the store to the milk with hopes you will pick up more items travelling between the two things.The more times customers come in, the more they will buy.Have any customers stopped buying your products/services altogether? What is needed to win them back? Make it easy for people to do business with you e.g. easy purchase process, easy to understand price structure, different options for payment, information or knowledge available at point of sale (whether its face to face, via telephone, order form or a web page). Communicate frequently, make sure it's personalized. Always promote the benefits of your business/product/service. Tell customers how they'll benefit from buying from you again. Offer the customers encouragement to buy, such as alliances or referrals with other organisations, or adopting new products and services.

Increase the average spend of each transaction:

Once a customer has chosen to buy, you should consider suitable ways of increasing the value of the transaction. You should take care at this stage not to offend or seem too pushy. The emphasis should be on the benefit to the customer. Offer volume discounts. Customers who spend "x" number of dollars can buy another product at a reduced price, and as an extra incentive put an expiry date on the offer. Use suggestion selling techniques. Offer advice on additional products e.g. a customer has bought a torch, what about the batteries?

You get the idea!

Read More