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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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SEO For Small Business

Here's Why Your Business Should Be Online

Businesses on the web 

grow considerably faster

than those that haven't got a website.

Of these businesses on the web,

those with mobile sites and apps

will grow up to 75% faster

Small business can benefit tremendously from SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

and those that don't practise it as if it were a religion are much worse off than larger companies that invest in SEO marketing campaigns.

Just What Is SEO?

A set of rules that can be followed by website owners to optimize their websites for search engines in order to improve their search engine rankings. It also greatly increases the quality of websites by making them user-friendly, and easier to navigate. In short, a framework consisting of guidelines, stages, and a set of controls measured by a variety of analytical means.

SEO BENEFITS For Small Business

More User-Friendly Website Makes It A Better Website

SEO is not only about search engine rankings, it's also about the user. When your site is better, faster, and friendlier, your visitors are much happier resulting in both short and long-term benefits.

Grow Your Audience + Increase Your Profits

Your main reason in having a website is to increase and divide your customer base - that is, to separate those who are followers and those who simply walk in off the street. SEO means more targeted visits due to search engine rankings and most important - more customers.

Opening New Markets

In the world economy, the web is one of the fastest growing markets. This makes a good SEO campaign critical for growth and success. But, social media and mobile marketplaces can take your traffic (online and offline) to a whole different level - in turn, boosting your SEO performance overall.

Improved Conversion Rates

Since an SEO optimized website is fast, easy to use, and compatible with mobile and tablet devices, better conversions mean more loyal visitors, customers, and subscribers.

Building Brand Awareness

Users are more like to trust a brand with a better search engine ranking when seeking a brand as compared to brands that don't have a good web presence. This hidden advantage helps to build brand awareness , in your local area, your region, and even nationally. So it's easy to see how and why SEO can both build and destroy your brand.

Using Newsletters To Build A Dedicated Fanbase

RSS feeds and newsletters, as a means to grow your audience, existed long before social media and so, are important sources for traffic. Email lists and campaigns share no less equal importance than social media, so be sure to add a newsletter box to your site and respond to your subscribers.

Beating The Competition

Imagine to sites selling similar products at similar prices, which one do you think will do better with the application of good SEO techniques? Which company will grow fater and gain more customers - the one ranked higher in search engines of course. You should assume your competitors are practising SEO and employing social media marketing. And if they aren't doing both, you will certainly have a huge overall advantage.

Unlimited Business Hours

Any business open 24 hours per day and 7 days per week gets more traffic and potential customers even when the business is closed. This is another hidden benefit of the internet and SEO.

Huge Benefits For Social Media

Clearly, higher rankings mean more social media exposure. Similarly, good social media exposure converts to higher search engine rankings. A win-win situation. The perfect symbiotic relationship used to increase LIKES, Tweets and Re-Tweets, and Google+ additions for your website.

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Advantages of Responsive Web Design

Top 5 Advantages of Responsive Web Page Design

There is NO doubt that Responsive Web Design is very important for today’s webdesign point of view.

Smartphone and tablet adoption rapidly increases, so does the importance of mobile-friendly websites. Smartphones and tablets have changed the approach toward design and user experience. Before the spread of mobile devices with advanced web-browsing capability, web designers had only one primary challenge to deal with keeping the same look and feel of their websites. However, interacting with websites on smartphones and tablets is not the same as doing that on a desktop computer monitors. Factors such as Click versus Touch, Screen-size, Pixel-resolution, support for Adobe’s Flash technology, optimized markup and many more have become crucial while creating websites with Responsive Design.

If SEO is a core component of your digital marketing strategy, having a mobile–friendly website is becoming essential. Mobile sales have already overtaken desktop sales, and mobile Internet usage is predicted to overtake desktop internet usage by 2014. It is only logical that mobile search will overtake desktop search at some point in the near future as well.

What is Responsive Web Design?

Responsive Web Design (RWD) is an approach of laying-out and coding a website such that the website provides an optimal viewing experience — ease of reading and navigation with a minimum of resizing, panning, and scrolling — across a wide range of devices (from desktop computer monitors to mobile phones).

The designer creating a Responsive Design should ensure that the website’s navigation elements, screen-layouts, text, images, audio/video players and other UI elements re-adjust themselves on a variety of devices. Thus, one need not spend extra time and money in creating and maintaining one “mobile-site version” and another “desktop-site version” of his/her website.

Now, having understood what is Responsive Web Design, let us Check the advantages and why Responsive Design is important while creating websites.

Advantages of Responsive Design:

1. Super Flexible

Responsive web design sites are fluid, meaning the content moves freely across all screen resolutions and all devices. Both the grids and the images are fluid. Just as a liquid spreads out or draws in to allow its content to fill an allotted space and retain its appearance, responsive web design’s fluidity achieves the same result with website content on a device screen.

2. Excellent User Experience

While, content is king and discover ability of content are foremost success metrics, it is the user experience that enables visitors to consume content on any website through the device of their choice and preference, anytime. Thus, responsive web design is about providing the optimal user experience irrespective of whether they use a desktop computer, a smartphone, a tablet or a smart-TV. Responsive web design accommodates the busy professional during the day and the wide-awake college student needing access to your site anytime. No scrolling or resizing is needed for any visitor to access your website from their favorite device.

3. Cost Effective

The advantages of having a single site that conforms to the need of all devices are significant when compared to having two separate websites. One website costs less than two, and the savings can be substantial. Sites designed solely for mobile device traffic don’t offer the advanced navigational techniques found in traditional websites, and they also require the user to maintain two separate web addresses for your site. This is inconvenient for most people and can cause them to check out the competition’s website. Responsive web design enhances SEO efforts by having all your visitors directed to a single site no matter what they prefer to use as a device.

4. It is Recommended By Google

With 67 percent search market share, when Google speaks, search marketers listen. Google states that responsive web design is its recommended mobile configuration, and even goes so far as to refer to responsive web design as the industry best practice.

This is because responsive design sites have one URL and the same HTML, regardless of device, which makes it easier and more efficient for Google to crawl, index, and organize content. Contrast this with a separate mobile site which has a different URL and different HTML than its desktop counterpart, requiring Google to crawl and index multiple versions of the same site.

Additionally, Google prefers responsive web design because content that lives on one website and one URL is much easier for users to share, interact with, and link to than content that lives on a separate mobile site. Take for example a mobile user who shares content from a mobile site with a friend on Facebook who then accesses that content using a desktop, which results in that user viewing a stripped down mobile site on their desktop. This creates a less than optimal user-experience, and because of the large emphasis Google is now placing on user-experience as a ranking factor, this is essential to take into account with regards to SEO.

5. Very Easy to Manage

Having a separate desktop and mobile site requires having separate SEO campaigns. Managing one site and one SEO campaign is far easier than managing two sites and two SEO campaigns. This is a key advantage a responsive website has over a separate mobile site. That being said, there are benefits to having a mobile-specific SEO strategy, such as optimizing for keywords that are more likely to be searched when someone is on their smartphone. For example, someone performing a mobile search for a local restaurant may be more inclined to use the word “nearby” in their search query. However, a separate mobile site is not a requirement for a mobile SEO strategy, and there’s no reason why mobile-specific keywords can’t be incorporated into a responsive design site as well.

At the end it is your decision, whether you make it or not.

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Common Reasons For Website Failure

5 MOST COMMON REASONS for WEBSITE FAILURE

How would you define a good website? Most people answer with something like this:

"I want to find what I'm looking for. Fast."

People visit websites because they're looking for solutions to problems. Even when they're playing Candy Crush, they're solving a problem. They're eliminating boredom or successfully putting off something they don't want to do.

Think back to the last time you were online. It's a pretty safe bet that you googled something, which means you were looking for a solution to a problem. You probably visited at least one website where you couldn't find what you were looking for.

The result? You left the website to find one where you could easily find what you were looking for.

The same thing happens on your website. People visit your site for specific information and go elsewhere if they can't find it. And since we're all super busy with attention spans shorter than goldfish, we want to find that info as quickly as possible.

Here are five common things that cause websites to fail...and what to do instead.

1. Confusing Navigation
Your navigation menu is the list of links at the top of your website (about, contact, etc). It's how people find their way around your website.

The names of your navigation items should clearly identify what they link to. Save your creativity for you work and use standard names in your navigation to make it easy for people to find things. If you have a link to your blog, call it 'blog' instead of 'musings' or 'thoughts'.

2. Homepage Overwhelm
A lot of people treat their homepage as a bulletin board. They cram as much onto its possible—image sliders, welcome messages, opt-ins, social media icons, blog posts, services, the works.
This completely overwhelms website visitors. There are too many options to choose from, so visitors choose none and leave the website.

Use your homepage to clearly guide visitors to complete your primary website goal, and direct them to what they should do next.

3. Not Mobile Responsive
You know those annoying websites you have to scrunch and zoom to be able to read on your phone? Those websites are not mobile responsive, which makes them hard to use on phones and tablets. 
60% of people use their phones to access the internet. Even when they're at home, people are online on their phones and tablets whilst watching TV. If your website is hard to read on mobile devices, they won't stick around.

Mobile responsiveness is such a big deal that, as of April 21st 2015, Google will penalize websites that aren't mobile-friendly by not displaying them in search results on mobile devices. That means your website will not be found by the 60% of people who are googling on their phones.

4. Hard to Read
People are busy, and sometimes just plain lazy. If your website is hard to read, they'll leave and find a website that doesn't make them squint.
Fonts, colors, contrast, hierarchy, line height, letter spacing, line length and whitespace are just some of the factors that contribute to readability. Web designers take all of these factors into consideration when designing a website because they know the importance of readability in keeping visitors on your website.
Here are two things to check without going into the geeky designer details:
Fonts
Have three people look at your website on computers and mobile devices. Can they easily read the text? Are any fonts hard to read? Is the text too small or too big?
Contrast

High contrast (black text on a white background) makes things easier to read. Low contrast (gray text on a slightly darker gray background) makes things harder to read. Ask those same three people if they can easily see the contrast between the text and background.

5. Form Frustration
I was about to buy an ebook the other day...until I hit the buy button. I was presented with a long form asking for my name, email address, mailing address, phone number, gender and date of birth.
What?! It was a simple PDF download to be paid with PayPal. Why were they asking all those irrelevant, personal details?
I left without buying the book. Shocker.
The same thing happens on your contact form, newsletter signup form, checkout form and other forms on your website. The more people have to fill out, they less likely they are to actually do it.

Keep your forms simple and only ask for information you actually need.

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