Marketing Design Tips and Trends For Success

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description:

With website design impacting 94% of first impressions, one of the main factors impacting if a user will stay on your website or not is your design and its elements.

An ideal website design is simple, functional, and also consistent with the branding of your business. Most good-looking websites use a grid-based layout to make content aligned, they have short load times, are mobile-friendly, and use inviting copy.

Use these website design hacks and trends to make informed decisions for your website in 2021.

Keep Design Clean and Simple

Use minimalistic elements, simple fonts, easy colors, and compelling copy to create a clean website design.

A rising trend in 2021 is comfortable colors. We suggest thinking outside of the box and avoiding the classic black and white. While these can work for certain industries, we suggest using soft color palettes to create a calm and relaxing environment for your visitors.

Use Stunning Visuals

No matter if it’s for your product pages, blog posts, or about us page, always use high-quality images and videos (of course while, at the same time, keeping in mind size limitations).

In 2021, 3D graphics and parallax animation are increasingly popular among web designers and website owners. That will help you stand out from your competitors and keep your users engaged and longer on your website (which also brings benefits in terms of SEO and conversions)

Make Your Web Design Responsive

All the pages on your website need to be responsive and render well on all devices and screen sizes.

To stay updated with the latest industry trends, you can try using vector graphics. These are points on a vector map that web designers use to resize images without losing quality. That ensures your site is responsive without compromising the quality of your visual assets.

Make Your Website Engaging

No matter which industry you’re in, your website shouldn’t be boring. Try to capture the attention of your readers by using elements of interactivity.

In 2021, we’ve seen a rising trend in 360-degree views, as well as micro-interaction elements. These, again, engage users and also keep them on your site longer.

Create a Simple Navigation Experience

The structure of your content should be easy to understand and your website easy to navigate through.

A growing trend in web design is infinite scroll technology, which makes it a seamless experience for users to navigate your website, especially on mobile devices.

As you’ve seen there are some marketing design tips you can take advantage of to create a stunning website.

However, you should adapt your layout to the type of content you share. The design of your website will vary depending on the industry you’re in and the content you share. Because of that, you must find inspiration from some of the best-designed websites on the internet.

Website Design Examples:

1. Avoriaz 1800 – Visite Virtuelle

This website uses animation, 360-degree technology, storytelling, and stunning visual assets to make users feel like they’re part of the experience. Definitely consider creating something like this if you’re in the travel and hospitality industry.

Technologies Used: CSS3, HTML5, Apache

2. Playbook

This cloud storage platform for designers website uses clean design, stunning photography, and an innovative UI experience that captures the user’s attention. The website also uses interactive design elements to create a personalized and engaging experience. Make sure your web design is clean and simple, especially if you’re a technology company targeting designers.

Technologies Used: Ruby, GraphQL, React

3. Animus Studios

This video agency uses animation, videos, and lots of colors to stand out from competitors and also show the company’s capabilities in terms of videos. Try using a similar web design if you’re a creative business agency that wants to make work more fun.

Technologies Used: Craft CMS

4. PUBLIC DOMAIN

This website, founded by Virgil Abloh to show his collections and to tease upcoming product launches, uses big background images, a horizontal menu, and innovative content architecture

Technologies Used: JavaScript, HTML5

5. Globalance World

Globalance World is an investment platform that creates an interactive experience for users to make investment decisions by looking at economic, societal, and environmental factors. To do this, the website designers used interactivity, a fully responsive design, and 3D data visualization.

Technologies Used: next.js, CSS3, Three.js, React, D3, GraphQL

6. UXPERT

This website chose to use elements like animation, clean design, graphic design assets, and an innovative user interface. For example, on the homepage, users can play a showreel to learn everything about the brand.

Technologies Used: WordPress, CSS3, HTML5

7. MAD

MAD is a creative digital design website taking a creative approach to interactivity. The result is an unusual design that surely captures the attention of users, who can play with the logo, move objects, and more. By using experimental and unusual design, transition elements, filters and effects, an innovative user interface, and micro-interactions, this website creates interest and curiosity.

8. Glob

Do you own an eCommerce website? This is the example you’re looking for. Glob sells reusable bags for a plastic-free lifestyle. On their website, they use filters and effects creatively to grab the users’ attention and making web design elements entertaining. For example, users can move their mouse around and interact with designs with a liquify effect.

Technologies Used: WebGL

9. Gucci Beauty Foundation

This website offers a quiz game, shades palettes, and interactive video tutorials to allow users to discover the uses in an entertaining way. Consider creating a subdomain or subfolder of your website, similar to this example, to present a product you offer and create a buzz.

Technologies Used: CSS3, HTML5, React, Anime.js

10. Mario Russo Archive

Using features like responsive design, appealing typography, and storytelling, artist Mario Russo’s archive offers a simple way of showing creative work online. More specifically, typography (font style, appearance, and structure) is an extremely important factor when it comes to improving the user experience.

Technologies Used: CSS3, HTML5, jQuery, Typekit

11. Yusuke Fukunaga

Yusuke Fukunaga’s portfolio uses infinite scroll, parallax, scrolling, and various filters and effects for a simple yet innovative design. Consider experimenting with something similar if you’re a creative professional and want to showcase your portfolio.

Technologies Used: WebGL, GSAP Animation, Three.js

12. IdeaRocket

IdeaRocket is an animation studio making its website popular for its uncommon user experience work presentation. Design features that stand out here include animation, video, scrolling, and great use of storytelling.

Technologies Used: WordPress, CSS3, HTML5. GSAP Animation

13. Omega Funds

Are you in the B2B space? We suggest taking a look at the way this website uses animation features, transition elements, and micro interactions to communicate information in a fun way without distracting users. This is perfect for inspiration especially if you have a corporate website.

Technologies Used: WordPress, CSS3, GSAP Animation, Three.js, Matter.js

14. Low Five Brewing

Single page, uncommon navigation, and responsive design are the features that stand out when users enter this website. Low Five Brewing is one of the best single-page websites on the internet. This technology includes all the content on one page, with no menu at all. As a result, navigation is simple and the website is fast and responsive.

Technologies Used: Vue.js, Nuxt.js

15. Swissdent

Swissdent created a website that uses photography, animated visuals, clean design, minimalistic elements, and parallax technology to tell a story. The minimalistic and clean web design creates a simple and fun shopping experience for visitors.

Technologies Used: WordPress, CSS3, HTML5, GSAP Animation, PHP

16. Goodfight

Using a horizontal menu and layout, responsive design, transition elements, and fun filters and effects, this website creates a more interactive experience for users who want to learn about the brand.

17. Hanwag – 100 Years

Experimental and retro design. This is what users think of when looking at this website. The entire site consists of a single page, which details the history of the Hanwag shoe brand from the first shoemaker’s shop in 1921 to 2021.

18. Vintageria

Definitely, get inspired by this website if you’re looking for a retro web design for your eCommerce store. The website is colorful and uses fun storytelling elements and an innovative user interface to stand out from other clothing brands.

Technologies Used: Node.js, GSAP Animation, PixiJS, Webpack, Vue.js, Nuxt.js

19. Fabulatorij

Take a look at this event agency’s website if you’re planning to use vector graphics for your website design. It uses geometric shapes to create high-quality images that render well on all devices.

Technologies Used: GSAP Animation, VideoJS, Vue.js, Nuxt.js, Netlify

20. BURGER & SAUCE

What elements stand out on this website? Big background images, vector graphics, and responsive design. This restaurants chain focuses on these elements on its website to picture its handmade burgers, with an impressive and memorable user experience.

Technologies Used: WordPress, SVG, Cloudflare

Conclusion:

If you’re launching a new website and blog or are looking to redesign your existing one, it’s important you have original and cohesive design elements.

Having said that, the specific characteristics and technologies you’ll include will change based on your industry and your company’s goals. Follow the infographic below to choose the right web design elements for your website.

Source: WebsiteSetup

STAY INSPIRED: Launching a Small Business (and the Tools You'll Need)

Keep up the good work! 😎👍

*by andreascy*

The Most In-Demand Online Marketing Skills for 2017

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

As we approach the end of the year, it helps to take the time to evaluate where you stand in your industry. Whether you are a new online marketer or you are far more experienced, taking the time to comprehend and understand what online marketing skills are going to be most in-demand in 2017 is very useful. Knowing what people are likely to be looking for over the next 12-14 months helps you to start adjusting your skills and your mindset to make sure you arrive for the latest trends ready.

Importantly, as a contemporary marketing assistant or agent it is incremental to know where you should be looking to expand to so that it helps you ensure that 2017 can start as positively as possible, here are some of the most likely in-demand online marketing skills for 2017.

Marketing Demands Are Smaller

One thing to notice is that people aren’t looking for campaign managers, nor are they as obsessed with SEO and SEM at the moment. That isn’t to say they are no longer important because they are still mainstays of the industry, but many companies have their fill or requirement. Even if they don’t, they can probably find someone easily enough locally now due to the massive rise in people offering these particular services.

If your primary skill base is in SEO then you might want to have a little look at branching out. Many other skills are going to become very useful in the near future, which can help you supplement an increasing demand in similar parts of the online marketing industry.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to close your SEO store – there’s no death of SEO on its way. Content will likely always be a constant requirement in marketing, but you should never just presume that the market will stay the same as it is just now. 

People Need Designers

Are you good at designing user interfaces for websites and apps? Then you are the hot property at this moment in time. People are killing to get their hands on a quality user interface designer, meaning that many people will be wanting to interact with your business in 2017. If you are a talented designer looking for a way to get into the world of working in online marketing, then 2017 is the best year to consider making a move into becoming a UI designer.

The role itself allows you to become a central part of many businesses marketing, as a good and effective UI is needed for anyone who wants to see consistent growth and usage from any tools they use.

If you want to make sure that you have reserved your spot in the long-term online marketing world, then it’s time to start considering just how creative you can be when it comes to making user interfaces for as many different things as you can in the industry.

Presentation Really Matters

Data is becoming a major part of business today, and many businesses want to make sure that they are giving people access to data that is easy to take in. Nobody wants to look at massive graphs or huge sums of content just thrown at them all at once.

So, what you should do instead is aim to become the best local online marketer that you can in data presentation. From infographic design to giving people cool and easy to share graphs and PDFs, you can easily make sure that you have a role as someone who can translate data into a classy design.

Mobile Apps Still Rule

Just as UI and data presentation have been around for a while, so will mobile app development. As the years go by, though, mobile development is going to change a lot and give us access to far more intricate designs and possibilities. As an online marketing expert you need to be pretty good at handling mobile app layouts and designs if you wish to make the most of your present situation.

People are going crazy for reliable designers or developers at present, so it’s up to you to get involved and take advantage.

Statistical Analysis is Needed

Just as companies need to present data in an easy to take in way, they need to see that data in the first place in a way that they understand. If you can manage stats and you don’t mind being able to draw accurate conclusions from the information, then you can use your skills as a data analyst to thrive in 2017.

People are going to be pushing that extra mile to make sure they can greatly improve overall statistical analysis. If you have a knack for reading and understanding key data, then you should be offering your services out.

Those who can interpret and offer recommendations from statistics and data are invaluable in the modern era. People are far more secure and comfortable in talking about stats today, and this extra analysis makes that simple.

Smart Storage Systems and Management Teams Are Vital

Businesses today are dying to get in people who they can trust to help them securely manage and store data for the long-term. If you are a storage systems expert or manager, and you want to maximize your chances of being a genuine success, then this is a role that is going to become increasingly in-demand as 2017 goes on.

People need to have access to storage to keep all of the vast information and data they need to run accurate analytics and business performance. Your role, then, is to be the individual who they turn to in 2017 for appropriate assistance.

Summarizing

Using all of this information you can easily begin to make the right calls regarding what your next step in online marketing will be. As the demand change and expertise required alters, a path will likely open up for you to exploit in the future – will you be ready to do so?

THERE IS MORE: Top 3 Tech Tools for Managers That Mean Business

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*by andreascy*

Use Video to Help Mobile Viewers Connect to Your Products & Services

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Americans increasingly want content delivered directly into the palms of their hands. In the fourth quarter of 2013, U.S. mobile-data revenue jumped to $24.8 billion, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. That’s a 20 percent increase, which experts are attributing to the ongoing spike of people using smartphones, tablets and in-vehicle infotainment. Meanwhile, the Cisco Visual Networking Index reported that mobile data traffic grew 81 percent overall last year. 

These numbers are difficult to ignore. The technology is in place to provide users with clear, informative and creative video content—and now is the time to update how your business shares its stories on the mobile video platform.

Mobile Video Should Stand Alone

Most smartphones can view videos sent through mobile apps or via Web browsers through Flash technology. What you see on YouTube on your desktop is the same video you’d see on your phone or tablet, for example. However, from a marketing standpoint, mobile video ought to take into consideration the ultra-brevity of the medium and short attention span of the mobile user.

The Mobile Marketing Association lists 10 characteristics of a successful mobile marketing video campaign. The MMA suggests businesses start with a mobile perspective and work from there by connecting mobile video into a company’s primary site and landing pages.

Multi-screen connectivity is another priority. The MMA cites how many smartphone users juggle multiple devices at the same time, viewing a video on one while navigating the Web or an app on another. Understanding user habits from device to device will help tailor video for an iPad or an Android smartphone, knowing how video looks and feels in the different formats. Ask yourself if the video is fit for an app, or does it exist purely inside a website viewed through a mobile browser? There’s a different feel and the ease of navigation varies. So as you create a campaign, never forget to think like each specific type of mobile user.

Strengthen Your YouTube Presence

If your company doesn’t use YouTube, it’s time to launch a channel. There’s a lot to consider, though, before you attempt to tap into an audience that includes one billion unique viewers each month.

Brand messaging should be consistent with your company’s primary media. To reach the most viewers possible, video content needs to be posted regularly, so the audience grows familiar with seeing recurring features or brand messages. Sharing video links through social networks like Facebook and Twitter helps capture mobile viewers’ attention.

Optimizing videos on YouTube is also critical, especially if your company is new to video. The average user must be able to find it based on keywords related to your services or products.

Not every company has a team of videographers to produce original content, however. In this case, use stock video through Shutterstock or a similar service. You'll get colorful, inexpensive visuals to accompany your product descriptions or company stories, and these sites have footage for just about anything you could look for.

SEE ALSO: 5 Cool Things You Can Do With The Leading Video Editing Software Programs

With today’s media consumption habits, video helps spread messages. What ideas do you have? Let us know in the comments.

*by andreascy*

4 SEO Benefits for Google+

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Google+ isn't as big as Facebook, but with 300 million active users it's certainly no slouch either. More importantly, Google+ can positively impact your search engine results. 

When you know how to leverage these search engine optimization advantages, you'll find your website gaining authority and going higher in the rankings.

Authority Building

While having an active presence on social networks gives you some authority, it's not the same as building link authority. Many social networks prevent a great deal of authority from being built due to a "rel=nofollow" tag that removes the impact from an outgoing link. Google+ does this with some links, but Practical Ecommerce reports that it does not do this within the text of posts. This means posts on Google+ could have more relevance to search engines.

Social Engagement

Engagement refers to the amount of times that users interact with your content on a website or social network site. On Google+, users can engage with your content by giving +1s (similar to Facebook likes), sharing the content, or posting comments. The +1s have an effect on your search engine rankings, and they also show up on search engine results if you have friends who have +1s on a page.

Indexing

You won't rank at all if your website is not indexed by the search engine. While Google is fairly quick about picking up new sites, it's easy to have the bots stop by your website when you post links to it on Google+. Google constantly looks at its social network to discover new content sources, so it could be a matter of minutes before Googlebot makes it to your site and adds it to the index, according to Social Media Today.

Local Search Rankings

When you have a brick and mortar business, getting yourself on local search rankings is important. As 4G Coverage increases throughout the country, more people turn to mobile devices for information on local businesses. Getting yourself at the top of the pile for a local search may be the difference between a thriving business and one that no one knows exists.

Google's local search features for business tie in heavily with Google+. A fully fleshed out Google Local profile allows you to engage and even directly contact your customers in some cases. It also gives you a place to get business reviews, which show up with your search results. When you focus on your local traffic, you also find that ranking for specific cities or towns is much less stressful than taking on an entire Internet that is trying to outrank you on popular search engine terms and phrases.

RECOMMENDED: How to Engage in Competitive Research to Improve Your Sites' Rankings

Thanks for stopping by, we hope you enjoy our stories and please share if you do! Now i'm looking forward to your input. Hit the comments section and let your voice be heard. I love feedback and fresh ideas!

(Update As Of April, 2019: Google+ is no longer available for consumer - personal and brand accounts.)

*by andreascy*

Top Google Plus Pages You Should Follow

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Have you Created a Google+ Page?

Google has always focused on building ways for people to connect with each other and share information with their friends. I think this is important because people are shaping how information moves through their connections. People are increasingly discovering information not just through links to web pages but also from the people and things they care about. 

This flow of social information has profound benefits - from driving better decisions to keeping in touch more easily. Speaking about Google Plus (G+), is a good way to ensure a receptive audience. Google+ users have clearly expressed their thirst for knowledge.

License: Image Author-Owned

It puts people at the center of the web and has become a very hot topic! It's one of the world’s most ambitious, popular and company-wide social networks that continues to grow into a stronger social media platform everyday. It actually contains a massive quantity of potential for everyone to take advantage of!

Heavy Buzz continues to grow and many people and brands maintain an effective presence on the site, creating well-executed pages which drive conversation and increase revenue. Whether you are an individual, a start-up, or an established company, you still need to make your business social, across the web!

Ever Wondered Which Pages Are The Best Ones?

If you are looking to expand your social circles, Web Hosting Database compiled (into 5 sections) 101 Awesome Google+ page recommendations for Hosting Services, Reviews, News & Tips to follow. There are literally millions of pages, but after studying WHdb's post, I was most impressed with the overall activity and online presence of everyone involved:

-  Personalities 

-  Reviews

-  News

-  Tips 'n training

-  Web Hosting services 

Also, I'm so glad to be featured in their list (#21 of the personalities section). Special thanks goes to Jimmy Atkinson (Twitter Handle: @jimmyatkinson), webmaster and editor of WHdb! I deeply appreciate his support!

So without a second thought, head over to WHdb Blog, and dive further into the rankings and content. 

Don't forget to connect with me! As much as I love Blogging it wouldn't be the same without my readers and followers. You guys rock! 😎💖

What are your thoughts? Would you like to suggest a Google+ page that sets a good example for others to follow? As always, let us know down below. 👇

(Update As Of April, 2019: Google+ is no longer available for consumer - personal and brand accounts.)

*by andreascy*

How to Engage in Competitive Research to Improve Your Sites' Rankings

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

As a business, running a website in and of itself can be a full-time job. As this is often the case, companies (both large and small) will hire or dedicate staff members to exclusively handle website-related tasks. 

One of the most important components of managing and maintaining a website is to make sure that your site is regularly being updated and that your audience is well-researched — both of which will help to improve the relevancy of those updates and your search engine rankings.

The research portion can take several different forms, but regardless of what method you might use to collect information, you should collect it under the following guidelines:

•  Go to websites where discussions and activity surrounding your topic or niche is already taking place. Message boards and forums are ideal places to find out what your potential audience is saying, what they’re interested in and how it can be developed and integrated into your website.

•  Engage the readers of your own site. Most of the time, companies will do this with a poll, questionnaire, an email campaign or even in-house feedback tools. Those who frequent your site will likely have the most valuable feedback for you, which will provide useful information about how you can improve your site, both in terms of structure and content.

•  Find someone else in your niche who’s doing well and imitate them. While you mustn't plagiarize, you should become familiar with sites who have a strong following and solid rankings. After all, they do have these for a reason, and if you can figure out what they’re doing and apply it to your own personal situation, you’ll have a chance in reaping similar benefits.

When it comes to researching and improving your website, there’s no really “wrong way” to gather information, but generally speaking, these three methods will yield the most useful information and results. If you are running a business and trying to appeal to a certain group of people and potential customer base, you need to go where they are and take some good notes.

If you’re able to translate that into a functional website that offers useful content and engagement, you can expect an improvement in traffic as well as rankings.

Here are the main areas you’ll want to focus on once the research is complete:

Improving Content

Knowing what users want to see is important when it comes to developing pages and content, particularly if your business makes use of a blog or similar functionality.

Before you decide on specifics, consider what those in your niche are talking about, what they’re interested in and what questions and/or answers seem to drive the highest amount of engagement.

Adding Features

This might require a more direct conversation with your website’s viewers, so don’t be afraid to use your website and/or social media accounts to get a feel for what kind of features people might be interested in.

In many cases, people will let you know what kind of features or tools they want to see and use. If you can grab ahold of that kind of information, be sure to take their requests seriously — it’s incredibly valuable, especially when you have several people calling for the same thing.

Changing Site Structure

You can have all the greatest content in the world, but if people can’t find it quickly, it’s going to be tough to get a high level of engagement. Search around online to get a feel for how other successful websites are displaying their information, and don’t be afraid to implement a similar structure to your own page.

However, before you even think about making any changes to your site, be sure to do your research and make it a discussion item before you make changes. Again, knowing what your audience wants is extremely valuable, and if they like how your site is currently structured, they may be a bit upset if you change it overnight.

Making Research Work

Knowing the wishes, habits, needs and interests of the audience you’re trying to market your website to is really the best way to increase rankings.

It might seem like a bit of an indirect approach, since we’re not talking about keywords, SEO and all that optimization-related jargon; but getting actual people to spend more time on your site, while still finding it more relevant and useful to their own needs, is the best way to market your site, improve traffic and get the attention of search engines.

It’s the organic approach, but if you’re able to put the time in with research and make some good notes, you will find that it can yield highly positive results.

SEE ALSO: 4 Tips for Creating Searchable and Clickable Titles

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*by andreascy*

4 Tips for Creating Searchable and Clickable Titles

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

Remember back in junior high, when the guy who was running for student body president made posters that said “SEX! Now that I’ve got your attention, vote for Bob Smith for President”? While this somewhat juvenile humor made everyone giggle, it also made people stop and read Bob’s poster. 

Bob probably had no idea at the time, but his technique of knowing how to grab his audience’s attention is something that can be used today when people are creating titles for their blogs. Of course, they probably should not start with the word “SEX” in all-caps (unless that is what the blog is about), but Bob’s poster does illustrate the importance of an effective headline. 

As Verve Search notes, there are a whopping two million plus blogs being posted every day of the year. As a result, it is vital that the headline makes an impact. With that in mind, here are four tips on writing blog titles that are searchable and clickable. 

1. Follow Bob’s Example & Grab the Reader’s Attention 

You’ve just spent hours researching how to create a website. You've written a brilliant blog about how to get the best deals during the upcoming holiday season. If you title it something like “Christmas Shopping -- Save Money and Find Deals on Toys,” it might blend in with dozens of similar blogs. Instead, Verve Search suggests, go with an actionable “How to” title that explains what the article is about, and tempts the reader to read on. With that in mind, “How to Save Money this Christmas -- Even if You Don’t Like to Shop” is far more likely to get a reader to click on the title. 

2. Give Your Title “Open-Ability” 

As Unbounce.com explains, sometimes a blog title will come up during an Internet search or on a social site like Facebook. To make sure as many people as possible will want to click on the title and open up the blog post, the article suggests making it as short and sweet as possible. Use key phrases that are known to intrigue readers. In addition to the aforementioned “how to” words, other phrases that tend to pique a reader’s interest are, “Top 5 Ways to,” and “Top 6 Tips for.” 

3. Tuck in a Keyword or Two 

If someone goes online to research which toys will be especially popular this holiday season, he or she may include keywords in the search such as “hot toys” and “Christmas.” As Unbounce notes, people are more likely to click on titles of blogs that contain some of the keywords they included in their search. Think like a search engine optimization expert, and try to predict what words people will use when searching the Internet for the blog topic. 

4. Be Clear About the Blog's Subject

Yes, it’s important to come up with a title that is eye-catching and attention-grabbing and will entice the reader to click on it and read it. However, as Moz points out, all of this will be for naught if the title does not accurately reflect what is in the article. In other words, don’t make the title so catchy and wacky the reader will feel like he or she is part of a bait-and-switch scheme. Respect the readers who are out there, and let the title explain what the article will be about.

RECOMMENDED: How to Engage in Competitive Research to Improve Your Sites' Rankings

We hope you found something useful in the above tips. Can you come up with additional tips on the subject? Share yours as well. 

Go ahead and flood the comments section! 😍😍 

*by andreascy*

The Future Of Link Building Strategies - 2013

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

There has been major upheaval in the search engine optimization space this year. There have been major Google updates over the years but the most major ones were the Panda and Penguin updates in the previous years. This year the major upheaval has been caused by the latest update christened Google Penguin 2.0. This is an update that takes the earlier major update Penguin forward. While the earlier updates ensured that content remains king, the new update is targeting all spam search engine optimization techniques. 

So in this new era of Google, how does a search engine optimization company ensure that a website ranks well on the search engine behemoth’s results? Though there is still no guarantee that a SEO company will surely rank your website in search engine results, there are a few strategies that have proved beneficial for many and if properly utilized can be beneficial for all websites. Even though Google has tightened its algorithm some tried and tested strategies like link building maintains it’s pre-eminence.

Future of Link Building Strategies

Link building as the name suggests is all about building links for your websites using anchor text (keywords). Many SEO companies target a few keywords which they feel will be beneficial for the website. But with SEO companies building a lot of links for the same keyword, it has raised a red flag for Google. So, what can be done to overcome this? To overcome this one has to have a diverse link building strategy. Instead of getting back links for a particular keyword, you need to use LSI keywords. 

LSI or Latent Semantic Indexing (Don’t worry this is just a fancy name for related keywords) is essential to diversify your anchor text. Not just related keywords you need to use the bare URL of your website to link back to you and also common phrases like “Click Here”, “Read More” etc. This will make your back links seem more natural and you will reap the benefits.

Try to get back links from authority websites as they will give you more value. Websites that do not have authority or websites in bad neighborhoods will only harm your website. Social media is a big thing nowadays and getting links from social media websites are a huge plus. Try to build a brand with your link building strategy.

Need help with your SEO? Contact us and learn how to create your own messaging and marketing system that will deliver consistent sales to your business and save you time in the process!

*by andreascy*

What to Look for When Hiring a Consultant for Your Company

Posted by Andreas Christodoulou

Description :

There are plenty of reasons why your company you should consider bringing on a consultant. A consultant plays a vital role for a business, particularly a small one, by bringing an experienced and fresh set of eyes to a problem. As a small business owner, you may be experiencing a point in the business cycle where growth is not occurring as projected or some problems in your business process are preventing you from taking the next step forward. By bringing on a consultant with real-world experience, you may be able to see your way through the rut that your business is in and move forward. 

When looking to bring on a business consultant on either a short or long term basis, there are some things that you should look for in that person. Below, are a few things to look for.

1. Experience Specific to the Problem

When solving a specific business problem you should look to hire a consultant who has both experience and expertise in that problem area. For example, if you are looking for a marketing expert to assist you in developing a strategic marketing plan or to expand market opportunities for your products, you should look for someone who has an extensive background in marketing and strategic planning. Hiring someone who has experience as a cost accountant is unlikely to benefit your business as much.

As a small business concern, you want the training and experience of the person that you are looking to hire to closely match the type of project that you need them to work on or the duties that he or she will be performing. Check resumes and references carefully to make sure that you are getting the right match for the job.

2. Portfolio of Success and Record of Performance

Alongside looking for a person who has the right experience and expertise for your consulting task, you should look to hire a person who has an extensive work history. Recently the governor of the State of Michigan declared that an emergency manager was needed to help the City of Detroit with its rising debt and declining revenues. The governor, when looking at the type of consultant who would be best for the job, turned to an individual with experience and success working with Chrysler Corp. in its successful 2009 restructuring after the auto industry bailout as well as a noted expert in bankruptcy law and restructuring. 

The governor of Michigan chose an individual whose experience and expertise was matched by success in the type of consulting that they do. You would be well advised to follow this type of process for hiring your small business consultant.

3. Find Out How Many Clients They Are Serving

It should be understood that consultants work as individual contractors and not employees of the businesses they perform consulting work for. When hiring a consultant for your business needs, take a look at their active portfolio. If they have taken on more clients than they can reasonably service, one of two things will happen: either your account will not receive the attention of the person you want, or you will receive subpar work. Find out how many clients the consultant has, to help you decide if you want to work with them.

READ ALSO: All Systems Go: Launching a Small Business (and the Tools You'll Need)

We, here at THE OFFICIAL ANDREASCY, enjoy writing articles that provide helpful information to people seeking solutions and strategies for their businesses. We suggest doing more research on consultants, in case you are in such a need.

Contact us if you need some help! 😉

*by andreascy*