In the past year, the Twitter and Facebook demographic has dramatically broadened, encouraging more and more business owners to sign up for Facebook fan pages and Twitter accounts to assist in the promotion of their businesses and company websites.
A few years ago, Facebook and Twitter were only thought of as social networking sites that served the purpose of keeping in contact and talking to friends, however now-a-days Facebook and Twitter serve a valuable purpose as exceptional online marketing tools, when used sufficiently to promote company websites. Research shows that today, Twitter currently has more than 100 million users, while Facebook is servicing over 400 million users. Due to the growing number of members using the websites, these statistics indicate that companies have a high chance of being approached and followed on these particular networking sites by consumers and/ even by potential clients.
Twitter and Facebook can assist many companies in building valuable relationships with clients or followers, increasing brand and website awareness, promoting special offers and announcing new promotions. Through the updates made on Twitter and Facebook by business owners and operators, the two networking websites are known to encourage conversions, boost website visits and increase product/ service interest for underground or well known brands.
As the interest in both of these networks has risen considerably in the last year and a half, Gartner (an information technology research firm) predicts that, “By 2014, social networking services will replace e-mail as the primary vehicle for interpersonal communications for 20 percent of business users.” (reference). If this is the case, this prediction already indicates that businesses who are currently consumers of Facebook and Twitter are more likely relying on and using them already to help generate sales and website enquiries.
All in all, Twitter and Facebook are a great way to promote your brand or business to consumers who are primarily interested in the services or products you offer, whether you have just launched a new website, have been established for a number of years, or even if you are looking for another way to build brand awareness.
If you are considering creating a Facebook or Twitter account, here are some tips to get you started:
- Ensure that your company logo is uploaded in the creation process and is displayed as your primary image.
- State your company website URL, to encourage followers and clients to visit your website for more information.
- Keep your username and Twitter/ Facebook URL in line with your company name, to allow your company page to be located easily on the networks.
- If creating a Twitter account, make certain that your page layout is appealing and your company branding colours in your page design.
- Make sure that your tweets/ Facebook updates are always appealing to your clientele and are always kept up-to-date with current happenings in your company or industry type.
- When you’ve created your Twitter or Facebook account, add the links to your website and alert clients of the new account/s. This will increase your followers and encourage your clients to visit your company profile on the social network/s.
Posted by Jess on: Wed Jun 23rd at 12:35:42 PM
The following is a brief summary and check list of "dos and don’ts" for before, during and after your website is online. The information comes from experience dealing with everyone from an individual or small business, right up to national and internal companies. The same guidelines apply in order for the experience to be an enjoyable and prosperous one for you AND the people you employ to build it.
Who to choose?
You might think this post is just a ploy by us to ensnare new customers (this is partly true though we aren’t big on tooting our own horn) but regardless of who you end up choosing always ensure:
- They have a current up to date website
- Their client portfolio is not only decent but the sites they make are, for the most part, still online. While even the best website can’t save a bad business model, they should have at least 10 client’s websites that are live for you to look at.
- They are local. It’s tempting to save money by shipping labour and services overseas but being able to have face to face time or being able to reach them within your standard business hours is invaluable.
- Make sure that even if they can’t service all your needs, they are capable of helping you with :
- Domain name registration i.e. www.thenameofyourwebsite.com,
- Hosting: Every site needs a home and this is where the site can be accessed 24 hours a day. If your business is local, host local, it’s much quicker for people to access it.
- Design: Not just web design but also corporate branding to design your logo and print materials (if they are needed of course).
- Development: Turning that design into something that works.
- Marketing and Promotion: No point in getting a site done if no one can find it!
The more informed you are before the initial meeting the better
Even if you've had a website done before it’s always a good idea to
- Research your competitors websites and list what you like and don’t like with respect to content, visuals and functionality
- Browse and list sites you like regardless of what the site’s purpose is.
- Investigate current trends in web design and features by browsing sites such as: http://www.mostinspired.com and http://bestwebgallery.com/
- Formulate a basic outline for your site i.e. what pages you need, who are you targeting, what does the website need to do, what do you want it to look like.
- Having this information will help the quoting process, determining time-frame, getting the design right etc.
- Never feel intimidated by a lack of knowledge in the area. You’ll find as long as you’re honest about it they will make you feel at home and not talk down to you. Ask as many questions as you like, as stupid as you might think the question sounds they’ve probably heard many more far sillier than yours.
Don't treat it like it's last on the priority list in your business plan. Your website can always be you most valuable business tool.
- Depending on your business, it's the one asset that can be working for you 24 hours a day, accessible from anywhere in the world.
- Never rush it out before it’s ready. If your deadline to have a website complete and online is 2 weeks and you’ve not even sat down for a meeting then you’re probably not going to succeed in that time frame. You should allow from concept to completion at least 3-4 weeks depending on the scope of the website. If you’re thinking big…look more towards a 2 month or more development timeline to include some thorough testing before launch.
- Be excited and the people making your site will share your excitement as long as the next point is adhered to.
Let the designers and programmers decide the best options for you unless you’ve done it professionally before. You are paying these people for a reason.
The pet hate for designers and programmers alike is the client who boasts about his or her previous experience designing this or programming that, or that they have a friend or family member that's "pretty darn good at this sort of stuff". Regardless of that the people you are hiring are also good at what they do (assuming you've chosen a reputable business) and have their own way of doing things. They have also probably had more experience and therefore know the safest path to tread on the development road. They will value your input as long as you aren't delaying things by being overly picking or demanding about things you seem less knowledgeable about or are taking the site in an obviously bad direction. No self respecting web developer or designer likes to put a site out they aren't proud of regardless of its profile and it's the hardest when it has been due to over-controlling client.
Always keep things amicable. The last thing you want is someone who's not happy AND has complete control over your site.
While this would be very poor business practice it's been seen all over the internet when disputes arise and the party in control of the site decides to get their own back by posting inappropriate content on the site or taken it offline completely. If you have chosen the right company to do your site then neither party should ever have a reason to be at odds.
To Conclude
It can be daunting to venture into the world of the web but it need not be as long as you keep in mind the most important things:
- Arm yourself with knowledge
- Choose wisely in who you hand your money over to
- Be open and honest about your level of knowledge
- Be clear and firm in what you want to achieve but also let them guide you to that goal
- Communicate openly and often
I hope this helps you in your next web adventure!
Posted by Ben on: Sat Jun 5th at 03:09:18 AM
Search Engine Optimisation, often abbreviated to SEO, referrers to the process of having a website optimised to rank well in searches made through search engines such as Google or Yahoo. Unlike Google Adwords or other paid search engine marketing mediums, SEO can increase the ranking of your website or increase traffic to your website through search engines, without involving the monthly cost of paid advertising.
Search engine optimisation is an important and an extremely valuable procedure that should be taken into account when approaching a new web developer or having a new website developed. The HTML code on your website and the overall content on your website is the key to ensuring that the website is search engine friendly.
Search engine optimisation will not only improve your ranking through web search results, but it can also take into account other types of searches performed through search engines such as image searches or location searches, including Google Maps.
According to the Front Page Public Relations report, “Websites, in many cases, do not contain the necessary titles, descriptions, keywords and other Meta tags required to be read and indexed properly by leading search engines, nor do they include the beneficial language in search results to entice customers to click through to their websites. "
There are many factors that should be considered, when you are having a website developed.
Some of these include the following:
• Title Tags - Title Tags appear on the title bar of your website
• The Description - The Description usually appears on search pages & can help ranking
• Keywords - Keywords should be specific to your company or website
• Meta Tags – Meta Tags describe your web page
• Alt tags - Alt Tags should be in the HTML code for images on your website
Among the above, the most important factors to consider is the content within your website. The content within your website should be professional and include relevant information to the type of business you operate. The content should contain keywords that indicate what your business offers, your location or office address and contact phone numbers.
Before publishing content, ensure that there are no spelling or grammar mistakes, paragraphs aren't longer than 2-4 sentences and most of all, ensure that there are no images of content used within your website - as search engines can't read text in image format.
If your website is tied towards a particular market, ensure that powerful words and specific keywords are used to attract the right audience to your website.
All these optimisation factors are important to ensuring online success through search engines.
If you would like more tips on search engine optimisation, please contact us today.
Posted by Jess on: Tue Jun 1st at 05:15:47 PM
I believe the children are our future. Okay, I may have stolen that line from somewhere. Nevertheless, it's always fascinating to see lil' uns perform acts that rival the capabilities of more 'experienced' citizens such as you and I.
The following video is equal parts inspiring and disturbing. It depicts an amazingly dexterous and mentally nimble three-year-old girl who manages to complete a Rubik's cube puzzle in less than two minutes. Those of you who lived through the 1980s will know how impressive a task that is.
The video also gives a hint as to why Australia needs to foster a culture of true innovation and creativity. After all, in the words of the Australian Anthill contributor who brought this video to my attention, "This is why the Chinese will dominate this century." While a tongue-in-cheek comment, the truth is that we'll be left behind in the information age unless clever Aussie businesses take advantage of Australia's greatest assets - our creative entrepreneurial spirit and tendency to punch above our weight on the world stage.
Politics aside, enjoy the following spectacle:
Posted by Josh S on: Mon Feb 8th at 06:37:46 AM
Nowadays, if you don't own a website, you have most likely thought about owning one or know someone who does. There are many factors to consider when you are looking around for a website to suit your needs and the type of business you are operating.
One of the most common questions asked is; what functionality should my website have?
There are many factors to consider in terms of functionality. One of the main factors that should be taken into account when having a website built is a Content Management System. A CMS will allow you to have control over all the content within your website.
A CMS not only is of convenience to you and/ or your business, research has also proven that keeping content up-to-date or updating the content on your website regularly can often encourage your clients to visit your website more regularly, which leads to enquiries or sales.
Not only will a CMS will allow you to access the content on your website anywhere within the world, any time of day, it will also allow you to make as many changes to your website content as you need to.
Within a CMS, you will be able to update photo galleries, news articles, events and blogs, if you choose to have these options included in your website/ CMS.
There are many reasons why many companies consider the CMS as an option. These may include benefits such as:
• Time: A CMS can save you time, as you won't have to wait around for your web developer to update content for you.
• Money: Having the ability to update your own content can save you money, as you won't need to pay your website developer update your content.
• Styling: You have the ability to style and place your own content into your website.
• Simplicity: A CMS System doesn't require you to have HTML coding/ programming knowledge or skills.
• Software: A CMS doesn't require you to download additional software.
• Instant: Once you update your content in the CMS, your website is instantly updated.
There are many other reasons why a CMS would be of great value to your business. One other factor that is often of use to most organisations is a “Users” module. This allows different people within an organisation to have control over different elements of the website when they login to the CMS.
If you are in the process of gathering prices or information on website functionality, we recommend that you consider a Content Management System when having your website developed, if you think that you will need to update your website often.
If you would like more information on iCMS, our content management system or would like to opt your website into a content management system, please contact us today for a no-obligation chat.
Posted by Jess on: Wed Aug 5th at 03:43:58 AM
