There are 3.81 billion active users on social media, with 1 million people joining each day—that’s equivalent to 11 new users per second![1] What’s more, 48 percent of social media users have made a purchase after seeing an advertisement on the platform.[2] With stats like that, you can’t afford NOT to advertise on social.

The fact is, businesses that don’t advertise on social media risk falling behind. Small business owners are taking note, with nearly all of them (92 percent) investing more time and money in social media in 2018 alone. Were you one of them? If not, the time is now!

Social media ads help you achieve one of three broad marketing objectives:

• Awareness: Build brand awareness or expand reach.
• Consideration: Send traffic to your website, increase engagement, encourage app installs or video views, generate leads, or encourage people to communicate with you.
• Conversion: Create online conversions, make sales, or drive foot traffic to brick-and-mortar stores.

If you’re a small business owner looking to achieve one (if not all) of these objectives, social media advertising is one of the most versatile and cost-effective tools you can use.

Here are 4 reasons why:

1. Choose who sees your ads.
Have you ever been scrolling through your Facebook feed when a product that seems perfect for you appears? That’s no coincidence—it’s by design. With fully customized targeting options like location, age groups, income, interests, and other qualifiers, social media ads give you complete control over who sees what. Plus, analytics and reporting let you see which ad messages or audiences are performing best.

2. Boost brand recognition.
Just starting a new business? Looking to gain a broader reach? The more regularly those targeted ads appear in newsfeeds, the more people will recognize you. That recognition will enhance your credibility, drive engagement, and boost conversions. Create a captivating blend of copy, colors, text, and even video, and you’re guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.

3. Drive website engagement.
Whether you want people to learn about your company, buy a product, or download an eBook, social media ads are a great way to get click-throughs to your website or a unique landing page. Include compelling call-to-action buttons in your ads, like Shop Now, Learn More, or Sign Up, and you’ll enjoy an influx of traffic from the people most likely to benefit from your offering.

4. Work with any budget and see excellent ROI.
Targeting accuracy translates to a significant decrease in wasted ad spend—which pretty much guarantees a stellar return on investment. Most platforms use the pay-per-click (PPC) payment model, which means you only pay if the user takes the action you want. What’s the typical cost?

Facebook: average price-per-click for Facebook ads across all industries is $1.72
Twitter: average cost per promoted Tweet is $1.35
Instagram: average cost per 1,000 impressions on Instagram is $6.70

Best of all, you can set your social ad budget and make changes as you see results (and you WILL see results!).

Not sure where to start?
Aquarius Designs can lead the way.

When you own a business, handling social media advertising might not be high on your to-do list—so put it on ours! The Aquarius Designs team can work with you to build a custom roadmap for success, aligning your business goals, budget, audience, opportunities, and tactics in a way that achieves specific, measurable results.

Get Started Today. Call 609.336.0114!

[1] https://wearesocial.com/us/blog/2020/04/digital-around-the-world-in-april-2020

[2] https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/23865/13-mind-bending-social-media-marketing-statistics.aspx

Whether you have a retail or service-based business, the key this year is to stand out! Here’s what you can do to stay visible and accessible this year.

1. Know Your Brand
Understand what sets your product or service apart from the rest in your particular market or niche. Then use it in your social posts, web copy, and digital marketing campaigns. Since consumers may not be seeing your offerings up-close and in person, do your best to make the best impression with your words, imagery, and other visual elements.

2. Be Visible
When people start shopping for the holidays, many are completely undecided or at least considering multiple gift options. One great way to make your products stand out is to post a short video on YouTube or Instagram and embed it in your product descriptions.

3. Think of Consumer Needs
With people spending so much time at home these days, household products like bedding, blankets, candles, and pajamas have become the hottest trends. If your business sells items that appeal to consumers spending lots of time inside, promote them to the fullest. And speaking of people spending time indoors, people are buying way ahead of time this year, so make sure you’re well-stocked and ready for shipping delays.

4. Offer a Flash Deal
In the service business?One way to book out your offerings is to offer a flash sale or time-limited discount. For example, you could offer customers a 20% discount if they book and pay for a service before the year ends. This is a great way for clients to save money and your business to guarantee a sale before year’s end.

Aquarius Designs Can Help You Spread Joy This Season

As you plan your holiday promotions, remember to put Aquarius Designs on your list. We can help you capture your audience by sending out holiday advertisements and seasonal offers that they’ll see right when they’re ready to buy. Our digital marketing agency is ready to help you create a meaningful connection with every shopper—every time. Visit us online today!

Picture this . . . 

An angry customer decides to bombard the Internet with complaints and negative comments about your business. It doesn’t matter if they’re true—they’re out there. Google local reviews display them. Local business listings reveal them. And now anytime someone does a search for a company or product like yours, they’re seeing them, too.

Your company is open 24/7 on the Internet. And so are various websites and social media platforms displaying ratings and reviews about your company.

Tips for an Online Presence and Company Reviews That Draw a Crowd

1. Manage your reputation. Put a dedicated person on the job either in-house or outsourced.
2. Know what’s out there. Scour all the social media sites, forums, blogs, message boards, video sharing websites and other channels daily and know what’s being said about your company.
3. Be responsive. When someone says something negative, respond. Something positive, even more reason to respond! Everyone likes to know their opinion matters, and reaching out personally is a great customer service moment.
4. Be active on social media. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+ and more.  And add shareable content to show you’re an expert in your field.
5. Have Access. Make sure you have access to all social and online listings.  Be sure to claim any that are out there so you can control what is being said and answer reviews when they are written.

Did You Know?

Business 2 Community, an independent online community, put out a list of 103 compelling social media statistics in November 2013.  Some of the most intriguing findings?

• 97% of all consumers search for local business listings online
• 72% of adult Internet users in the U.S. are active on at least one social network
• 68% of consumers check out companies on social networking sites before buying

So, what does that mean for you? You need a strong online presence, lots of positive reviews and active participation on social media. While you may be certain you’re delivering a great customer experience, it’s important to keep an eye out for what people are saying about that experience. Be vigilant. If they’re posting negative comments, act fast. Respond. Smooth out the wrinkles. And if you’re finding positive feedback, you can collect those comments and promote them to your greatest advantage. Here are some tips to get you started.

Company Reviews are in
A Positive Experience Makes All the Difference

Company reviews will help encourage consumers to choose you. But just as important as your reviews is your online presence. Nothing draws a crowd like gossip. So what are they saying about you and your website? If your online (and offline) reputation is negative for whatever reason, it’s time to turn it around. Yes. It is possible. But it takes local business marketing expertise and an excellent online (and offline) experience.

Having positive reviews is a must for small businesses—and a main ingredient for business success. A Zendesk survey conducted last year found that 86 percent of consumers claim to be affected by negative online reviews. So what can you do? You have to know what it takes to become the center of attention. You have to know the way consumers think and what makes them act. And that has everything to do with customer service and how you handle each experience. So, how do you invite reviews?

Go ahead and ask for reviews!

There are plenty of people ready to say good things about your business, and you should make sure they do so. Most customers understand the importance of online reputations and will be happy to help you as long as you make it easy for them. Encourage customers to submit company reviews. Have a dedicated in-house employee or work with a local SEO company who can develop a campaign that drives customers to the Internet with their feedback ready to be shared. An excellent idea is creating a graphic button on your website where users can click to review you, create an email marketing campaign asking for company reviews, or create printed material promoting your online sites where reviews can be submitted.

Follow the rules.

When it comes to reviews, what are the rules? Obviously, you can’t pay anyone or offer incentives for positive online reviews. Don’t pose as a customer and post good Google local reviews. This is clearly unethical and it will catch up to you. The same goes for creating fake profiles to criticize competitors. But relationship building can go a long way. Positive reviews mean positive experience, so maximize the far-reaching benefits of each positive review so that a long-term customer relationship is developed. Utilizing incentive programs and other customer benefits, you can foster a lasting bond between each happy customer and your business.

Get social.

Everyone’s on social media these days, and that includes businesses. Not only is it a great way to connect with your consumers, but as any local business marketing company will tell you, having profiles on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ can help you attract new ones. Real-time communication helps make happy customers, which in turn builds businesses. It helps establish your company’s personality and gives your business a human voice that people can relate to. You can also answer questions promptly, manage or build your reputation and positively influence sales. Make sure your profile is up-to-date on all social media accounts.  To ensure success, interact with your followers. After all, they followed you because they had an interest in your services or products. You can show them that you care by interacting with them. Answer questions. Respond to all comments—good and bad. And find out what else they’d like to hear about.

Get your business on Google Local.

Get up to speed on Google + for Business.  This website helps control what information is displayed in a local Google Search and on Google Maps so people can easily find your business. Local Google+ business pages add social interaction to your listing so there’s two-way communication with your customers. You can respond to reviews and post updates. When it comes to local business listings, utilizing this tool is an affordable and easy way to gain exposure.

Create local listings.

Any local business marketing company would advise you to create listings on local directories. Local business listings represent a “citation” or mention of your business—a crucial element used in the local SEO ranking algorithm, not only for Google local reviews, but also for Bing and many others.

Dealing with unhappy customers.

Confront frustrated customers head-on and resolve the problem. Be sure to stay in the loop on all review platforms because worse than an unhappy customer expressing their opinion is everybody hearing about it but you. Take the following steps:

• Respond quickly and positively – remember others are reading your response.
• Have a private conversation – if this is needed reach out to the customer directly to try and resolve the situation away from the public
• Customer service. Customer service. Customer service.

The Bottom Line

To protect your reputation online, a positive offline and online experience will lead to positive reviews. So what are you waiting for? Manage your reputation with these proven methods that broaden and solidify your business, promote your company’s strengths and build up the positive reviews. It might look like a huge task now, but you don’t have to get it done in one sitting. Schedule some time each day, or even each week, to focus on garnering positive reviews, and you’ll improve your online presence in no time!

Google My Business

Google Plus was established at the start of 2013 with over 500 million users. But for whatever reason, this part of the world has yet to feel the presence of this major networking giant. Nevertheless, failing to take advantage of this online network could mean losing priceless opportunities to grow your business. Why? Because Google recently launched Google My Business, making it easier for brands and local businesses to connect with consumers.

What is Google My Business?

It’s the best way for customers to find you. It puts your business information on Search, Maps and Google+ so you’ll be found no matter what device they’re using. Best of all, it’s free! Your customers will get the right information at the right time, whether they’re looking for your hours of operation in Search, driving directions in Maps, or your phone number to click on when using their mobile phones. They can even show some love with ratings and reviews, endorse your content, and re-share your Google+ posts.

So once you set up your Google+ profile and add your info to Google My Business, you’ll be building your brand without even lifting a finger! Need more proof why you need to be on Google+?

 Top 4 Reasons to Get on Google+

Visibility

Since June 2014, there were 343 million active accounts in Google+. Further, 68 percent of online searches are done on Google, and having a presence on Google+ can actually help your company rank higher in their search results! This is a market you can’t ignore in terms of visibility. The results page on Google Search has become a game-changer for brands’ online presence and visibility. Google+ is a powerful SEO force and should be one of your main social media marketing tools. In addition to typical business information, images, website and social media details, and maps, anyone can view and follow your brand on Google+ directly from Google search results. That means the search page is prime real estate to introduce your brand. Plus, having a local listing helps to give you first-page visibility. And along with your other marketing efforts, you’ll have a better chance of appearing more times via natural/organic and paid advertising with Google AdWords.

Connections

Google+ is a great way to stay connected and share with customers, clients and colleagues. Once you’re in the Google+ world, you have access to tons of resources in one single place to connect in any medium you like: Hangouts, Communities, YouTube, Google Search, Google Maps and more. Each optimizes your marketing strategy, taking your brand even further. But first you’ll want to create your community by adding people to your “Circles,” a central feature of Google+. Just do a quick search to find whomever you’d like to connect with. If they have a profile page, you can add them to your Circles to keep in touch. Then you can share content, get updates from others, engage in Communities or create Hangouts for real-time communication. And the more people and businesses you follow, the higher your search result rankings. 

Reviews

Did you know 60 percent of consumers consider ratings and reviews important when researching businesses? What’s more, nearly 70 percent of US Internet users compare prices or read reviews before visiting a brick-and-mortar store. Online reviews play a significant role with consumers looking for businesses and purchasing products. The Internet has made it possible to find this information quickly, and mobile devices like smartphones have made it easier to find on the go. Bottom line—reviews matter. According to Google, “business listings that had at least 3+ star reviews took 41 out of 47 clicks.” They also found that “the number of reviews counts, too—29 of those 47 clicks went to listings that had at least four reviews.” What does that mean for your business? The amount of reviews has big value. But keep in mind that you should focus on getting quality reviews from customers. Quantity will come naturally over time as your business continues to provide great service and products. Seek out good reviews from your customers and be sure to share them everywhere you can.

Sharing

Google+ was built from the ground-up as a content-sharing platform. It pretty much takes the good features of Facebook and Twitter and makes them better. Sharing content is one of the most important parts of Google+, helping you to build authority, expose you to new audiences and increasing web traffic. But you must share wisely. Many believe that setting the post to “public,” gives them maximum exposure, but adding your Circles and select individuals to your share settings is much more effective. It this triggers a notification to them that you’ve shared a post directly with them. Used smartly, these notifications can have a big impact on the amount of activity on a post.

Chances are your customers are already on Google+. Once you are too, you can take your regular activity on social media to a whole new level, boosting your search engine ranking and your brand recognition. If you’re not already networking on Google+, it’s time to start using one of the most powerful online tools.

Why Pinterest for your business?

There’s a growing fascination with Pinterest amongst users.  For many, the purpose is to get and share new ideas, whether it’s recipes, design or fashion.  In essence, you pin pictures to your board, and your followers get insight into whatever you think is cool, important or meaningful. Imagine what this level of sharing can do for your business!  While there’s no tool to allow potential customers to buy your products or services directly from the site, just consider the marketing potential of a Pinterest business account!  Your images (with links back to the original source) can get re-pinned on thousands of other users’ boards.

Here are five Pinterest tips for business that will help you attract the attention of your target audience, improve your website click-throughs, and spread the word about your products or services.

Top Five Pinterest Tips for Business

1. Invest the time

Like any marketing effort, managing a Pinterest business account requires an investment in time. If you are to busy running your business to work on your business, consider hiring a marketing company like Aquarius Designs to do the work for you.  While it’s free to use Pinterest for business, if you don’t have the time, the small cost of outsourcing the task is well worth it.

2. Consider your content

In order to get a lot of traction, you should, at the very least, create a daily pin on your Pinterest business account to promote your brand. While many businesses are tempted to only post pins for the products they sell, you can also post tips, tidbits and taglines that are memorable enough to get re-pinned. Consider using daily themes like “Business tip of the day,” which often lead to repeat visits by people are eager to check out your newest pin.  Remember to include a link back to your website with each pin.

3. Build relationships

Do some digging and build relationships with users who are known for quality pins on the site.  Once these bigwigs get to know you and your Pinterest for your business, they’ll be more likely to post about your services or product, or re-pin your images. You can then take the relationship to Twitter or Facebook to nurture the conversation.

4. Connect your physical presence with your online presence

It’s important to connect your physical location and your website with your Pinterest business account. Consider featuring a Pinterest promotion in an advertisement for your physical store or business. Place Pinterest buttons on your website. These simple steps are bound to get you more website traffic directly from Pinterest and increased sales.

5. Keep it simple

The best thing about of Pinterest is that it’s so easy to use. Everyone’s board is the same and each and every pin is the same size. Be sure to create a board that’s uncluttered and elegant, like the site itself.

Pinterest has become one of the world’s most popular and fastest-growing social sites, so it’s no wonder why Pinterest for business growth is an essential part of many companies’ marketing efforts. If you’re new to the site, or need help managing your Pinterest business account and social media strategy, contact Aquarius Designs today at 917.687.4764.

So what would an Internet marketing company suggest for how to get traffic to your website? A lot! Here’s a quick overview of some easy steps you can take right now to improve your search engine ranking—and your bottom line.

Begin with the right action.

Regardless of the type of website you have, you probably have a goal in mind for the visitors who land on your pages. Do you want them to contact you for a quote?  Should they buy your products? Or share the information they find? Your website needs a clear and effective call to action in order to convert traffic.

Choose the one most important thing you want every visitor to do and make this the focus of your call to action. Cluttering up your page with multiple requests could end up confusing visitors. But don’t limit your effective call to action to just the landing page. You have the opportunity to inspire action on EVERY page, so use that to your advantage. This way, you can make different requests depending on the page, but again, make sure it’s only one request per page. Repetition is an excellent way to reinforce your message and boost conversions.

A few examples:

Call us for a quote today!

Click here to contact us!

Download this guide to learn more about our products!

Choose your keywords wisely.

What’s the key to improving search engine ranking? Keywords! Think about your target audience and build an understanding of the words they might use to look for a business like yours. Then, be sure to pepper them throughout the copy on your website or blog. The optimum keyword density should be 1 to 3 percent. Using a keyword more than that could be considered search spam. So for a page of about 550 words, your key phrases of four words would be repeated two to four times. Try not to jam your keywords and phrases into the copy in an unnatural way. And remember that search engines evaluate all text on your pages, so be sure to include your keywords in headers, footers, meta data, advertisements, and content. This will greatly improve your search engine ranking and increase website traffic.

Examples:

swimming pool builders

hot tub sales in Denver

weekly pool maintenance

Develop more content.

One of the simplest things to do when considering how to get traffic to your website is to create fresh content for your website or blog regularly. Doing this will attract more visitors and give you the chance to utilize your keywords more frequently. Most search engines pay more attention to sites that are rich in content and updated consistently.

For example, if you’re a pool builder, write a blog post about the latest project you’re working on. If you’re a service professional, write timely posts about what you offer, i.e: winterizing services in the fall, the benefits of a winter safety cover, etc.

Get social.

Everyone’s on social media these days — and that includes businesses. Not only is it a great way to connect with your consumers, but as any local Internet marketing company will tell you, having profiles on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ can help you attract new ones. Real-time communication helps make happy customers, which in turn builds brands. It helps establish your business’ personality and give your brand a human voice that people can relate to. You can also answer questions promptly, manage or build your reputation and positively influence sales. Make sure your profile is listed as a local business.

Get responsive.

Everyone knows that mobile communication is here to stay. And when it comes to Internet marketing, your business has to be there when your customers are on the move. You also have to provide the right information when they’re looking for you on their devices. The best way to do this is to make your website responsive — so that your customers have the right viewing experience no matter what device they’re on. Pay even closer attention to important sections like your contact page, your product or services page and your gallery to see how they appear on mobile devices. Be careful about technologies like PDFs or Flash, which can complicate the process

Invite reviews.

Reviews can go a long way for your reputation — and your search engine ranking. The best way to encourage your customers to write you good reviews is to engage them from the start through email, be responsive to their feedback and stay on top of comments on social media. This will give the impression that you’re worthy of praise, and that consumers stand behind your product or service. It’s really about being visible at all times.

Create local listings.

Create listings on local directories or review websites. Each listing represents a “citation” or mention of your business — a crucial element used in the search engine ranking algorithm, not only for Google, but also for Bing, Yahoo, and others. Search for your business online and you’ll see your existing citations and which listings you may be missing.

Track and analyze.

As your business grows, so too will the number of people visiting your website.  Website analytics gives you valuable insight into how you can give your customers what they really want. Through the use of advanced analytics tools, a professional website design company can provide you with the information you need to make sure your website is working at an optimal level.

You need to know how users are getting to your site, what is leading them to convert (fill out a contact form or make a purchase, for example), and other specifics about how they interact with your site. Through programs such as Google Analytics and/or other tools, you’ll improve your website’s return on investment (ROI) by knowing what is working and what is not. Through a variety of reporting capabilities, you can have:

• Full Traffic Metric Tracking – knowing how many people come to your website, from where, how long they visit, and more
• Goal Tracking – how many people fill out your forms and where are they coming from
• Custom Reporting – your most popular pages, keywords people are using to find you, top geo-targeted locations, mobile usage, and more

With these tools, you can create a benchmark for how your website is performing before and then begin a search engine marketing campaign. Then, on an ongoing basis, you can measure and analyze the data to help improve the results. You’ll have the very latest information, making your website run at its optimal level, and ultimately, helping you achieve a higher return on your investment.

Get Started Today

What are you waiting for? Now that you know how to get traffic to your website, you can start today! It might look like a huge task now, but you don’t have to get it done in one sitting. Schedule some time each day, or even each week, to focus on your search engine ranking, and you’ll increase website traffic in no time!

It seems more and more clients we come across are already using social media in their marketing, BUT are they using it correctly?   For our clients, it is a daily job to stay on top of what is working, make changes to those that are not, and focus on ROI and make it better.  With this ever changing technology there are many things to keep on top of.  As social media marketing experts, we follow trends, test campaigns, try new things and continue to stay on top of the latest and greatest. The past few weeks there have been a lot of articles written about the latest 2014 trends.  We follow these trends and have a few of our own.

Content is Key.
Content marketing is still a very strong area that we focus many of our efforts on.  In order to engage users, you must have something to say.  YOU are the expert in your field, however long you have been in business there is plenty of knowledge you can provide your followers / visitors.  Keep them engaged with knowledge. Write articles about the top questions you get from your customers, let them know the hottest areas in YOUR industry.  Be an authority and make sure to continue to add fresh new and engaging content to your website.  Use social media to promote this content and encourage your visitors to share with others.

Have a Plan.
Many customers we speak to go about their social media without any planning.  We recommend a social strategy be in place if your even going to touch social media and expect to see results.  Having a plan helps you set goals, and these goals can be analyzed to see if you are getting a return.  There are so many social platforms out there, and whether you are going to focus your efforts on 1 or 10, you need to plan ahead.  Put a strategy in place and plan ahead.

Can Social Advertising Work For You?
Our first answer to this is – you won’t know if you don’t try.  Various industries succeed in different forms of advertising then others.  Social advertising is a new medium, but one that should be tested.  There are so many variations of ads that you can work with.  You should work closely with a company that understands the differences, knows what you are looking to do, and helps you set goals to make this happen.  You’ll need to set some limits and make decisions on what is successful and when to call it quits. Remember to research, optimize and experiment.

Collaborate All Efforts
If your using social media, have a strong content marketing strategy and use email  marketing.  Connect all of these to make them work together. Your social media efforts should promote your content strategy.  Your content strategy and presence on social media should be promoted in your email blasts.  Your website and offline marketing materials should promote users to sign up for your email marketing campaigns.

By following these trends and tips, you should be well on your way to online success.  Remember – in this type of medium, testing and experimenting are key.  Make sure you can gauge results and stay on top of whats the NEXT hot thing. 

What is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn operates the world’s largest professional network on the Internet with more than 259 million members in over 200 countries and territories, according to their website. It’s truly an invaluable tool for connecting people with current and potential business contacts.

Who should be on LinkedIn?

Just about any company or business professional can benefit from joining LinkedIn. Any business that involves PR, sales or marketing can benefit from the engagement and promotion potential offered by LinkedIn. Many business owners create a company page on LinkedIn for the networking opportunities and business-to-business connections. Nonprofits use the site to find new channels for fundraising, and HR professionals find it quite effective.

Why you should create LinkedIn company page

If you don’t already have one, there are tons of reasons why you should create a company page on LinkedIn.  Not only is it free and easy to use, this powerful social media site can help you:

• Build relationships–Smart business professionals know personal relationships create success in business. When you create a LinkedIn company page, you can easily keep up your connections and  jobs. LinkedIn also lets you search for colleagues, companies and suppliers you may want to do business with. It’s a powerful networking platform for building brands and credibility.

• Build brands–When using LinkedIn for companies, you have the opportunity to build your reputation as an expert in your field. Group discussions and the “Share” function let you share the information you want your connections to see, and help build the credibility of your brand.

• Enhance your online presence– Because of its relevance and tendency to have fresh content, LinkedIn profiles are scored high on search engine results. So, if a user is searching for your type of business and you have an active profile, you’re going to be found easily. And with the option to display, LinkedIn for companies can help drive traffic to your site.

• Find networking opportunities– LinkedIn suggests relevant groups and people that you may know, encouraging you to connect and get involved in online discussions. This high level of engagement can help position you as an industry leader, generate leads and build your network.

How to create a LinkedIn company page

To create a company page on LinkedIn, simply visit LinkedIn.com, fill out the requested information and click “Join Now.” Like most social media sites, LinkedIn lets you build both personal and company profiles. Social media experts recommend having both because LinkedIn for companies lets you highlight products and services, while a personal profile features your experience.  Be consistent with the information you share on both pages so that users have a complete picture of you and your business.

So, what are you waiting for?  There’s never been a better time to get linked in to this powerful social networking site.  Create a company page on LinkedIn today and get connected!

First things first.

Whether you’re a small business with revenue that comes from local buyers—or a larger company with a full-blown digital strategy—if you don’t have a well-built, well-managed website, you’re losing business to companies that do. I’ve see it firsthand, time and time again through my work with clients. Too many companies are losing in the marketplace for this very reason.  But the good news is there are other ways to thrive online beyond having your own website.  The hottest online marketing tools are free and easy to use—and even better, they can build your business 24 hours a day.  Are you using them to build yours?

Get Pinning on Pinterest.

As we move into 2014, image-centric content will rule the Web.  As consumers are constantly bombarded with information, it’s more important than ever to make content quickly and easily digestible.  Enter Pinterest—the social media site that lets users “pin” images and videos they find online to a virtual pinboard and share them with others.  Because it’s such a visual medium, the site is especially effective for pool businesses looking for a way to showcase great-looking products.  Smart businesses are already taking advantage of Pinterest for advertising and style trending. Take a look at some of the larger companies that are using the site and getting it right.

L.L. Bean’s Pinterest page focuses on what its target customers like to do rather than the products. The boards showcase everything from fishing to “outdoor fun.”  By giving the impression that customers like a certain type of activities, its target audience will feel like L.L. Bean would work with their lifestyle.  Its impressive 5.6 million followers must like its approach.

Lowe’s has gained almost 3.6 million followers by focusing on specific boards about a single topic including, “Grillin’ and Chillin’ and “50 Projects Under $50.”

Beauty retail giant Sephora has grown its Pinterest following to over 200,000, making sharing extremely easy on its e-commerce product pages, which has made Pinterest.com a top-10 referrer for its website.

According to a 2012 report by Experian, Pinterest was ranked nationally as the third most-popular social network based on traffic.  If you want consumers to find you, it’s time you got pinning!

Are You on YouTube?

The popularity of video content is obvious to anyone who uses the Internet—and at the center of this revolution is YouTube. With over 1 billion unique monthly users, YouTube is the second-most popular search engine online, and it happens to be owned by THE most popular search engine online—Google. With such an active user base, YouTube has become a hot site for businesses looking to promote their products and services. But not every business gets results from their YouTube videos.

Success on the site depends on what you want to accomplish. You can showcase your products in action, broadcast tutorials or even create an entertaining piece with the potential of going viral.  But creating a video with great content is only half the battle—promoting it can be a bigger challenge.  So before you click the “upload” button, make a plan.

• Create an SEO-friendly title for your video that effectively communicates what it’s about. Use one sentence with appropriate keywords so it’s found by the right people.
• Once you upload it, post and share your YouTube video on your other social media platforms.
• Send an e-blast to your existing customer base with the video embedded or including a link to it.
•  Dedicate space on your website or blog for videos. Simply copy and paste the video’s embed code where you want it displayed and you’re good to go.
• Write and publish a keyword-rich blog post about your video, making sure to embed it.
• Write a press release about the objectives your YouTube video aims to achieve and distribute it online through free or paid PR sites. Don’t forget to include a link to the video and/or check if the site will let you embed the video in your release.

YouTube is no longer just a website for cat videos. Top videos are shared and gain millions of views, amassing thousands of dollars in ad revenue. As a business, you can’t afford to ignore YouTube. It’s time to catch the eyes of more customers.

Houzz

If you’ve yet to tune in, Houzz is a stunning and highly addictive social media site for residential remodeling, design, décor and landscaping.  For users, it’s a source of inspiration, resources and eye-candy for those looking to improve the style of their homes. As of early 2013, more than 150 million photos have been uploaded that about 14 million Houzzers  ask questions about, comment on or save to their “ ideabooks”—personal collections of images for later reference.

Houzz’s images come from nearly 250,000 businesses in the U.S. and Canada, showcasing their work, creativity and products—giving them a new way to interact with clients and potential clients. The pros can ask and answer questions, and chime in on live discussions with contractors, designers and homeowners itching to upgrade. Clearly, this is an invaluable tool for pool businesses! Not only can you showcase your goods, but you can establish yourself as a true expert in the industry.

• Use it as a communications tool.  When it comes to look and feel, photos communicate in ways that words really can’t. Houzz bridges the gap between your technical knowledge and vocabulary, and homeowners’ desires.  While you may throw around words like hardscaping, bond beams and grottos, they may fly over the head of consumers. Communication is the key to happy clients.
• Make your voice heard. By contributing to Houzz’s conversations and articles with your own knowledge, you show potential clients your willingness to be involved and solve any inevitable issues that arise in a project—qualities that can help build an initial relationship.
• SEO comes into play.  When users perform a search on the site, Houzz puts a high value on the number and quality of posted photos, reviews, questions you’ve responded to, and if you have a Houzz badge—the widget to let clients link back—on your website. Those with the most interactions get to the top of the search results. When you post a photo, use the right keywords to describe what’s in it. Think like the consumer.  If you’re posting a picture of some great pool decking, be sure to include that in the title.

The more effort you put into Houzz, the more benefit you will get from it. Consistent engagement and dialogue within relevant conversations are critical to your success. Think of it like any other social media platform and check in several times a day.

There are plenty of other tools that can help you create a powerfully interactive and effective online presence. If you want to take your business to the next level and create a marketing powerhouse online, meet the experts at Aquarius Designs at two of our upcoming seminars. As internet marketing specialists, we will help you understand how you can use the Internet to bring in targeted traffic that converts into sales.

This means consumers are looking for pool and spa retailers and services online and, most likely, on their mobile device. Therefore, it is important to have a website that works equally well on every device and this can be accomplished with responsive web design.

What is a responsive website?

Responsive website design remains one of the hottest trends for the web as it streamlines the development process for desktop and mobile website design, ensuring consistent content across all device sizes. In essence, the website is built once and it works seamlessly on any screen. For example, if the user is viewing the site on a tablet, the page will ‘shrink/stack’ to function effectively and remain easy-to-read. The same goes for smartphone users. But no matter which device the visitor chooses to use, they never have to resize, pan, or scroll to interact with the site, allowing businesses to deliver the exact user experience they want their visitors to have.

Building a responsive website also eliminates extra effort and money that would need to be invested to build a separate site for mobile users. Responsive websites are built using a grid-like system; it is not a framework or boilerplate design.

Building a new website?

Business owners in the pool, spa/hot tub, or landscaping industry need a website to capture new customers as it serves as a source of inspiration, resources, and eye-candy for those looking to install a pool or purchase a hot tub, patio furniture, or other backyard accessories. It does not matter if the business is small, with revenue coming from local buyers or large, with a full-blown digital strategy. If a company does not have a well-built, well-managed website, it is losing business to other companies that have these strategies in place.

Too many pool and spa/hot tub companies are losing market share for this very reason. The good news is, however, there are other ways to thrive online beyond having a website. If a business is embarking on a new website design, redesigning an existing site, or considering a mobile strategy, there is no reason not to take advantage of responsive website design. Here are seven reasons why:

1. Google recommends responsive website design

Google has announced it will be expanding its use of ‘mobile-friendliness’ websites as a ranking signal starting April 21. This change will go into effect across all languages, and Google says it will have a significant impact in its search results, whereby users will find it easier to get relevant, high-quality search results optimized for their devices.²

Google started recommending the use of responsive website design in 2012 as it maintains a single URL (universal resource locator) for desktop and mobile content, which is much easier for users to interact with, share, and link to. Further, it helps Google discover content more efficiently because it does not have to crawl multiple pages to retrieve and index all of the website’s content.

2. It is cost-effective

Without responsive design, it is typical that a web design company will build multiple versions of a website for each individual device. Responsive web design offers the benefit of requiring only one website. This means there will only be one version of the code and one management system to update the content, which saves time and money.

3. Older websites can be updated

Depending how a company’s website was built (how it was coded), there are two options. Either a complete redesign and/or of the site, which ensures the intended user experience, or sometimes the existing website design and layout can be updated and recoded to work responsively.

4. Lower bounce rates

An unresponsive website can lead to a high bounce rate (the amount of visitors that leave a website after visiting one page). Responsive design is proven to cut down on bounce rates because the screen displays the website the way it is intended to be viewed.

5. Stay ahead of the competition

Statistics shows only three per cent of websites are currently optimized to take full advantage of responsive design. This means pool and spa/hot tub businesses have a huge opportunity to gain a significant edge over the competition by hiring a professional website design company and jumping on this new trend.

6. Guaranteed return on investment (ROI)

All of these benefits have a common thread—they each yield maximum ROI. If a website is not responsive, there is a good chance a business could suffer as it will not be able to compete with rival websites that use this design. To grow a business it has to reach more people than the competition; therefore, a solid mobile strategy is important. A responsive website can help to make sure a company has a larger audience and increase the chances of conversion.

7. Customers will appreciate the sleek design

By redesigning a company website, customers will trust the business is doing best by them. Not only will they get a better user experience, they will have the convenience of viewing the site while on the go, which can lead to referrals.

Getting the website’s wheels in motion

Regardless if the website is being built or may have already launched, the goal is for visitors to interact with the company’s website, thus filling out contact information for a quote, purchasing products, or simply sharing information they find. In this case, the website needs to be easy to navigate and have a clear and effective call to action to convert traffic (i.e. turning visitors into paying customers).

To do this, start with the right action by considering what people should do when they visit the website. For instance, should they call? Sign up for a newsletter? Fill out a free quote form? Keep coming back for news and updates? Choose the most important action every visitor should do and make this the call to action focus. Cluttering the page with multiple requests could confuse visitors.

Do not limit the call to action to just the landing page, either. There is an opportunity to inspire action on every page. In effect, different requests can be made depending on the page, but again, make sure it is only one request per page. Repetition is an excellent way to reinforce a message and boost conversions.

Consider form and function

To build website traffic, an effective call to action can take the form of text or a graphic. Maybe it is a simple call-out with text including a phone number to call. Or, it can be an actual form for visitors to fill out and submit. Whichever method is used, make sure it is communicated clearly and the functionality makes it easy for visitors to complete. Most importantly, make sure it is the most visible, highly emphasized element on the page. Here are some tips:

• Make the call-out large enough to stand out, but keep it in proportion to the page;
• Incorporate colour to attract attention;
• Use a compelling design element that complements the website;
• Choose a font that is easy-to-read rather than something decorative; and
• Be consistent with the call to action on every page.

Keep it short and simple

An effective call to action should not be funny, gimmicky, or verbose. Get to the point quickly. To generate traffic to the website, start the call to action with a verb like ‘share’ or ‘get.’ This invites the visitor to pass on some good information or get some benefit for themselves. Consider including a time element, such as ‘now’ or ‘today’ to give a sense of urgency and/or show the site is current and up to date.

Get social

Consumers are doing more than surfing the Internet to find particular products and services. Therefore, a pool and spa/hot tub business should be found in all of the places they might be looking—this means using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogging.

Social media has changed the way people communicate and connect. The digital world has become a central place for businesses to grow, build their brand, and develop relationships. It provides an open channel for conversation and collaboration that can occur anytime, anywhere. Some examples include:

Pinterest

Currently, the appeal of Pinterest amongst Internet users is growing. For many, the purpose is to get and share new ideas, whether it is recipes, design, or fashion. And, when it comes to home improvement, it is a great platform for homeowners to gather information to start planning their project. In essence, users simply pin pictures to their personalized boards and their followers get insight into whatever they think is cool, important, or meaningful.

Imagine what this level of sharing can do for a business? While there is no tool to allow potential customers to buy products or services directly from the site, the marketing potential of a Pinterest business account is staggering. The company’s images (with links back to the original source) can get re-pinned on thousands of other users’ boards.

YouTube

The popularity of video content is obvious to anyone who uses the Internet. YouTube is at the centre of this revolution. With more than one billion unique monthly users, YouTube is the second-most popular search engine online, which happens to be owned by the most popular search engine—Google. With such an active user base, YouTube is a hot site for businesses looking to promote products and services. It is a great way to show products and services in action.

Blogs

A blog can help specialized pool and spa/hot tub businesses show why it is an expert in the field. The company and its staff may have knowledge the general public would love to know, so take the time to share it with them via a blog. Turn customer questions into blog posts and articles to promote the business website. Trade tricks of the trade and trends, or provide users with education on the services and products the company knows best.

Now it is built, will they come?

As a business grows, so does the number of people visiting its website. Web analytics provides valuable insight into how a website can better offer visitors what they are truly looking for. Through the use of advanced website analytics tools, a professional website design company can provide the information needed to make sure the website is working at an optimal level.

It is important to know how users are getting to the site, what is leading them to convert (fill out a contact form or make a purchase, for example), and other specifics about how they interact with the site. Through programs such as Google Analytics and/or other tools, a business can improve its website’s ROI by knowing what is working and what is not.

Website analytics provides detailed insight regarding what is actually happening on the site through a variety of reporting capabilities, including:

• Full traffic metric tracking—knowing how many people are visiting the website, where they are coming from, how much time they spend on the site, and more.
• Goal tracking—how many people are filling out forms and where they are coming from.
• Custom reporting—most popular pages, pages people leave the most, keywords people are using to find the website, top geo-targeted locations, mobile usage, and more.

With these tools, a business can create a benchmark for how its website is performing prior to starting a search engine marketing campaign. Then, on an ongoing basis, the data can be measured and analyzed to help improve the results. With this up-to-date information a business can ensure its website is running at its optimal level.

Do not wait much longer

Given the rising use of tablets and smartphones—and the fact users seem to prefer accessing the Internet on the go—responsive website design is poised to take off. If a business is ready to start edging out their competition, contact a professional web design company. They will have the expertise to use responsive design to engage visitors, conversions, and sales to benefit the business.

Notes

¹ To read more about the comScore report, see the CBC News article (Nov. 12, 2014) Mobile devices used for nearly half of Canada’s web time (Accessed March 9, 2015). For more information, visit http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/mobile-devices-used-for-nearly-half-of-canada-s-web-time-1.2832928.

² To read more about Google announcement, see the WebProNews article (Feb. 26, 2015) Google Launches New Ranking Signal, Sets Date For Another (Accessed March 9, 2015). For more information, visit http://www.webpronews.com/google-launches-new-ranking-signal-sets-date-for-another-2015-02.

Read Aimee Duffy’s Article on Pool & Spa Maagzine
http://www.kenilworth.com/publications/psm/de/201504/files/48.html