Welcome to the Official ReachLocal Australia Blog which will equip you with everything you need to know about online marketing and reaching more of your customers online.
In our last blog, we were enlightened to learn about the wealth of benefits mobile marketing can offer.
We briefly touched on the fact that mobile users are all about speed and easy navigation when searching for business on their mobile phone. So if you're still asking whether you should develop a mobile site for your business, then the answer is indeed a yes!
Let's take a look at how a mobile-friendly site can attract more consumers:
1. Optimised for smaller screens. Mobile sites are specifically designed for mobile devices. This means that all content is tailored to fit their tiny screens; whether it's a smartphone or tablet. Viewing content is therefore more pleasant to read and easier to digest as excessive scrolling is ruled out.
2. Speed. Since there's no need to scroll around a website to see the whole site on screen, viewing a mobile-friendly site is a speedier process. Also take into consideration that content is specifically designed for mobile standards which promotes optimal download times. So less waiting means more browsing for the user.
3. Convenience. Mobile websites can be accessed any time from anywhere. It's this convenience of constant connectivity that users really love while they're on the go. And since mobile broadband internet is becoming cheaper to use, more and more consumers seek their mobile devices in a bid to access new information in a timely fashion.
How can I develop a mobile site for my business?
There are many tools available online for creating mobile optimised sites. However, if you're no coding guru, or don't have the slightest grasp of mobile mark-up dialects (such as WML or XHTML basic), then it's probably best you acquire professional help from a proficient web development and design company.
Remember that developing a mobile site may take time and cost money, but it's a sound investment into your business' growth. Think about all of the new customers you could bring in and the marketing opportunities mobile browsing can offer your business.
The difference of a consumer being able to 'like' your Facebook page content; buy an item from your online store or a group of friends searching for a restaurant while on the go could mean the difference of gaining a sale. That user may wait until they get home and forget about visiting your website altogether!
Have you optimised your business site for mobiles? Why not share your experience and results by leaving a comment below?
Do you remember a time when the humble mobile phone was once only used for the sole purpose of making calls on the go? It’s hard to believe, but a lot has changed since then: Smartphones are now playing a much bigger role in our lives today.
People are depending on their smartphones more and more to access their emails, information, conduct business and even shop. And it’s this growing dependency that has created an opportunity for businesses to further tap into their customers’ lives and grab their attention.
Thanks to this extraordinary rate of mobile growth seen in just a few years, market research firm In-Stat have predicted that there will be over 975 million mobile web users by 2013. So as a business owner, it’s not a question as to whether you should or shouldn’t take advantage of mobile marketing, but rather, it is now an absolute necessity to your marketing strategy for maximising your business’ target market reach.
How Can You Use Mobile Marketing For Your Business?
1. Develop a Mobile Friendly Website. Since it’s a lot more difficult to navigate the internet from a mobile device, it’s essential to create a mobile version of your business website. This ensures browsing is simple, easy to view and faster to load. Likewise, keep your emails lean and tailored for mobile viewing. Keep in mind that people want information, not fancy pictures.
2. Claim and Optimise Your Local Territory. Have you taken advantage of the local maps and listings many search engines offer, such Google Places or Bing Local listings? Since mobile searches are on the rise, it’s important that your business readily appears on Google Places when potential customers are searching. Setting up a Google Places page is easy, but if you want some assistance, simply call your ReachLocal Sales Consultant and they will be more than happy to assist.
3. Welcome Check-Ins and Location-Based Services. Whether you’re a restaurant, retail store or provide a specialist service, customers love checking into places using location-based social media apps such as Facebook Check-In or Foursquare. So if you don’t already have a business page on these sites set-up, create one so your business can be “checked in” for the world to see. You can also go that one step further and reward customers who check in. This will create some excitement among your base of fans and followers, and will generate some favourable buzz for your business.
4. Promote Mobile-Exclusive Deals. Sharing is caring, so a great way to spread the word about your business is to get your customers sharing your content on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, email and SMS. One great way is to provide special offers to customers who tweet, like, circle or share your content via their mobile device.
Do you have any mobile marketing tips other business owners should know about? Feel free to share your advice by posting a comment below.
Thanks to the rising popularity of the internet, business owners are realising the importance of developing a good company website and the benefits of social media. However, there is a lot more to designing a great website. It also needs quality content which helps to boost the website’s search ranking. Unfortunately, many overlook the importance of link building, forgetting the major role it plays in increasing website visibility and pulling in top search rankings.
Since search engines heavily use links as a means to determining a website’s value and credibility, link building can bring you an array of benefits if done well. Consider it an opportunity to improve your business’ online reputation, attract more direct visitors and create relationships. Let’s take a look at link building and how you can make the most of the benefits.
So what is Link Building?
Link building is a process where an individual creates inbound links to their own website. This can be achieved by cross-linking their own website content, using reciprocal links and having your URL listed on newsletters, eZines, search engines, guest blog entries and directories.
And the Benefits?
There are many:
Higher Search Engine Rankings – The more links you have pointing to your website, the more likely your search engine rankings will increase and boost the position of your website on search engines.
Increased Traffic – Links essentially attract traffic on their own and bring visitors directly to your website. And if you place your links on credible directories, as opposed to cutting corners and spamming links on social media sites, then you will experience increased traffic.
Enhanced Reputation – If a link to your website appears on an authoritative website (such as an online media publication), this can really enhance your credibility. Links incorporating your brand name on big sites are more likely to show up on the first page of search results; which is great if you do happen to have a few undesirable reviews that you would like to overshadow.
Building Rapport – If you link build wisely and choose to share reciprocal links with people in your industry, you can build your network and form long-lasting relationships. The reality is, if you’ve formed an ongoing business relationship with an influential person, they’re more likely to share your links with their network. It’s also a great avenue for cross-promoting future content together.
What has your link building experience been like so far? Feel free to share your advice and findings by leaving a comment below.
Although there are many different opinions on the best way to lay out a site, there are several key design elements that can have a profound effect on your site’s performance and usability.
Pop Ups
Long a nuisance for many internet users, pop-up ads are still used by many sites. As well as external ads, many sites are now trying to promote themselves by asking users to share with friends, complete a survey or sign up to a newsletter before even visiting the site. For first time visitors this is particularly off putting as they’re being asked to endorse something they haven’t been allowed to experience.
While this tactic may give a small boost to social media figures, it’s more likely to heavily increase the bounce rate for your site. Use pop ups with care and only if it fits with the overall strategy for your website and marketing objectives.
Flash
Not only can overuse of Flash slow down loading times and run the risk of a site becoming unresponsive, it’s also a poor way to show the search engines what’s on your site. Using Flash in small doses can be a useful way to add extra function to a site, but it should not be the primary resource used. Take into account that different users have different settings on their browsers, which may not always be flash-friendly. Speak to your website designer on the best options to ensure that your site is compatible with all types of browsers.
Cross-Browser Compatibility
Checking that your site shows up and works properly in the major browsers is a must, even if you have a preferred version. If your site isn’t up to scratch on each, users are simply going to hit ‘back’ and take their business elsewhere. A good web design means letting users get what they want from your site as easily as possible. If you’re limiting that ability then your site isn’t reaching its full potential.
Homepage Gateways/Intros
Whatever the reason for a visitor coming to your site, they want to achieve their goal as easily as possible; if your homepage is nothing more than a video (that likely gets skipped) or a page with just an ‘enter here’ link, it’s a waste and an annoyance. It gives search engines little reason to rank your homepage and also puts up a barrier for users looking for content. Your homepage or main landing page should clearly communicate to the user what it is you do, and why they should contact you. In other words, you need to give them a compelling reason to call your business or submit an online inquiry.
Unnecessary Sign Ups
While many sites have good reason for user accounts, others do not. Making people log in can complicate their web journey and turn them away from your site. If you do require sign ups, be careful not to ask for too many details in the registration process and don’t automatically sign them up for newsletters. Be cautious of the privacy laws in Australia, and ensure that your website abides by these regulations clearly.
Michelle Wilding is a writer for ReachLocal Australia, and specialises in topics on social media and online marketing tips.
For those who are contemplating advertising through the Reach Local network, I can only endorse there services 100%. We are a newly established company, only 1 year old, and our initial advertining campaign was through the print media. We have certainly struggled in the first year of business, recieving a limited amount of calls, but after...
