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atdny · 1 year

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Website Maintenance Tips Every Business Owner Should Know

While website owners do not need to keep their own sites up and running, it’s still very important for them to know how to manage their sites. Your site needs to be kept up-to-date, secure, and accessible with regular updates. Otherwise Google will not show it much traffic love. If you don’t have the resources to hire a full-time webmaster, then it’s a good idea to at least know the basics of website maintenance.

What is website maintenance?

Website maintenance is a vital part of the modern web, and having a solid website maintenance plan can mean the difference between a site that is running at peak performance and one that is, well, not. These days, site performance is more than just a convenience: it can mean the difference between a site that gets noticed and one that is never found. With search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo getting smarter, and the eternal arms race between hackers and defenders constantly in play, site maintenance has never been more important.

Why is maintenance important for the health of your website?

Just like your body needs regular checkups and stays at the gym to stay healthy, the same is true for your website. Whether you employ a professional or do it yourself, regular maintenance is important for keeping your site healthy. Having an active website is important for both commercial and non-commercial reasons. If your site is not maintained, it will lose Google ranking, attract lots of spam traffic and have poor SEO ratings which will lead to decreased profits and popularity.

When should you consider website maintenance?

Keeping your website up-to-date is important, but sometimes you need to focus your attention on it and not just when something breaks or it’s time to add a new feature. Depending on your business, you might want to schedule a maintenance plan only when your site has been down for an hour or when you have a lot of bugs because you can’t be up-to-date. For other businesses, it may be a good idea to schedule maintenance when things get quiet, so that you don’t disrupt any of your site’s visitors.

Who can provide your business website maintenance?

A maintenance contract is a great way to ensure that your site is running properly, and that your Internet hosting provider can quickly handle any issues that arise. Web hosting companies can offer all kinds of maintenance contracts, but you should take a close look before you commit. Some maintenance packages only provide basic services, and might not be worth the money, but others provide a lot more. For example, the company may cover security monitoring, so they can quickly fix any security holes that crop up, while others offer database backup services that are especially valuable if you have customer data stored on your site.

Website Maintenance: Steps to take

Regular website maintenance is not just about updating your site or working on your site here and there, it is also about maintaining a healthy site on a regular basis. Being proactive with website maintenance can save you headache down the road and keep Google happy too. Following a simple set of steps can keep your website healthy and looking its best so your marketing efforts are optimized for success.

1. Checking Your Website for Broken Links

Clicking on a broken link is a surefire way to ruin your online experience. The links on your website may appear to work perfectly fine for you, but there’s no telling how they’ll eventually behave for your visitors. Before going live, you should thoroughly check all of your website’s links for errors to ensure that all of the links you place on your website will take visitors to the pages they expect to land on.

2. Updating Your Website CMS

If you are thinking about updating your website CMS version (Content Management System), you may be wondering how much work updating your CMS will be. Updating a CMS can be quite simple, or it can be a very complicated process depending on two things: how outdated your current CMS is, and what kind of CMS you are updating to.

When your website design company says “You need to update your CMS”, you might dread that moment. But it doesn’t have to be scary! For technically savvy people, updating a CMS may be a fairly easy task. But for those uncomfortable with php code and databases, it can be overwhelming. Sometimes it’s best to consider hiring an expert to update your website CMS for you.

3. Update Your Website Plugins

Updating your plugins is a necessary evil that every website owner must face. It’s not the most fun thing to do, but without it, security holes and other problems can creep into your site and cause all sorts of trouble. We recommend you stay on top of your WordPress plugin updates; otherwise you can wake up to a broken website which may, or may not be recoverable!

4. Browser Compatibility Testing

Browser compatibility testing is one of the most frustrating and time-consuming steps of our web development process. User experience is very important and while there are several automated solutions for testing website compatibility, many of them do not give you the advanced features you need to make sure your visitors can access your site and convert into a lead or customer! Be sure to test for all the issues your visitors can experience.

5. Cleaning & Optimizing CSS

When you first launch a website, it’s difficult to imagine how to optimize your CSS. You might start with one file, your HTML, and everything seems fine, but then, as you add more features and functionality to your site, you start to have problems. At some point, your HTML may become too bloated to effectively describe all of the content you want to display. Further, CSS can be difficult to maintain, especially if you are not a designer. Optimizing every component of your website will make it easier to maintain while making it a more effective asset for your business.

6. Testing Mobile Access

We all know that designing and building a site with clean, easy-to-use, mobile-friendly navigation is key to a site’s success. However, if your site isn’t designed to be mobile-friendly, you’ll be missing out on a large portion of your potential audience: Mobile internet usage is up 83% from 2013, and about 50% of all web traffic will be mobile by the end of this year. This is an aspect of site design that should be taken seriously, and while there are several free online tools to help you test your website’s mobile capability, there are several factors that should be taken into consideration when deciding on a mobile testing tool.

7. Optimizing for Speed

We all know that having a fast website is important to us, but what is considered fast load speeds and what exactly are we trying to accomplish? Having a fast website is great, however, if it is not loading the correct images, or if it is not loading the correct content it may not matter how fast it is. Not sure if you are meeting Google’s expectations for fast speed times? Take a look at the many tools that are available to help you check your website load times. You can also check your Google Analytics for speed optimization information.

There are numerous factors that determine the speed at which a website loads. The top three factors in website loading times are the quality of the host, the website owner’s website maintenance schedule, and the website hosting company. If you’re unsure about the speed of your website, we can help you better understand! Nothing makes people leave a site faster than slow load times.

8. SEO Optimization

Many website owners think that Search engine optimization is part of the process of website maintenance. This is a very common question we get from our clients. Maintaining websites SEO utilities is a part of maintaining a website. This includes plugins, optimizing new content and media, etc. But managing older content and media as well as “big picture” search engine optimization is more of an SEO service.

9. Perform Test Purchases

When you update parts of your website, it’s important to make sure all functions are working properly afterward. Especially on e-commerce websites. Using test purchases is often the only way to verify that your customer-facing website is working exactly as it should. When you’re visually inspecting your website, you’re not necessarily looking for all functionality. For instance, you might be looking for a missing link on the navigation bar, or an error message that pops up when you try to add an item to your shopping cart. But if all that is functioning properly on the updated version of your site, and no one can actually place an order, you’re losing money!

10. Back Up Your Website

Just like you back-up your documents, pictures, and other important files, it’s important to back-up your website as well. If you’re running a website, chances are you’re using a hosting service to help you keep your site up and running. This is great because it ensures you’ll always have a place to host your site, but there’s one thing you should know: your hosting provider may not back-up your site for you. And losing your website can be a real pain.

If you’re using a web host that does not offer backup services, we can help!

11. Update Copyright Notices Annually

Making sure that your site’s copyright information is up-to-date is a good idea on a number of levels. First, with the rise of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, you need to make sure that the information on your site’s copyright page is updated to reflect that you have registered your site with the U.S. Copyright Office. Most won’t have to worry about this, but it’s a safeguard against anyone who might try to claim that your site’s content is theirs.

12. Review Legal Disclaimers

Websites are not static. They are a living, breathing document that requires regular maintenance. The same goes for your website’s legal disclaimers. In fact, an increasing number of court cases have ruled in favor of litigants citing the language in a website’s legal disclaimers as the reason why they have been defrauded or injured. If your legal disclaimers are out of date and not in sync with your website’s content, you may be putting yourself at risk for costly litigation.

13. Make your site https / SSL secure

When you’re setting up a new website or maintaining an older website, one of the first things you should consider is whether or not you need an SSL certificate. What is an SSL certificate? It’s a security protocol that encrypts your website’s connection to users, and lets them know that the site is legitimate and has been verified by a trusted certification authority. “Free” SSL certificates used to be commonplace, but now that Let’s Encrypt has brought the cost down to $0, there are very few reasons not to have one.

For better search engine rankings and the peace of mind of your site visitors, go secure. Your Google Analytics and Search Console may need to be updated after you move from an HTTP site to an HTTPS secure site. Keeping track of your site and its security updates will help ensure the success of your business online.

14. Test All the Opt-in Forms on Your Website.

Sometimes website owners will contact us as they feel their website is becoming ineffective. Maybe their conversion rates are decreasing over time. They stop getting calls, leads and sales. Interestingly enough, the cause of this problem is sometimes a broken contact form or form code errors on the website. Site visitors are literally unable to submit their email, enter their information for you to contact them, or even make a purchase. This is inexcusable! It’s imperative to test your websites forms and source code after each and every update to be sure they are still working properly. You could be losing out on potential customers email addresses, contact info or even purchases.

15. Change Your Passwords regularly

You’ve probably heard about how important it is to change your passwords regularly, but why is that? It’s important because a lot of people don’t tend to write down the passwords to their online accounts, so if someone gets hold of your password, then they can easily access your accounts without you knowing. Not only that, but when you change your passwords regularly, it means that if someone DID find out your password, then it would only be good for a short period of time. For something that is as important as control of your website, it’s worth taking a few extra minutes to change your passwords regularly.

16. Keep websites contact information updated

Keeping your contact information current is a necessary part of owning a website. If you can’t be reached quickly and easily that could mean lost sales, lost customers, and frustrated friends. If you want to make sure you stay in touch and don’t miss any of the action, keep your records up to date. This will allow your clients to reach you quickly and easily. Your website is your online salesperson. It’s your online representative. Keeping it current will keep you competitive in your field.

17. Fix Broken Links and Images

If you own a website, you probably know that images are important but also break from time to time. A minor code update can wreak havoc on a website. Now, if you are like most people, you may ignore any broken image you find. This is a bad idea. All that broken image can do is confuse your audience, turning them off to your site. Luckily, there are a few really easy ways to fix broken images on your site, and the solution that works best for you will depend on what kind of website you have.

What benefits does a well maintained website provide?

A well maintained website provides many benefits. A well maintained website attracts more clients, and a well maintained website is easier for potential clients to navigate. There is a direct correlation between the popularity of a website and the amount of maintenance that is done to keep it current. A website is a form of advertising that has a much greater potential than any printed advertisement. A well maintained website is also much easier to navigate. Visitors to the website are less likely to become frustrated and leave.

If you’re searching for quick website maintenance tips or an affordable maintenance service or help with separate website maintenance tasks, get in touch! We always use clean code, design search engine friendly sites and can even keep your site maintenance current with content updates, good search ranking and any type of functionality you’re looking to achieve!

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atdny · 1 year

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Are You Wasting Money On Adwords?

Adwords, or Google Ads is a pay-per-click (PPC) online advertising platform that businesses use to promote their products or services to internet users. You have the option to have your ads placed in the Google Search Network and / or Google Display Network. In a pay-per-click advertising model, you pay when your ad is clicked.

The Google Search Network includes the Google search results pages as well as those of its Search Partners, the non-Google search and directory sites that show Google ads. The search partners expand the space for search ads placement beyond the Google search results pages.

The Google Display Network includes over two million websites, apps and videos that agreed to show Google Ads to at least 90% of Internet users worldwide. The Display network also includes Google websites such as Google Finance, Blogger, Gmail and YouTube.

In addition to its massive network of ad placement sites, Google Ads is continually offering new features that help advertisers to customize their ads, target the right audiences and control their budgets. However these positive features of Google Ads are not easy to understand for some advertisers, they end up losing money on the platform.

Are You Wasting Money On Google Ads?

Millions of businesses are using Google Ads to advertise their products and services online. They would not continue using Google Ads if they don’t get their money’s worth. Some companies spend up to $50 million a year on Google Ads.

If you’re losing money on your Google ads, it’s most likely that you’re not using it correctly. You could be making some or all of the following mistakes.

1. Not Customizing Ads Settings for Your Business

Google Ads has a lot of default settings designed to maximize reach. If that’s not the objective of your campaign and you didn’t review and customize the settings, you could be paying for many clicks by people who don’t need your product or services.

For example, ad campaigns are set to both search and display by default. Your ads will show in both the Google search and display networks. However, the search and display networks have different types of users.

Your ad on the search network will be seen by people who are actively searching for the product or services you offer. They are already past the awareness stage.

On the other hand, your ad on the display network can be seen by people who can be your prospects but are on the site for other reasons. They are not searching for your product or services.

The most common mistake of new Google Ads users is targeting both search and display networks with the same ad campaign. You need to have different sets of ads and landing pages for each network because the search network is completely different from the display network.

You’re wasting money on the network where your ad is not relevant to the site users.

2. You Send People Who Click On Your Ads to Your Homepage

You’re losing money if people who click on your ads are redirected to your homepage. Your homepage provides general information about your business. It is not a continuation of the message on your ad that made them click your link. The website visitor might just leave and look at another ad.

So, you need a landing page that is focused on converting the visitor into a customer. The landing page must address what the potential customer needs to know before buying the product or services you offer.

Your landing page should look like an extension of your Google Ad. People who visit your landing page after clicking your ad should immediately know that they came to the right website because of the similarity in layout, content design and keywords.

3. Not Using the Right Types of Keyword Matches

Keyword match types tell Google how restrictive it should be in deciding to what search queries your keywords can match.

There are three keyword match types: Broad Match, Phrase Match and Exact Match. Google had stopped using Modified Broad Match in February 2021.

Broad match,the default keyword match type is the least restrictive while an exact match is the most restrictive. If you don’t choose a match type or you choose a broad match, your ad can match to related searches that don’t include any of your keywords.

According to Google’s example, an ad with “low-carb diet plan” broad match keywords can show to people searching for “carb-free foods”, “low-carb diets”, “low calorie recipes” or “Mediter ranean diet books”.

So, if your goal doesn’t include people searching for terms related only to your keywords, you’re wasting money if they click your ads.

Usually, you won’t get the match types that will work for you the first time you run your ad. Find the right keyword match types and avoid losing money by checking the results of your campaigns as early as you can.

4. Low Quality Score

Quality Score is Google’s rating from 1 to 10 (best) of the quality and relevance of your ad campaign. The score depends on many factors, including expected click-through rate (CTR), ad relevance, landing page experience and Google Ads account historical performance.

For example, your investigation shows that your quality score is pulled down by the below average rating of your ad campaign’s landing page experience. Landing page experience measures what happens when the people who clicked your ad get to your landing page. If they were not convinced to click on your call-to-action (CTA), you have lost the money you paid for your ad clicks and for the ad preparation. AdRank and Ad Position

Quality Score is one of the factors that determine Ad rank. In the Google Search and Display Networks, Ad Rank = Bid × Quality Score. If you have a low quality score, you have to bid higher to improve your Ad Rank.

Ad Rank is important because it determines your ad position or the order of your ad in the auction results. If your ad position is “1”, the highest position, it will be the first ad to be placed on the search result pages and other ad placement sites.

If your competitors’ ads are included in the auction results and rank higher than your ad, you lose the chance to be seen first by your common target audience.

On the other hand, if you don’t aim for the top ad position, you can reduce your bid and save money.

5. Inadequate Research to Understand Your Target Audience

You advertise to persuade your target audience to take a specific action, whether it’s to buy your product or to try the new services you offer. Through your ad, you attempt to engage and influence your target audience.

You’re losing money if you can’t effectively connect with your target audience. They have clicked your ad but you were not able to convert them into paying customers or subscribers to your site. You’ll have low to zero ROI.

That’s why research is important to fully understand the behavior and interests of their target audience before planning your ad campaign. What are the types of online sites that your target audience frequently visits? What are the words or phrases that they will most likely use to search for your products or services?

You also have to look at your successful competitors’ ads. What keywords or phrases do they use?

You may use Keyword Planner and other research tools to find the relevant keywords or phrases for your business.

6. You’re not testing and tracking conversions

There is no standard way of doing a Google ads campaign. You have to test different ads and track the conversions to figure out the most effective way for your business.

So, you could lose money in some ads that you did not test because you thought that based on your experience and knowledge it’s the best ad for your campaign.

Test as early as you can to catch any problems sooner and reduce your losses to a minimum. Even after you have created your winning campaign, continue creating new ads or changing settings and test again.

You also have to keep in mind that Google is constantly introducing new features that become part of your default settings. Would it be appropriate for your ad campaign? You’ll know by the results of your test.

7. Not retargeting

According to a study, 92% of customers don’t purchase on their first visit to a website. Some customers still need more information about your product or services before they make a decision. The more expensive and complex your product or services, the longer it might take your potential customers to decide whether to purchase or not

To ignore them and search for new audiences to target would be wasting what you’ve already spent for their clicks on your ad. You’re also losing potential customers that studies show are easier to convert than new audiences.

You’ll need to retarget them with new ads.

What is retargeting?

Retargeting is one of Google Ads’ features. It uses tracking codes that you set up to track people who visited your website, usually the landing page, but did not make a purchase, download a file, or perform the activity you ask them to do.

Retargeting allows you to follow your past visitors online when they visit the sites in Google’s search and display networks. Based on your setup, Google ads can show them your ads that hopefully will convince them to take another look at what you offer and perform the activity you ask them to do.

8. Not Using Ad Extensions Properly

Google ad extensions are additional pieces of information and clickable CTAs that you can include in your ads. You can choose the ad extension types that would be most suitable for your advertising goal in the set up menu.

Some examples of ad extensions are: location information, call buttons, links to your landing page or other websites and mobile app. Extensions expand your ad, make it more visible. They also improve CTR and make valuable interactions with potential customers faster.

For example, a phone number on your ad would call the attention of potential customers who need immediate information about your products or services through a phone call.

So, extensions give more value to your ad if you know how to use them. However, using the wrong or irrelevant ad extensions could reduce your CTRs and attract the wrong people to click your ads. You pay for clicks that are not likely to convert into sales because the potential customer was looking for something else.

It is also important that your business can provide the needed support for the traffic and inquiries resulting from your ad extensions. If your ad has your phone number, make sure that there is always somebody to immediately answer the phone when it rings.

Most callers don’t have the time to stay on the line to wait for your reply. They would hang up and look for another service provider. You end up wasting the money spent on your ad click.

How to avoid wasting money on Google ads

The number one reason why advertisers are wasting money on Google ads is their failure to use the platform properly. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to understand how Google ads work. You need not only to understand how to setup Google ads but also the time to manage your campaign.

Learn how to use Google ads

It’s not enough to read instructions on the Google ads website and attend webinars. You also need to experience using the platform to understand the ins and outs. Time and skills to manage your advertising campaign

Managing your Google Ads account is challenging. It requires attention, time and skills to find the right keywords, test your ad, track results and your competitors, and tweak your ads before you find the right one for your business and target audience.

Learn how to use the various Google ads tools to make your work easier and faster. It’s important to discover any mistakes early to keep wasting your ads budget to the minimum.

Final Thoughts

Yes, Google Ads is a complex advertising platform to use. However, you can’t ignore Google Ads because it is a powerful advertising platform for your business. Google ads’ main advantage over other online advertising platforms is its massive reach.

According to Net MarketShare, over 72% of online searches worldwide use Google.

Avoid committing the costly mistakes mentioned by taking the time to learn and experience how Google Ads works.

Click: Digital Agency Long Island

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Should You Buy All of Your Domain Name Extensions?

Are you wondering if you should buy all of your domain name extensions for your brand or business? Watch this video to learn the answer to whether you're protecting your brand, or wasting money!

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Website Maintenance Tips Every Business Owner Should Know

If you don’t have the resources to hire a full-time webmaster, then it’s a good idea to at least know the basics of website maintenance. Click here to learn more.

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Website Maintenance: Steps to take

Following a simple set of steps can keep your website healthy and looking its best so your marketing efforts are optimized for success. Go through the infographics to learn more.

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Are You Wasting Money On Adwords

If you’re losing money on your Google ads, it’s most likely that you’re not using it correctly. You could be making some or all of the following mistakes. Visit the link to learn more.

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How To Get More Business Reviews On Google, Facebook, Yelp

With ReviewLead, you can get dozens more online business reviews on Google, Facebook, Yelp and dozens of other online review websites. Make your business the obvious choice! Learn more here in this video.

Also click our website: Long Island Digital Marketing

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Mistakes You Must Avoid On Google Ads

Are You Wasting Money On Adwords? You could be making some or all of the following mistakes. Visit the infographics to know more.

Click here: Long Island SEM Agency

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How can you use Social Media Marketing (SSM) for your Business

All Things Digital is New York’s best social media marketing agency offering businesses data-driven and innovative solutions to target their audience and grow as a brand. Click the link to Know more.

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Long Island Digital Marketing Company

All Things Digital is a Full-service digital agency based in Long Island, New York. We offer online marketing, beautifully responsive web designs and reputation management solutions for businesses and clients from small local business to large corporations. Click the image to know more.

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How to Promote Your Small Business on Facebook

Is your small business one of the more than 200 million businesses worldwide using Facebook’s free and paid tools to connect with their audiences or customers and attract new ones?

As Facebook had over 2.85 billion monthly active users as of the 1st qtr. of 2021, it’s most likely that you’ll find people who would be interested in your products or services among those active users on this social media platform. It’s highly probable that your competitors are on Facebook, too.

So, if you are not yet promoting your business on Facebook because you are confused by post options, it’s time to start learning now.

How to promote your small business on Facebook

Business owners have the option to use organic content or paid ways to promote their business on Facebook. If you own a small business with a limited budget for advertising, Facebook has many features that you can use for free.

Paid Facebook promotion includes boosted posts and Facebook ads. Following are some of the ways to promote your small business on Facebook.

1. Set up your business page.

A small business needs its own page not only to have a professional and credible presence on Facebook but also to have a central hub where current and potential customers can find important information about the company and its products or services on their news feed.

Facebook offers six templates for different types of business pages that you can customize to fit your requirements.

In creating your business page, make sure to optimize it with:

High-quality cover photo or video and profile picture. The cover photo should also be eye-catching because it’s the first thing your visitors notice. Many businesses use their business logo as profile picture.

Unique, relevant and memorable username. Optimize your page by using keywords on your page description or user name that will most likely be used by people searching for your product or services.

A Call to Action that is easy to see and clearly specifies what you want your page visitor to do after reading or viewing your post.

Interesting and informative content that your page visitors would be eager to share with their friends.

Choose tabs and sections for easy page navigation.

2. Post regularly on your Facebook page.

Posting at least once a day on your Facebook page helps keep your target audience continually aware of your business. You never know when they or people they know will need your products or services.

Also, seeing a Facebook page that hasn’t been updated for some time can make your visitors leave, thinking that you’re no longer in business.

Content calendar

The frequency and type of content you post should be part of a plan to achieve a specific goal. Create a calendar to help you and your staff to stay on track as planned.

Try different versions of your posts to find out what types of posts work best for your audience based on analytics. Do people engage more with photos/videos or text posts?

Organic Post Testing

Facebook also offers Organic Post Testing from its Creators Studio. You can submit up to four different versions of your post. After 24 hours, Facebook will automatically post only the one that got the best results.

Business Manager, another Facebook tool, can make it easier for you and your team to organize and manage your Facebook business page.

3. Promote your business page

Promote your Facebook page to make your posts show up in your target audience’s news feeds by:

Inviting your personal Facebook friends as well as those of your employees to “Like” and “Follow” your business page. People who have liked and followed your page will get your posts on their newsfeeds.

Interacting with the Facebook pages of influencers, news organizations and other related businesses with many followers.

Posting valuable, informative and interesting content that your page visitors would be eager to share with other people.

Offering tempting prizes for contests and discounts or incentives to existing followers for sharing your page.

Promoting your page in your physical store or business location. Post notices about your Facebook page that could be easily noticed by people who are passing by, entering or leaving your place. You can also leave business cards with links to your Facebook page near the cashier and exit door.

4. Connect with your followers.

Social media has significantly changed the way businesses promote their products and services to their target customers. Before social media, companies had one-way communication with their target audience through traditional advertising. Then, potential customers who are convinced by the advertisement buy the product or get the services offered.

On the other hand, advertising through Facebook posts allows two-way communication between businesses and their target audiences. Potential customers now want to know more about a product or service offered before they decide to buy. So, the company that gives better and faster responses has more chances of convincing the potential customer to buy.

5. Create and/or join Facebook groups.

Facebook groups provide like-minded people with a platform where they can closely interact with each other. It can be a public or private (closed) group.

For example, a business selling online courses can have a Facebook group exclusive for followers who have bought a course. The group allows its members to post their questions or share how the course helped them. Interaction with the other members can make learning the course easier and faster. The seller may also give tips and extra lessons on the course.

There are more posts on Facebook groups than pages because of the active participation of the members.

Join a Facebook group

You can create awareness about your business by joining existing, preferably well-established groups related to your industry, profession and interests, as well as groups where your target audience is likely to be found

You will gain a reputation as an expert or authority if you actively participate in conversations to offer your expertise on the topic without promoting your business.

Create a Facebook group

A Facebook business page can create and act as admin of up to 200 groups for free. Your own Facebook group would be a great platform to know more about your current and target customers.

By creating your own group, you provide your audience with a way to reach out to you. In return, you learn whether the product or service you offer meets their needs or not.

You have more control over your own Facebook group. However, you will need to spend more time managing the group than when you are just a member of other Facebook groups. You may have to read the various discussions, reply to many questions and make sure members follow your group rules.

Add a “Visit Group” button on your Facebook page to guide your visitors to your group page where they can “Join” or “Invite” other Facebook users.

6. Use Facebook Messenger for Business

There are now more than 1.3 billion people worldwide using Facebook Messenger every month to stay connected for free with friends and family and businesses

Add a “Send Message” call to action button to your Page to start using Facebook Messenger to connect with your Facebook page visitors through text messaging, voice and video calls. You can also send videos, photos, GIFs, stickers and other files.

In addition to being a fast and easy way to communicate, the following are some of the many advantages of using Facebook messenger:

It is a non-intrusive way to send content to your target audience. The recipients will get a notification but can open the message at their convenience.

A way for customers to ask questions about your product or services privately.

You can resolve customer complaints that are better dealt with privately.

You can reply faster with standard responses to frequently asked questions.

7. Display and sell your products on Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Shop

Facebook offers small businesses two selling platforms – the Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Shop. Facebook Marketplace and Shops have over one billion and over 300 million visitors respectively each month as of Q1 2021.

Your business will be missing a lot of exposure opportunities if they’re not on Facebook Marketplace and Facebook Shop.

Facebook Marketplace allows businesses to sell physical products and services online for free. Currently, Facebook Shop is not recommended for selling services or digital products.

8. Use Facebook for customer service

Two important factors that define great service are fast and easy communication which Facebook users enjoy. Facebook pages can be set to provide notifications for any messages from its followers so the admin can respond promptly.

Just make sure there is an assigned customer service representative to answer messages, field comments and requests from customers. You can also use Chatbots, the automated response tool to provide answers to frequently asked questions.

9. Try boosted posts and Facebook ads

If a small business has the advertising budget it should try paid posts to promote on Facebook. Paid posts on Facebook include boosted or sponsored posts and Facebook ads. Simply look for the blue “boost post” button and click it.

Boosted posts are regular posts that you pay to reach a wider audience than an organic post. This paid post is designed to create more awareness and drive more engagement for the business.

A Facebook ad is a more complex type of post and more expensive ad campaign created based on the various options in Facebook Ads Manager. Facebook ads are designed to reach a more highly targeted audience and generate more leads than organic and boosted posts. .

Is your strategy working?

It is important to know as you move forward if your social media strategy is working or not. Keep track of your results for free with analytics from Facebook Insights, the built-in analytics tool. Facebook Insights is a great and free feature on Facebook. If you don’t use it, you’ll be wasting time and effort in preparing your posts that most of your target audience will just ignore.

Through your Facebook Insights, you’ll know if you’re posting quality content by your post performance in terms of likes, shares, engagement, video views and other metrics. Based on the results, you can make the necessary improvements and choices on the valuable content you post. This includes video posts, image posts and any other single post you make.

See how your Facebook page compares with the competition. Include your competitors’ page to your list of Pages to watch. If you’re getting fewer conversions, likes, shares and engagement, learning from your competitor will help.

It’s important for you or your content manager to regularly review your Facebook marketing strategy and their advertising policies because according to Facebook it will continue to build tools with better analytical and targeting capabilities that it can offer to small businesses for free. Stay updated and take the time to learn how to use the new tools.

Final thoughts

Facebook has significantly changed the way people promote their small businesses. If your business is not on Facebook, or you’re not promoting correctly, you’re throwing away the opportunity to attract more customers for your business for free or at a lower cost than traditional advertising.

Click the link here to know more about Facebook Ad Management Companies

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Why Is Web Design Important and Why You Need It?

Let’s have a look at four reasons why web design matters. Visit the infographics to know creative ways to create initial website for your business.

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Facebook Ads Vs Google Ads

Watch this video to learn more about Facebook ads and Google Ads and which may be better for you to use! For a free consult to discuss how this can apply to your business, visit: https://atdny.com/.

Also Click: Facebook Ad Management Companies

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E-Mail Marketing Services

All Things Digital is an agency specializing in completely managed email marketing campaigns. We create customized email marketing content to generate and nurture leads for small and mid-sized businesses. Call us and grow your business.

Visit: Long Island Digital Marketing

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How to Improve Social Media Results

Social media was originally created as a way to connect people. Almost all platforms have features that allow users to post and share videos, photos, and thoughts from their pages.

By the end of 2020, the number of active social media users worldwide had increased to over 4 billion. Those users were spending an average of almost 2.5 hours daily on various social media platforms.

Business owners have recognized the incredible opportunities offered by various social media platforms. They realized that they found an effective and inexpensive way not only to promote their products or services to such a huge potential market but also to nurture their current customers.

Why businesses use social media

Many businesses, from local shops to multinational companies, now include social media as one of their indispensable marketing tools. Here are some of the reasons why businesses use social media:

1. Online presence – One of the easy and effective ways to establish an online presence is by creating a business page in the social platforms that your target audience regularly visits. You may lose out to your competitors if your potential customers can’t find you in their favourite social media sites.

2. Faster, easier and cheaper way to communicate – Social media allows almost instantaneous communications with other users worldwide. It is a faster and cheaper way to inform potential customers about new products and services than traditional advertising.

3. More engagement with current and potential customers – Traditional marketing doesn’t allow direct interaction with customers. Through social media platforms you can have direct connection/ interaction with your audience. By replying to the concerns of your customers and asking for their opinions, you get to know them better.

4. Reach a bigger, almost global audience – If your business offers products or services that are not geographically bound, social media can boost your visibility and engagement among potential customers worldwide.

5. Easier to find a target audience – Social media platforms gather user information that advertisers can use to identify their target audience.

6. Less expensive advertising, events promotion – Social media is very inexpensive when compared to traditional marketing. It’s free to create a business profile on all the major social networks. It is also easier to modify / customize content to your target audience.

7. Platform to sell products and services – Yes, some social media sites make it possible for businesses to sell online without a website. The global sale of products directly from social media business pages or marketplaces was valued at $89.4 billion in 2020.

How to Improve Social Media Results

Social media provides immense potential for businesses but it also means huge challenges to get the most benefit from them. Following are the ways to improve your social results.

1. Identify social media objectives and goals

Effective social media strategies are those that are based on clearly defined objectives and goals. Your objectives define what you want to achieve while your goals specify how and when you will get there.

For example, your social media objective is to generate new leads. Your goal shall specifically state the minimum number of sign-ups per month. Set goals that are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely (SMART).

Before setting your smart goal, determine your current performances to establish your benchmarks. Then set your improvement goals.

2. Identify your target customers or audience

A social media target audience is the specific group of people you want to reach with your messages and other forms of content. They are the people who are most likely to be interested in your content, products, or services.

The research will help you identify your target audience / customers. It’s most likely that they have some common characteristics as your current customers as well as those of your competitors.

B2B companies should consider the size and kind of business and the purchasing decision maker of their customers.

3. Encourage user-generated content

User-generated content (UGC) can be text posts, videos, product reviews and other content types created and posted by online platform users. They are valuable because they are highly trusted by consumers and influence their purchasing decisions.

UGCs on your social media page is considered by many consumers as trustworthy

social proof. To encourage your customers to post UCGs, give them space where they can share their experiences in doing business with your company.

4. Choose the right social media platforms

To start, you have to learn how to properly use the different platforms. Each platform has its particular set of features and ways of responding to its users.

In choosing the right platform for your business, consider the following factors:

Nature of your business

Do you have a business-to-business (B2B) or business-to-consumer (B2C) company? What are the products and services that you offer?

Spend some time to understand the various features and capabilities of each platform in order to find the most appropriate one for your business.

Where your ideal customers can be found

Research where your audience spends most of their time and be on that platform. Find out also which social media platforms are used by your competitors with good results.

Kind of content you’ll be sharing

For instance, if your content relies mainly on video production to showcase your products, then try starting a YouTube channel. On the other hand, if you’ll be sharing informative blogs, then LinkedIn is recommended.

Tailor your content to the requirements and users of each platform.

Objectives and goals

Research which social media platforms are known to give the best results for your objectives and goals.

For example, if your objective is to increase brand awareness or generate leads, you could try Facebook. However, if you want to connect with more influencers and professionals, they are usually on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Platforms that your competitors are using.

It is to your advantage to see the social media platforms that your competitors are using. Don’t just follow without investigating if they’re getting good results or not.

5. Maintain brand consistency

Create and maintain a compliant and consistent brand image across all platforms. For example use the same logos, photos to maintain the same appearance at first glance.

Inconsistent brand image can confuse the platform users visiting your page.

6. Create and maintain a social media calendar

A social media calendar helps you post the right content to the right social media platforms at the right time. Your social media calendar should include the following basic information.

Content description

Target audience for each content

Schedule of posting or publication

Assigned content creator

7. Use relevant hashtags properly

A hashtag is a word or phrase preceded by the pound or number symbol, “#,”

without spaces, punctuation and other special characters included.

Hashtags make it easier for people to find, follow, and be part of a conversation on a topic. To be effective, you should know how to use hashtags properly as enumerated below:

Don’t spam or use too many hashtags. Two per post is usually enough.

Learn how hashtags are used in each social media platform.

Use hashtags that are specific or relevant to your brand only. Using general or common hashtags like #love or #best can link your post to other content that is not related to the product or services you offer.

Make hashtags with multiple words easy to read by starting each word with a capital letter as in these examples- “eBay” and “iPhone”.

Research to make sure the hashtag you plan to use is not associated with a negative issue.

Try variations of your hashtag and figure out what works best for you.

8. Increase social media followers.

Having more followers means more people to convert into customers. You should aim for quality followers who want are interested in your products or services.

Here are some of the ways to make people want to follow your business page on social media:

Post interesting and entertaining content.

You share more videos, the most engaging content type on every social media platform.

Hold contests, offer promotions, incentives

Collaborate with complementary businesses to attract new followers.

Make sharing of content easy by including social share links on your blog or website

Put social media follow buttons on every page of your website and in your emails.

If you have a brick-and- mortar business, invite your customers to like or join your social media page.

9. Collaborate with Social Influencers

Influencers have large social media followers and are often happy to tell their followers about brands in exchange for free products or any agreed compensation.

Identify influencers who fit the image of your product and may be interested in them. It’s better if you can find influencers who actually use your products or services.

Develop a relationship by liking and commenting on their posts so that your name becomes familiar to them. You can find social media influencers who can give you a better ROI than a celebrity.

10. Use social media automation tools

Simplify much of the work in your social media campaigns by using social media automation tools. You save time and money.

Some examples of these tools are Trello, Canva, Post Planner, Evernote and more.

11. Build relationships with followers, customers

One advantage of using social media is that it allows you to communicate directly with your customers and followers. You can develop relationships before you ask them to buy your product or services.

Encourage your audience to like, share, subscribe, follow, and comment. If possible, publicly recognize them if they do. Respond to your followers quickly, especially to address their negative comments. This will make your followers feel heard, acknowledged and important.

Nurture relationships with the people who support your company’s recurring sales.

12. Track the right performance metrics

Tracking the right social media performance metrics will let you know what strategies worked, why some strategies didn’t work, which platforms you will continue or stop using and other information needed for future decisions.

In choosing the right metrics, ask if they can help you make sound decisions and if you can effectively measure their results.

Keep Testing and Improving Your Social Media Strategy

The best social media strategy depends on the results. That’s why it’s important to keep on testing and fine-tuning to determine the best strategy to sell your products or services.

Tracking your progress is critical if you’re looking to continuously improve.

Final Thoughts

Social media platforms now play an important role in helping businesses promote their products or services. Each platform has features that can help businesses get the best results with the right marketing strategies.

To determine the best way to improve your social media results, keep on testing and analyzing data to keep up with the constantly changing social media environment.

Visit: Digital Marketing Long Island

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