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WebsiteNotes

  • How to Use Video to Boost Traffic and Sales Faster Than SEO

    How to Use Video to Boost Traffic and Sales Faster Than SEO

    Marketing innovator Neil Patel says that video is better than most marketing channels out there for getting traffic fast. In his latest video Patel explains how anybody can drive traffic to their website, and more importantly, drive sales of products and services. Taking the video plunge should be on every entrepreneur’s priority list.

    Neil Patel, explains how video may be the best marketing channel for instant results:

    Tip 1 – Leverage Ubersuggest

    The cool thing about video is you can see results faster than traditional SEO or most marketing channels out there. Let’s go in order on what you need to do to get more sales and traffic from videos. The first thing you need to do is leverage Ubersuggest. Ubersuggest is a free tool that’ll show you what keywords are popular. If you don’t know what keywords and topics are popular within your space you will be creating video content that no one wants to watch or hear about.

    Tip 2 – Record Into Your Phone

    The second thing you need to do is just bust out your phone and start recording into it. Make sure you’re looking at the video. You don’t want to just do audio. You want to break down whatever topic is popular based on what you learn from Ubersuggest. When you’re doing the video, ask questions within your video. Make sure it’s engaging, be fun, laugh, and always smile. I always forget that one but that’s very important. My cameraman always tells me that one but that’s very important.

    In addition to that, at the very end, you want to have a call to action that drives people back to your website. For example, at the end of my videos, I tell people to check out my ad agency. When you do that you’ll at least start generating sales. If you don’t have that call to action that you say at the very end, I kid you not, it’s going to be very hard to get sales from that video.

    Tip 3 – Go to Rev.com and Get an SRT File

    Then I want you to go to Rev.com and get an SRT file. What this does is they’ll do a transcription of the video content after you recorded it and give you an SRT file that you can upload. You will then want to take the video and the SRT file and upload it to each and every single social network out there. You want to do Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube, at the bare minimum.

    By uploading the SRT file, what you’ll find is a lot of the social sites autoplay the videos and people often don’t have their speakers on, especially when they’re at work. Then they can read the text and follow along. It’ll help boost the engagement.

    Tip 4 – Include the Right Keywords

    Now that you’ve uploaded this video, at the same time before you hit the publish button, you want to include the right keywords. So you already use Ubersuggest and they gave you ideas. By integrating these keywords within the copy, description, and title, it’ll help you get more traffic.

    Tip 5 – Promote the Video

    Then you want to promote the video. Go take your email list and send out an email blast and push it out to your list within the first hour. This will help you videos get more traction and make them go more viral. If you have a push notification list, through tools like Subscribers, send out a push about the video and push everyone to it within the first hour. Again, this will help the videos get more views and help them go more viral.

    Tip 6 – Respond to All Comments

    Last but not least, respond to all comments. The biggest thing when it comes to videos and getting more engagement and getting more sales is you need to engage with the community. When someone leaves a comment, you need to respond to it. By doing that they’re going to build a better connection with you. Then when you sell them products and services they’re more likely to buy.


  • Neil Patel’s 6 Tips to Dominating Google

    Neil Patel’s 6 Tips to Dominating Google

    “Do you want to know what’s better than being on page one of Google?” asked digital marketing expert Neil Patel. “Not just ranking number one, but owning the first page.”

    In Patel’s latest video (below) he reveals six tips designed to help anybody with unique and useful content result on the first page of a Google search. Incredibly, Patel says that these techniques will actually help you achieve not just the number one result, but will rank your content in multiple listings on the first page.

    Neil Patel, digital marketing expert, entrepreneur, and business influencer discusses how to own the front page of Google:

    Tip One: Interlink Your Content

    The first tip I have for you is to interlink your content. Let’s say you’re trying to rank for a term like ‘SEO’ or ‘online marketing.’ If you have an article that’s super in-depth about that topic you can create other offshoots. For example, I have a lot of topics about online marketing. One of them is ‘Online Marketing Made Simple – A Step-by-Step Guide.’

    I also have other articles that break down online marketing tools. What I can do is cross-link those articles together. By doing that It’ll increase my chance that both of those pages can rank on page one for the term ‘online marketing.’

    Tip 2 – Create Multiple Pages That Cover the Same Topic

    In addition to that, you want to have multiple pages that cover the same topic. I just gave you an example. One could be on ‘Online Marketing Beginners Guide.’ Another one could be ‘Online Marketing Tools.’ Another one could be ‘How To Get Started with Online Marketing.’ Another one could be the ‘Advanced Guide to Online Marketing.’

    You get the point. By having multiple pages, and not just two, by having five or six or seven it’s going to increase your chances that you can rank on page one with more than just one listing.

    Tip 3 – Do Not Duplicate Your Content

    The third tip I have for you is to not duplicate your content. A lot of people when they’re trying to rank for a term like ‘online marketing’ they’ll take the same content and regurgitate it throughout their whole site. If you do that Google is not going to want to rank duplicate content from your own site multiple times. That will create a terrible user experience. If you do that you’re not going to do well, so don’t duplicate your own content. Write fresh unique content that you already haven’t written about before.

    Tip 4 – Build Links

    The fourth tip I have for you is to build links. If you build links to your site you’re going to rank higher. You know that, but you also want to build links to every version of your posts that you’re trying to dominate page one for. Using Ahrefs they have a feature called Link Intersect. You can put in your URL as well as other competitive URLs and it will show you who links to your competitors but are not linking to you.

    The beautiful part about this feature is if someone links to three or four or five of your competitors but not you, there’s a good chance you could potentially convince them to also link to you. This is because you know they’re open to linking to other sites within your space. By using the Link Intersect tool you can see who links to other online marketing articles or other online marketing sites.

    Then from there what you’ll want to do is hit up those sites and ask them, ‘hey you got a detailed post that you cover A, B, and C’ that your competition may not. Ask them to link to you as well.  Don’t just do that for your main post on that subject but also do it in regards to your secondary and third pages that are also around that same topic.

    Tip 5 – Promote Your Articles on the Social Web

    The fifth tip I have for you is to promote your articles on the social web. From Facebook to Twitter to LinkedIn, you’ve heard this before. You want to promote your main articles as well as your sub-articles that are also around that topic. But what most people don’t tell you when it comes to social promotions is that when you share an article on Twitter or Facebook, most of your fans or friends aren’t going to see it. You don’t want to just share it once. You want to share it four or five times over the next six months.

    By doing this you’re going to continue to get more eyeballs and more shares indirectly. Some of those people may link to the article or leave a comment. This will help with the engagement and better user metrics and that should help with overall rankings in the long run.

    Tip 6 – No One Likes Outdated Content

    The last tip I have for you is no one likes outdated content. When you publish content it gets outdated over time. It’s natural even if you write about tools and tips. For example, if I wrote about Vine, which is a company that Twitter bought, it’s outdated. It doesn’t exist anymore. Twitter shut it down. I’d have to update that content and talk about a different tool out there, maybe Instagram.

    The point I’m trying to make is whatever you write on is going to get outdated. That’s okay and that’s natural. However, once a year consider updating your main pieces of content because that’ll help them all rank higher.


  • Top Email Design Trends of 2019

    Top Email Design Trends of 2019

    In this age of shiny web applications and mobile computing, emails have sustained their supremacy over all the other channels. It is the communication tool that has worked seamlessly for all your prospects.

    Email marketing is a dynamic, paradigm-shifting field with a rich scope of innovation. Through 2017 and 2018, it has fostered diverse trends like typography, gamification, dynamic content, CSS-based animations to name a few.

    In 2019, something even more fascinating, where extraordinary stuff is likely to get mainstream, awaits email enthusiasts.

    In the Infographic ‘Top Email Design Trends of 2019,’ exclusively provided to WebProNews by EmailMonks, you will get a sneak peek into what kind of email marketing designs lie ahead.

    Click the Infographic below to enlarge and unleash the future of emails:

    Top Email Design Trends of 2019 – Infographic by EmailMonks
  • Apple: The Biggest Change to iPad Since iPad (Watch New Commercial)

    Apple: The Biggest Change to iPad Since iPad (Watch New Commercial)

    Apple introduced the new iPad Pro today at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Howard Gilman Opera House. Apple says it is the “Biggest change to iPad since iPad”. It includes an all-screen design with Liquid Retina display, Face ID, A12X Bionic chip, USB-C, Smart Keyboard Folio, and a redesigned Apple Pencil. Check out their new iPad Pro commercial below.

    Here’s how Apple describes the New iPad Pro, Pencil and Keyboard:

    It’s all new, all screen, and all-powerful. Completely redesigned and packed with our most advanced technology, it will make you rethink what iPad is capable of. And what a computer is capable of.

    The new all-screen design means iPad Pro is a magical piece of glass that does everything you need, any way you hold it.

    With new, intuitive gestures, getting around is simple. Just swipe up to go Home.

    The new Liquid Retina display goes from edge to edge. True-to-life color and ProMotion technology make everything look gorgeous and feel responsive. You’ve got to see it — and touch it — to believe it.

    Face ID comes to iPad. It’s engineered for secure unlocking and works seamlessly whether you hold it in portrait or landscape. It’s the world’s most secure facial authentication in a tablet. And in a computer.

    Use Face ID to unlock your iPad Pro, log in to apps, and pay with a glance. It’s one password you can’t forget.

    A12X Bionic is the smartest, most powerful chip we’ve ever made. It has the Neural Engine, which runs five trillion operations per second and enables advanced machine learning. Translation: It’s faster than most PC laptops.

    Put all that power to work by multitasking with just a few swipes. Work on a creative project, message with a friend, search the web for inspiration and make a FaceTime call. All at the same time.

    A12X Bionic delivers 2x faster graphics.2 Which makes iPad Pro the perfect machine for augmented reality and a great way to play immersive games. Reality just got really fun.

    Introducing the New Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard

    Apple Pencil now responds to your touch. With a double tap, you can quickly change brushes or switch to the eraser, without interrupting your flow.

    And it attaches magnetically to pair and charge. In other words, it’s a snap.

    And There’s More…

    The all-new Smart Keyboard Folio provides a great typing experience and elegant front and back protection. We think it’s just your type. (Sorry, we had to.)

    USB-C gives you a high-performance connection to accessories like an external display or camera. You can even charge your phone with it.

    iPad Pro has two great cameras equipped with Smart HDR. A 12MP camera great for stunning photos, 4K video, document scanning, and AR experiences. And a TrueDepth camera perfect for Portrait selfies, FaceTime, Animoji, and Memoji.

    At just over a pound, it’s more portable than ever. Connect on the go with fast Wi-Fi and Gigabit-class LTE. And with up to 10 hours of battery life.

    That’s a look at the new iPad Pro. It’s the biggest change to iPad since iPad.

  • Reports of Unstable Google Search Results

    Reports of Unstable Google Search Results

    SEO expert Barry Schwartz has reported that in his tracking there appears to be some unstableness with the Google search results recently. This would explain why a lot of sites are complaining a bit louder lately about search traffic declines.

    “Over the past few days, I’ve been tracking this and it seems like there’s really some unstable search results going on in the Google search results,” Schwartz said. “I’m not sure if it’s an algorithm update or if it’s more of like a penalty affecting a very specific niche or two, or maybe a specific type of tactic, maybe around links, I’m not sure. It seems a little bit more blackhat oriented where the blackhat communities are complaining a little bit more, but I’m not really sure.”

    “The algorithm tools that are tracking this stuff really aren’t showing many fluctuations at all, which is interesting,” noted Schwartz. “But there is definitely, within certain types of communities in the SEO industry, a lot of communication going on over the past 3-4 days or so around a bunch of ranking changes for their websites. We’ll keep investigating that but I just wanted to bring that to your attention because it does seem to be somewhat significant for a limited number of segments within our industry.”

  • MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and His Story of Hope

    MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and His Story of Hope

    The Inventor and CEO of MyPillow, Mike Lindell, was at a Trump rally in Houston tonight where he talked passionately and from his heart about his past drug addiction and how he feels that MyPillow is a platform for hope.

    Mike Lindell also announced a new website and program that will soon be launched called the Lindell Recovery Network that will match drug addicts with stories of hope designed to motivate addicts to get help.

    Here is MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s story of hope:

    I Was a Crack Cocaine Addict

    I used to be a crack cocaine addict. On January 16, 2009, by the grace of God, I prayed and I was free from all these addictions. I’m actually going to be at the White House on Wednesday for the opiate crisis that we are working on and trying to solve all these things for the opiate addicts, such a tragedy now. I want to get the right people voted in so that we can keep on that path of getting rid of some of the regulations so we can help everybody.

    What I’m doing personally is helping the faith-based treatment centers. These are the ones that work; there’s Salvation Army, Teen Challenge, and Union Gospel. These are the treatment centers that have worked in our country. The Salvation Army goes back all the way to the late 1800’s.

    Announces The Lindell Recovery Network

    What I have that’s going to be coming out, I’ll tell it here first, is called The Lindell Recovery Network. If you are a 22-year-old opiate addict, you put in your age and what you are addicted to and all these stories that I’m gathering of hope come down from people your age. So you will go, wow, they all made it through.

    Then I’m going to be like their tour guide on the website where I’m going to say you go over here and see all these centers of hope I have vetted in this country over the last year. I’ll say you go to one of these centers and get help and when you come out I will be there for you.

    I’m Going to Have Pain Mentors

    I’m going to have pain mentors and I want to be one of the biggest employers in this country where I’m going to employ all of these mentors to help them when they come out. A lot of times when addicts come out of treatment they don’t have trust, people aren’t going to trust them right away. I’m going to be doing it for the prisons too.

    There are so many things that the President is working on now… they always try and stop things especially with the faith-based centers. Okay, we will give you money but you have to take Jesus out of the equation. That’s wrong. You need these centers so they help people so they have a base when they get out. It’s going to be amazing. I can see the opiate crisis shrinking. We are going to tackle it head on the same way it happened where it got big so fast.

    People relate to their own age group and their own addiction. For me, I had my friend come to me, I had been a cocaine addict for 20 years, then a crack addict for 9, but my friend came to me one month before I quit and for three years he had been clean and I said, Dick what are you doing here? He had found Jesus, he had gotten saved and I said as long as your here I asked, is it boring? He said no man it isn’t boring. I had all these questions that only he could answer.

    A Match Will Call Up Stories of Hope

    A 20-year-old opiate addict might not be able to relate to a 50-year-old meth addict. It’s like a match and when you get a match you see all these stories of hope. It’s going to be so amazing.

    At MyPillow I take addicts who have gotten help and give them second chances. Even like the Salvation Army, which is an amazing treatment center but nobody knows about them, so people that come out of there employers will grab them because they know they are amazing people. Addicts are amazing people, they are just hiding pain. I hope my story will give them hope. I have a book coming out that is going to offer hope. People need hope nowadays.

    MyPillow is a Platform for Helping People

    I would get these dreams and I used to always tell people, even my drug dealers, that I would come back someday and MyPillow was going to be a platform for helping people. The drug dealers did an intervention on me after I’d been up for 14 days. They wouldn’t sell me any drugs and I couldn’t get them on the street. I came upstairs at three in the morning and he took a picture and said you are going to need this for your book.

    You’ve been telling us for years that you are going to come back and help us, help the inner cities, and help us with our addiction and we are not going to let you die on us. I’d always tell them that MyPillow was a platform for God enabling us to help people and get that story of hope out there.

  • Google Search Algorithm Update on October 16th Looks Like a Big One

    Google Search Algorithm Update on October 16th Looks Like a Big One

    SEO expert Barry Schwartz released a video this morning stating that he sees “lots of signals” that the recent October 16 Google algorithm update was a “big one.” Barry also talked about a Webmaster Hangout this morning with Google’s John Mueller and a popular site owner who lost 60 percent of his traffic overnight. John and his team actually looked into this one in detail but offered no advice except to keep improving the site.

    Barry Schwartz on the Google October 16 algorithm update:

    Although Google won’t confirm it yet, I asked them, there seems to be a Google search algorithm update on October 16th and it looks like a big one. We have lots of signals from both the SEO community as well as the different tracking tools that there was some sort of big algorithm update. It probably was related to tweaking what they have done over the last couple of months.

    John Mueller said that all Google updates impact every single website in the Google index. Obviously, if your site didn’t see an impact, it was still impacted by the algorithm but just had zero impact change. It’s not like specific sites were impacted, it’s just the overall algorithm.

    This morning, John Mueller did a Hangout which he does weekly (roughly) and a guy came in who runs a popular website that lost 60 percent of his organic traffic. He came to John before and John asked for detailed examples which he gave him.

    The interesting thing about this is that John actually explained that he went to the Google engineer team, went over the examples with them, and came back with the answer that the algorithm is working as expected, things change over time, and to keep making your website better.

    Of course, understanding and seeing somebody whose traffic dropped and who also has payroll because he has a big staff is a big impact on a website and a business owner. Listening to that conversation, to John and the site owner who lost half of his business or more because of the Google algorithm is somewhat heartbreaking.

    Hopefully, he will be able to figure out what to do. John’s not giving any specific advice outside of just make your site better, read the quality rating guidelines and look for things there.

  • ZenBusiness Wants to Make it Easier for One Million Small Businesses to Get Started by 2023

    ZenBusiness Wants to Make it Easier for One Million Small Businesses to Get Started by 2023

    Austin-based company ZenBusiness has secured $4.5 million in seed money, thanks to numerous angel investors. The startup is also embarking on the lofty goal of assisting one million businesses get started.

    ZenBusiness, which began operations in 2015, helps small business get off on the right foot by assisting with legal documents. The company will inform clients of each and every form required by the state and the reports that have to be filed yearly. This will undoubtedly be a big boon to first-time business owners and entrepreneurs, as the process and requirements of launching a small business differ per state.

    The corporate creation and management company is offering a fast, easy and affordable alternative to the complicated process of filing legal and business documents. ZenBusiness will provide clients a set of questions to answer that will determine the business they want to start. The business platform then creates and files all the needed documents for free, except for the state-mandated fees. What’s more, this is all accomplished in as little as 48 hours.

    Company owners can also avail of the $10 monthly package that lets ZenBusiness become the business’ registered agent and allows them to handle “annual filings, franchise tax, all of the red tape around an entity.” The company is also open to paying any potential fines in the event that they have been remiss with any of the documents. The payment will be taken from the $4.5 million seed money from investors Lerer Hippeau, Greycroft, Slow Ventures, Founders Fund, and Revolution’s Rise of the Rest.

    ZenBusiness founder Ross Buhrdorf explains that their platform and affordable pricing ensures that every small business owner has the “resources and protection they need to turn their business dreams and ideas into reality.” Burhdorf has also set a very lofty goal for the company, that of helping develop one million small businesses by the year 2023. This roughly translates to 2.5 million new jobs for Americans and over $100 billion in income for workers.

    [Featured image via Pexels]

  • Will Trump Tax Cuts Benefit Your Small Business?

    Will Trump Tax Cuts Benefit Your Small Business?

    Small businesses are feeling very optimistic these days, with a record number believing it’s the perfect time to expand. The positive outlook has reportedly been fueled by the changes instituted by the Trump administration’s tax-reform package.

    Survey Says It’s a Good Time for Small Businesses

    According to a survey released by the CNBC and Survey Monkey, the Small Business Confidence Index for Q1 saw numbers rise from 57 to 62. The five-point increase is the largest move per quarter that the index has seen since the two companies started measuring in 2017.

    The CNBC/SurveyMonkey Survey also highlighted several key takeaways. For instance, 47 percent of small businesses stated that on the whole, business conditions are good. Only 44 percent believed that last quarter. The survey also revealed that 32 percent of small business owners are planning to add more full-time workers in 2018.

    How the New Tax Law Affects Small Businesses

    It should be pointed out that the Q1 survey is the first done since President Donald Trump enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) on December 22, 2017. The rise in optimism and confidence is quite the surprise, considering that in the Q4 2017 survey, small-business owners were split in the middle regarding the effect the tax law would have on their business. Now it seems that 46 percent of those surveyed believe Trump’s tax policy will have a positive impact; an impressive jump from the 38 percent of last quarter.

    What kind of impact will the new tax law have on SMBs? The final iteration of the bill allow pass-throughs of as much as 20 percent of the income. However, these deductions depend on the type of business.

    In personal service businesses, like lawyers, architects, and brokers, the 20 percent deduction is only permitted for married partners that filed joint incomes of as much as $315,000. Meanwhile, the deduction is allowed for single taxpayers with incomes of up to $157,000.

    For businesses that are employee intensive, like manufacturers and restaurants, the deductions depend on the payroll. The 20 percent deduction is actually confined to 50 percent of the payroll. So companies with a lot of workers get a big break. The new tax law basically gives these businesses a good reason to expand and hire new people.

    Last December, Adam Looney of the Tax Policy Center was interviewed on PBS’s News Hour where he explained how the ‘pass-throughs’ would work for small business.

    Benefits of Tax Cuts to Small and Medium Sized Businesses

    The TCJA appears to have a trickle-down effect on consumers and small businesses. The higher take-home pay and bonuses resulting from the new tax law have given consumers more spending confidence. This was clearly seen during last year’s holiday season.

    This consumer confidence is a good sign for small and medium-sized business. With increased spending, these companies can generate more revenue that they can use to either improve the business or pay off creditors. For instance, savvy business owners can take steps to improve their credit rating, like paying their bills immediately.

    Companies with improved credit ratings have access to more capital. This can be beneficial to owners thinking of expanding operations, improving an office, buying new equipment, or refinancing a debt.

    More importantly, a positive credit score makes it possible for entrepreneurs to apply for small business funding with banks. These traditional lenders typically look more closely at credit scores. They can also offer small businesses better terms and rates. For example, instead of paying 20 percent interest on a credit card, a businessman can get capital at 8 percent interest which can be used to pay off debt and place the company in a healthier space, finance wise.

    Small businesses certainly have a lot to look forward to now that the TCJA is in effect. However, the changes introduced in this new law can be challenging to navigate. Some of the new rules are just so complicated that tax experts might have trouble processing them. So it’s a good idea for small businesses to invest in reliable tax advisers this year.  

    [Featured image via YouTube]

  • How Your Business Can Identify and Capitalize on Micro-Moments

    How Your Business Can Identify and Capitalize on Micro-Moments

    There’s no question that smartphones have become a ubiquitous part of our daily lives. Studies have shown that 46% of Americans reach for their phones first thing in the morning, while 91% of people automatically reach for a mobile device to check on something when doing a task.

    This reliance on smartphones has become so pervasive that many industries are putting more effort into targeting mobile users than those on conventional devices like a desktop. It’s a smart move since turning even a small segment of these users into customers can yield huge profits. An effective way for companies to profit from this group is to take advantage of “micro-moments.”

    What are Micro-Moments?

    Google coined the term “micro-moments” in 2015 to identify the exact points in time that lead to a consumer finally making a purchase. The company described these moments as “critical touch points within today’s customer journey, and when added together, they ultimately determine how a journey ends.”

    Essentially, these are the critical points where someone takes to their device (which is most often a smartphone) and takes steps regarding a need. It’s the intersection of what a customer wants and needs at the moment and what they know.

    Google has determined four key moments based on the consumer: “I want to do,” “I want to know,” “I want to buy” and “I want to go.” Most decisions made by shoppers can be traced to one of those four moments. For instance, a shopper who’s headed to Turkey would research on what to “do” in that country. A travel agency can come up with a promo that will arrange a trip to Istanbul’s famous Blue Mosque.

    Image result for micro moments

    [Graphic via Think with Google]

    How to Capitalize on Micro-Moments

    Now that the importance of micro-moments have been established and their constant evolution noted, companies have to think about how they can use these instances to their advantage. Here are some things to consider if you want to catch that perfect micro-moment with a customer:

    1. Put Your Business Profile Out There

    It pays to ensure that your business profile is accurate and completely filled out on Google, particularly if you have a physical storefront. There has been an increase in “near me” or “right here” searches, as more users are looking for a place to go for a certain activity. Getting your business profile up will help with micro-moments where a customer wants to “do” something or “go” somewhere. Google’s Local Guides program assists users in verifying if your profile information is accurate.

    2. Flaunt Your Value With Original and Significant Content

    The need to know is one micro-moment that could hit you several times a day. This is why people are always looking for content on eCommerce sites. Having unique and relevant content is a great way to introduce your business to shoppers who are searching for information on either a particular product or on something that has captured their interest. Regardless of whether it’s a short how-to video or some DIY tips, make sure to flaunt your value by offering good content that appeals at the moment.

    3. Speed is of the Essence

    Speed is key if you want to use micro-moments to your advantage. When asked, almost half of customers admit that they will leave a website if it’s unresponsive or takes too long to load. People also don’t like having to go through different windows or steps just to get information. Optimizing your site for mobile devices and streamlining your buying process is a good way to entice consumers to go to your page and stay.

    4. Improve User Interface

    Another area that brands should focus on is how the user experiences their website and content. When a potential customer goes to your site or a specific page, what will they see? Will they be able to find what they’re looking for quickly or are they going to spend time wading through redundant information?

    Aside from ensuring that information is accessed quickly, transactions should also be simplified. Complicated checkout pages or a cart that requires several clicks in order to finish a purchase will turn consumers off. There should also be fewer distractions on the checkout pages, especially those on mobile devices, as these further cut down the odds of conversions. The goal is to make shopping quick, fun, and simple.

    Companies have to be ready to take advantage of micro-moments. This means that business has to do some forward thinking to anticipate what their customers would need. Changes may also need to be made to ensure that websites are optimized for mobile.  

    [Featured image via ThinkWithGoogle]

  • 4 Accounting Software to Consider Using for Your Small Business in 2018

    4 Accounting Software to Consider Using for Your Small Business in 2018

    Small business owners understand how crucial it is to have a handle on their finances. Unfortunately, most small businesses can’t afford to hire a full-time accountant. However, a good accounting software makes it easier to monitor business accounts. It can also track expenses and bills, creates invoices, manages inventory and generates reports that help evaluate how a business is doing.

    There are several factors that one should consider when choosing accounting software. An interface that’s easy to navigate and understand is one such factor. Small business owners should also consider its features and how they can help in running operations. It should also be compatible with other tools that the business uses. Lastly, brands should consider how much money they have to shell out. Do they want the basic or are they willing to spend more to get an accounting software with extra features?

    Top 4 Accounting Software for Small Businesses

    Intuit Quickbooks Online

    Image result for Intuit Quickbooks Online 250x250

    Quickbooks Online is one of the more popular accounting software out on the market today. It can easily cater to the needs of small businesses and as well as major enterprises. Small companies would find that its interface is easy to master, so new accountants or those without an accounting background can easily navigate their way around.

    The software syncs automatically to a single dashboard. This allows various users to view the company’s accounts, create billing statements and invoices and generate over 40 different reports. Quickbooks can also be integrated with other Intuit tools like GoPayment and Quickbooks Online Payroll.

    Kashoo

    Image result for kashoo 250x250

    Freelancers and small businesses simply love Kashoo’s improved interface and clean navigation tools. The software offers basic accounting capabilities, like pre-formatted reports, templates for products, customers and suppliers, and forms for invoice, bills, and payroll. Users can also track project costs and create sales tax rates with this software. Kashoo also provides its clients with free chat, email, and phone support.

    Wave

    Image result for wave accounting 250x250

    Wave is the best online accounting software for consultants, freelancers, and companies that have less than 10 employees. The program can handle simple financial reports and everyday office processes like invoicing and receipts, managing a balance sheet and generating profit-loss reports. It can also manage payroll and direct deposits. However, the software cannot track payments and bills and has no cash flow report capability. It should be emphasized that Wave only offers very basic accounting processes and won’t be able to handle complex cash transactions.

    Zoho Books

    Image result for zoho accounting 250x250

    This is the perfect software for micro-businesses. It boasts an extensive range of essential accounting tools. It also has features like automated workflows, inventory management, invoice tracking and time tracking. It can even provide automatic payment, and bank feeds notifications. The software can be integrated into more than 25 business and productivity Zoho apps. Users can also avail of the company’s robust support network, whether it’s online or by phone. Its well-designed video tutorial also makes it a breeze to learn how to maximize it for your small business need.

    [Featured image via Pixabay]

  • PayPal Here Launches Two New Card Readers, Giving Small Businesses More Ways to Accept Payments

    PayPal Here Launches Two New Card Readers, Giving Small Businesses More Ways to Accept Payments

    Every customer wants a swift and smooth payment transaction, with little fuss. This holds true regardless of whether they’re buying from a major enterprise or a small business. That goal is certainly possible with PayPal Here’s two new payment card readers.

    PayPal recently launched a Chip and Swipe reader and a Chip and Tap reader, both of which will help users and small companies easily conduct credit card transactions anywhere.

    The Chip and Swipe reader is an improved version of the company’s previous swipe-style reader. It now comes with support for debit and credit cards with EMV chip technology. Meanwhile, the Chip and Tap reader can process contactless payment options from NFC-supported devices and also accepts EMV-supported cards. The device also comes with a portable charging stand.

    Image result for paypal chip and swipe card reader

    Both payment readers can easily process transaction choices like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay.

    PayPal’s new readers have been designed with portability in mind. The two devices are about the size of a deck of cards, making it possible for small retailers and entrepreneurs to do business in any location—a country fair, the neighborhood cafe—without worrying about wires or having to carry bulky hardware. They can easily connect to any mobile device using Bluetooth technology. The readers also have a user-friendly interface and can now be used for extended periods, thanks to their rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

    PayPal is offering the Chip and Swipe reader for $24.99 and the Chip and Tap reader for $59.99. Both devices will work seamlessly with the PayPal Here. The app is available via the Apple App Store and Google Play.

    In a statement, PayPal In-Store’s Chief Chris Gardner stated that the company understands the “challenges small businesses face—including protection from fraudulent transactions and the costs of equipment to run their business—and constantly work to develop products and services that allow them to thrive in an increasingly competitive environment.” Their new and affordable card payment readers are their newest endeavor to help small business.

    Gardner also pointed out that small and medium businesses also look for a “one-stop shop” for all their commerce and payment services. After all, these companies don’t have the time to deal with various vendors to manage all these financial activities. PayPal is determined to be the company to handle these demands. Merchants can use PayPal for their online transactions, PayPal Here for their physical processes, and PayPal Working Capital to help finance their expansion.

    [Featured image via PayPal]

  • 3 Trends That Will Change How We Make Payments in 2018

    3 Trends That Will Change How We Make Payments in 2018

    The year 2018 is poised to be an exciting time in the payments industry as new trends and technologies emerge.

    The previous year actually witnessed some major changes in how payments were made. Consumers were introduced to new transfer methods and the PSD2 push as the demand for safer, smarter, and faster transactions reached critical mass.

    It actually feels like 2017 was just laying the foundation for some significant changes in the payments process, and this year is when all the promised developments will finally come to fruition. To that end, here are three trends that could change how payments are made this year:

    Improved Security and Enhanced Data Protection

    Security is even more critical now that more channels have been opened for consumers to pay bills and receive money. Businesses will be paying more attention to cybersecurity, compliance, and fraud prevention in 2018 as any missteps in this area can seriously undermine their business and relationship with their customers.

    Due to the massive data breaches that happened in previous years, it’s safe to assume that fraudsters will take advantage of any new personal information they receive about consumers. Because of this, payment tokenization and the rise of “omnichannel tokenization” is expected to become more mainstream this year.

    Tokens are unique and their use can be restricted to a particular merchant, device or transaction. This enables merchants to isolate threats and prevent fraud. However, the rise of tokenization would also mean that Token Service Providers will also gain greater importance in payment processes.

    Rise in Demand for Chinese Wallets

    Image result for wechat payChina is slowly making its presence known in the realm of financial technology. Companies like WeChat have already made serious forays in the West in a bid to court more users. China’s social media icon has already rolled out the payment platform WeChat Pay in the UK since last year. It now has plans to put up a headquarters in the country as well. WeChat’s parent company, TenCent, has already established an office in the US as it works to expand its service in the country.

    The adoption of Chinese wallets and payment systems is one trend that would definitely stand out this year, as more Chinese tourists and businesses are expected to hit the US and the EU.

    Merchant Pay Will Become More Popular

    Despite a slow start, digital retail wallets are expected to have an upsurge in popularity this year. More and more consumers will use a merchant payment apps to ensure faster purchases while in brick-and-mortar stores. Digital wallets integrating scan-and-go technology will allow shoppers to scan products using their smartphones, checkout in-app and leave the store, thereby doing away with the frustration of dealing with the checkout line. In cases when checkouts are still required, digital wallets can support different payment technologies, like Bluetooth, NFC, or QR Codes.

    Retailers can also use digital wallets to improve customer relationships and provide meaningful value-added services. The majority of consumers are motivated by VAS, but the challenges of redeeming points or activating coupons can be daunting, resulting in billions of reward currency remaining dormant or unclaimed. Offering simplified VAS in a retail wallet can help drive sales and improve consumer loyalty.

    Consumers can expect a vastly different billing and payment experience in 2018. But whether these changes will come in the form of digital wallets or tokens, the theme will remain the same—being able to pay wherever and whenever you want.

    [Featured image via YouTube]

  • Google Rolls Out Fact Checking in Search Results

    Google Rolls Out Fact Checking in Search Results

    Starting today Google will show richer information from fact checking sites. In an effort to combat fake news, highlighted results from sites like Snopes and Politifact will appear in search results. the results will show the fact checker’s determination on the truthfulness of the claim. A search for a widely distributed fake news hoax reporting HIV infected blood in bananas shows these results:

    The new system won’t stop the use of Google’s platform to spread false stories but does make the fact checking sites stand out which could help users find accurate information more quickly.

    Google says the information won’t be available for every search result and “there may be search result pages where different publishers checked the same claim and reached different conclusions. Even though differing conclusions may be presented, we think it’s still helpful for people to understand the degree of consensus around a particular claim and have clear information on which sources agree.”

    The change will not improve the search rank for the fact checking sites or present the information in a “featured snippets” box at the top of the page.

    The update will allow any organization to offer fact checking results although. Google says, “Only publishers that are algorithmically determined to be an authoritative source of information will qualify for inclusion.”

    For publishers to be included in this feature, they must be using the
    Schema.org ClaimReview markup on the specific pages where they fact check public statements or they can use the Share the Facts widget developed by the Duke University Reporters Lab and Jigsaw.

  • Salesforce Launches Wave for Community Cloud

    Salesforce Launches Wave for Community Cloud

    In 2014, Salesforce launched Community Cloud, propelling itself into the fast-growing enterprise collaboration market. Last year, it launched Wave Analytics.

    Now, the company is introducing Wave for Community Cloud, which gives businesses analytics tools that can be applied across their partner ecosystems.

    “We’ve heard it before: Selling is a team sport,” says Salesforce’s Jamie Domenici. “Companies across the manufacturing, high-tech, consumer packaged goods, financial services industries and more rely on an extensive network of resellers, distributors, brokers, franchises and agents to drive growth. In fact, thousands of Salesforce customers are already using the Salesforce Community Cloud to better manage relationships and foster collaborative selling, planning and knowledge sharing amongst their channel partner ecosystem. And they’re seeing results — Community Cloud customers report an 86 percent increase in cross-sell and upsell opportunities. Now with Wave, customers can further extend the power of Community Cloud by arming partners with the same sales insights that a company’s own reps leverage to accelerate growth.”

    “Wave for Community Cloud enables customers to embed Wave Analytics dashboards into any Partner Community, providing channel partners with the insights they need to optimize sales,” Domenici adds. “Previously, partner managers couldn’t see all of their data in one place and would spend time reconciling spreadsheets or searching disparate systems looking for insights on what worked in the past. And worse, partner sales reps would often be left guessing which deals to focus on or wasting time following up on the wrong opportunities. But when armed with personalized, data-driven sales insights, channel partners are able to unlock new sales opportunities and close deals faster, as if they are a true extension of a company’s sales team.”

    You can check out a demo here:

    According to the company, the offering will help channel partners better understand their own business by way of interactive performance summaries and historical trends. Dashboards can utilize data from any source, and security permissions can be personalized for visibility on a partner-by-partner basis.

    Image via Salesforce

  • Groupon Announces New Merchant Tools Including New Tablet App

    Groupon announced new website, mobile, and tablet enhancements aimed at making it easier for merchants to create and manage Groupon marketing campaigns across devices.

    These include redesigned web and mobile tools under the Groupon Merchant brand, as well as a new tablet app that lets users track and manage their Groupon campaigns and more self-service deal options.

    The company says this provides merchants the ability to customize the structure and appearance of their promotion.

    “We’ve seen first hand that local businesses can compete in an increasingly connected world and against online giants, and we’re focused on continuing to enable that competition,” said Aaron Cooper, SVP of North America Services at Groupon. “There is no one-size-fits-all approach to bringing in new customers, which is why we’re giving merchants every option they need to run a promotion with us in a way that’s the most advantageous for their business.”

    “The new Groupon Merchant tablet app works in tandem with existing web and mobile tools so merchants can track and manage their Groupon campaigns across all of their devices,” the company said. “Businesses can use the app to redeem Groupons, monitor campaign performance, share positive feedback via social media and respond to customer service inquiries.”

    The app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.

    Deal Builder users can now choose a customized discount, and merchants can now use their own images and descriptions.

    Image via Groupon (BusinessWire)

  • Google Analytics 360 Suite Aims to Make Life Easier for Enterprise Marketers

    Google announced the Google Analytics 360 Suite, which is comprised of six products (four of which are brand new), and is aimed at enterprise-class marketers.

    The tools combine to hep marketers see complete customer journeys, gain useful insights (making sense of the data provided), enable better sharing within their organizations, and and make their brands useful to customers.

    The two previously existing products that are part of the suite are GA Premium, which has been renamed Google Analytics 360, and Adometry, which has been renamed Google Attribution 360. The remaining four products are Google Audience Center 360, Google Optimize 360, Google Data Studio 360, and Google Tag Manager 360. Here is how Google describes the new products:

    Google Audience Center 360 (beta). This powerful data management platform (DMP) helps marketers understand their customers and find more like them across channels, devices, and campaigns. It offers native integration with Google and DoubleClick, plus it’s open to third party data providers, DSPs and more.

    Google Optimize 360 (beta). This website testing and personalization product helps marketers deliver better experiences. Marketers can show consumers multiple variations of their site and then choose the version that works best for each audience.

    Google Data Studio 360 (beta). A new data analysis and visualization product that integrates data across all suite products and other data sources ― turning it into beautiful, interactive reports and dashboards. Built-in real-time collaboration and sharing is based on Google Docs technology.

    Google Tag Manager 360. Built from our industry-leading tag management product, it empowers enterprise marketers to move faster and make decisions with confidence. It offers a simplified way to gather site information (all those tiny bits of code) and powerful APIs to increase data accuracy and streamline workflows.

    Audience Center 360, Optimize 360, Data Studio 360, and Tag Manager 360 are available today in limited beta. GA Premium and Adometry customers will see the products renamed in the coming months, and Google will let you know when you’re eligible to joint the new betas.

    Image via Google

  • Salesforce Launches Quotable Content Site For Salespeople

    Salesforce Launches Quotable Content Site For Salespeople

    This week, Salesforce announced the launch of Quotable, a new site with articles aimed at benefiting sales professionals of all types.

    According to the company, it will be full of helpful sales advice from salespeople “who’ve lived it.”

    “Let’s say you’re a vice president of sales at a startup or a company that’s just getting off the ground,” writes Sara Varni on the Salesforce blog. “You’re tasked with building a sales team from scratch and are thinking about all of the processes that involves. You could really use some practical hands-on information about how to get up and running.”

    “Or say you’re a sales account executive who has had a lot of success where you are in your career,” she adds. “You’re looking for advice on how to make the jump to the next level. What does it take to become a sales manager? Would you even make a good sales manager, or should you stay where you are and keep crushing your quota?”

    This is who Quotable is for. You an peruse the site here, and find content about technology for concept selling, how prospects can tell if you’ve done your due diligence, how to respond to a particular blow off, etc.

    Image via Salesforce

  • Why You Need a Killer About Me Page

    Why You Need a Killer About Me Page

    Your about me page is, statistically speaking, one of your top 10 pages on your site. It’s right up there with your home page, your most popular articles, and your “call to action” pages.

    We’ve put together 4 specific reasons you need to invest time into building your about me page, and we’ve got a guide that walks you step by step how to build an about me page.

    1. You need to establish yourself as an authority in your industry

    Think about this. Why are you reading this article? It’s trust. You believe what I’m writing to be truthful, factual, and best of all: useful. You have an opportunity to build this trust on your about me page.

    2. You need to differentiate yourself from your competitors

    There are 1.26 million results for “marketing blog”. So how do you make yourself stand out? You tell a story. And you can tell your story on your About Me page.

    3. It will Inspire your readers to take action with your ‘why’

    Why are you on this site? Are you here to be passive and never engage? Or do you want to learn, network, and build your business? You can establish why your audience should be on your site on your About Me page.

    4. Your About Me page will help you close ‘warm leads’

    If someone is visiting your about me page, they most likely already know your name. They could have seen a tweet you sent, a comment you wrote or an article you guest published. So now that they’re on your About Me page, then this your opportunity to convince them to buy from you.

    about-me-info

    Editor’s Note: Andrew Wise dives deeper into this subject in a post here.

  • Google Gives Tips For Addressing Low AdSense Earnings

    Have your AdSense earnings been in a slump? This could be for for any number of reasons, and Google took to its Inside AdSense blog on Friday to help publishers troubleshoot the problem.

    As the company notes, there are many factors that can have an impact on your earnings, but you should start by looking at clickthrough rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), page revenue per thousand impressions (page RPM), and page views.

    All of this information can be found in the Performance reports tab in AdSense.

    “When troubleshooting changes in page views, it’s a good idea to extend the date range of your reports out to 30 days or more to help identify trends or specific issues,” writes Google’s Rachel Barrett. “A drop in page views could simply be seasonal; retailers, for instance, tend to see a traffic drop after the holiday season. But a decrease can also be due to a change in your content.”

    If page views are the problem, Google suggests promoting your site with other major sites that cover the same topics and through social media (including groups), using Google Search Console to make sure your site is being properly crawled and index, updating your site regularly, and sending an email newsletter.

    If your search rankings have dropped, Google offers a Webmaster Troubleshooter to help you address issues.

    Regarding CPC, Barrett says, “See if you’re using the best-performing ad sizes. Generally, our most successful sizes for CPC and CTR are 720×90, 336×280, 160×600, and the 320×100 mobile banner. Make sure you’re not blocking ads you don’t need to. Blocks on too many advertisers, ad networks, general or sensitive categories will often decrease CPC because there are fewer advertisers in the auction bidding on your inventory. The more inventory your site has access to, the greater the chance that auction pressure will drive up your CPC. Look at how seasonality can affect your advertisers’ bids. For instance, swimsuit advertisers often increase their bids in the early weeks of summer. But if your site caters only to students, you should expect traffic to fall in the summer.”

    As she notes, CTR and page RPM issues could stem from issues with your site design or targeting. She runs down some best practices in the blog post while providing additional resources for addressing the various issues mentioned.

    Image via Google

  • Helpful Tips For Using Twitter For Business

    Helpful Tips For Using Twitter For Business

    Twitter is giving businesses some tips for “devising effective Twitter content” in light of its recently announced timeline option.

    Do you think the new option is of benefit to businesses? Discuss.

    In case you missed it, last month, Twitter announced a new algorithmic timeline, which users can opt into. It shows users what Twitter thinks they’ll care about most at the top with the rest of the tweets appearing underneath like normal.

    When the company announced the news, it said people who had early access to the feature tended to retweet and tweet more. It said the timeline is an improvement for consumers as well as for businesses and brands.

    Twitter is now giving businesses 7 best practices, which boil down to:

    1. Define the voice of your business.

    2. Know your audience.

    3. Tap into important events.

    4. Draw in your audience with rich media.

    5. Use hashtags to help people discover your business.

    6. Respond to tweets.

    7. Celebrate your advocates.

    Some of these are pretty self-explanatory, while others might require a little bit of elaboration.

    When it comes to defining the voice of your business, Twitter’s Kathy Foley says, “To be heard in the noisy environment of social media, it’s crucial to have a clear voice that channels your business’s personality. For example, is your business inspiring, playful, or a serious authority? Use language and tone that conveys the key attributes of your business.”

    The example she uses is woot.com.

    “Woot.com, which offers new retail deals every day, has a distinctive brand voice,” she adds. “The brand’s fun personality comes across strongly on Twitter, in both standalone Tweets and in product captions on Website Cards.”

    When it comes to knowing your audience, the advice is to utilize Twitter’s audience insights. These are easily accessible via analytics.Twitter.com.

    Tapping into events is self-explanatory, though Twitter makes it a point to note that you should link your business to those in which you can in an authentic way. As they also note, events don’t have to be major things, but can be everyday occurrences, such as meals, if applicable.

    Utilizing rich media, means using GIFs, photos, videos, Vines, emojis, and anything else that will draw in eyeballs and inspire engagement. Text alone is often not enough.

    When it comes to hashtags, Twitter says to use consistent brand or campaign hashtags, but you can of course also tap into trends and recurring conversations via hashtag as well.

    Responding to tweets is self-explanatory, but as we’ve seen fro study after study, businesses are generally bad at this.

    Twitter did recently introduce some new customer service tools that should help in that department, however. Plenty more on that here.

    Finally, when Twitter says “celebrate your advocates,” it means simply “like” tweets about you and/or tweet and mention those who tweeted these tweets. Show some reciprocal appreciation. Not only will these people appreciate it, others likely will too, which could very well lead to more such tweets.

    Since Twitter released the 7 tips, it also posted 7 more tips specifically for businesss using Twitter polls. These are as follows:

    1. Regularly post branded polls.

    2. Give people a say in decisions.

    3. Tap into live events by hosting related conversations.

    4. Conduct market research on your products or services.

    5. Create polls on topics relevant to your brand.

    6. Promote specific products.

    7. Have a little fun with followers.

    You can see examples and additional elaboration for all of these in Twitter’s blog post here.

    Do you ever run Twitter polls with your business account(s)? Have you found them to be beneficial? Let us know in the comments.

    Image via Twitter