There’s no question it’s time to embrace mobile devices. If your website is 10 pages a simple custom mobile website hosted alongside your full website is a great choice. Brand the design based on your full website. The mobile website will be very lean. This makes surfing your mobile site easy for bandwidth download. Still many people have limited bandwidth. Think of it as a courtesy to potential clients.
It’s time to make something small work for you! Mobile website – more info.
Business owners are questioning the need for a mobile website.
Easy to say every website can benefit from a mobile website, but if you have a large site, or limited budget you will be weighing the “if” and “when”. While there are many solutions selling “free” mobile websites – businesses need to control and maintain their internet presence. “Free” still means something is out of your control. Know the tradeoff, before using free products and confusing your target visitors with websites you may abandon in time.
These websites (below) each created a simple mobile website mirroring their existing site. A simple solution and cost effective. For my auto repair shops a mobile website is a must. People stranded roadside need to get to your contact info quickly. You can encourage them to bookmark your website – no more hunting directions at the last minute, everything is at hand.
Animal hospitals’ clients emotions run high when in need of their vet, or a new vet. Having the website be mobile friendly, means one less bounce if the full site takes too long to load. Think about what your business needs. If you have a large website – begin to plan to be sure to be mobile friendly. Your existing website will probably need some changes in order to use styling sheets which can create the mobile website output, without maintaining a separate mobile site. You want to engage all visitors on the platform of their choice.
With the release of the iPhone5, once again, mobile websites are spotlighted. The huge sales of mobile phones remind us of another opportunity for business advertisement.
The beauty of many Smartphones and iPhones is the way you can view most full websites. But when your mobile phone plans don’t allow unlimited data use the user will be glad to have the option of viewing a mobile website. My own mobile website is a brief touchstone.
A mobile website is designed to keep everything small – no large graphics; but more importantly to get your contact information immediately in front of the visitor with phone numbers clickable, maps directly linked to Google. Using the tools to help the client to connect with your business easily.
If your business has emergency issues – auto related, medical, dental, etc. – a mobile website can reach yet more people on their phones quicker.
As your business grows online a mobile website is another piece of the plan.
With so much focus on reputation management AKA online reviews, businesses are tempted to have employees or friends post reviews.
I spoke with a marketing company recently offering in their package to “post reviews for you”.
The reasons for not engaging in this practice begin with ethics. If you’re still considering it to give your website an edge up it’s important to know most likely this will come back to haunt you.
People are not fooled. A business with all 5 star reviews makes you read further. I have several clients who have legitmate (under 10 reviews) – 5 star reviews. In reading them it is very obvious these are not fake. If a company has 100+ 5 star reviews – and you begin reading, fake reviews typically show themselves in verbiage. If viewers are suspicious they can report this to Google.
Read more about how to spot a fake review.
Most review websites have sophisticated software in place to flag suspicious reviews. With Google it’s even easier as they track your IP address if you use Google search, any site with Google ads, etc. They note all this information. Google is excellent at putting pieces together, and if you get banned by Google – who controls search results – where do you think your website will land in these results?
Playing by the rules benefits everyone – and speaks well of your business from that first step.
Many of my clients are emailing with concern when they receive a message like this:
You have claimed your listing on Google, but I noticed your business information is incorrect on a number of sites online. Click here to get a free report detailing how your business info appears on Yahoo!, MapQuest, Yelp and 30 more sites.
Most of you have, or will receive the message from one or more sources. Many companies are offering to correct your listings.
These are sent even if most of the information accurate. There are so many variables, perhaps a directory changed and now allows you to post photos, or expand your listing. You may have been in business a long time, moved, or used tracking numbers you no longer use, there are a lot of factors which can make one listing be incorrect. Directory listings have evolved. If you haven’t updated in 2 years, you’ll see dramatic changes with new opportunities to expand your listing.
Contemplating a website? Most websites begin with copy, graphics and photographs. Later you may add slide shows, a bit of Flash, video, audio, a blog and more.
Your page copy will be one of the more challenging aspects. The idea is to be unique in an Internet full of competitors. How do you write something which hasn’t already been written? Use your own voice. Think about how you run your business: quality of your product/service, training, retraining, even community involvement – all of these speak to the ethics of your business.
Write as you would talk to a potential client. If you are animated – let your words reflect that online. Do you use meaningful quote in speaking? Give credit – include your source.
Read your competitors’ websites. Find things you don’t like on websites – then mull over how you would turn that into a positive.
Once you begin your copy – you’ll find it isn’t so daunting.
People can now talk about your business in a variety of public forums. Most of us welcome this. It does have its downside – that one unhappy customer. The one you tried exhaustingly to satisfy. If you’ve been in business long enough – it either already has happened, or will happen.
Manage your online reputation by ackowledging those who have reviewed your business. This is an extension of how you appreciate your clients. AND that one unhappy client.
Etiquette is simple – thank those positive reviewers for taking time to post and engage the unhappy one – calmly. Avoid tit for tat. You can admit a mistake, if that happened, and apologize. If you have an offering to make amends, do so.
Your response doesn’t have to be extensive. Potential clients will read how you responded. Consumers know there are some people who are very hard to please, but a step toward addressing any negative review goes a long way. More is telling in HOW you handle the unhappy client; and can speak well to potential clients.
Don’t avoid a bad review.
With online advertising marketers soliciting your ad dollars things get confusing quickly. It’s a lot of information to absorb and digest. My biggest concern is ad campaigns including a “new”, “second” or “mirror” website. Your website is the cornerstone of your business online. It has never been more critical to know the value of your website, your domain name. All marketing needs to point to this very website-your domain name. Everything pointing to it helps drive traffic to your site, and that’s the goal. All your advertising needs to be directed to your website. You are then in control.
This second website benefits the advertiser seller, typically giving them a tracking phone number – so they can report to you, which sounds good. But the same can be accomplished by pointing to your website with your phone number, (Google AdWords do this very thing). They simply give code to you to place on your website. This hands the control back to you.
As I’ve mentioned before, having a duplicate website (“mirror”, “second”) is NOT a good thing. Google made this clear a year ago when it began penalizing and banning duplicate content. Even if the content is not exactly duplicated the more one site looks similar to another – the less Google gives weight to it, thus effecting how it returns your site in searches. Currently one client has a second website and both this mirrored site and his true website are suffering in Google’s ranking.
Perhaps the simplest way to view advertising online is to ask: Is it strengthening YOUR website?
As a response to many recent inquiries, I am now offering a new monthly program for Webmaster Services.
Every second, over 4,500 searches are performed across the Internet. With that in mind, it’s critical that you are able to be found by those customers seeking your expertise.
This is not a lock-you-in 12 month program as many large companies are offering. It does not include a new website, to which these large companies direct these organic services and any new traffic (and not your existing “true” website) – which means once you cancel – it all goes away. My program directs everything to your website. If you decide to cancel – what you have paid for stays in place supporting your website. This is a critical difference. For large companies it is about their control over your product. My offer is to support and drive your website – keeping YOU in control of your online presence.
I’ve priced my package at a competitive rate and I will continue to give you the same personal service I offered when we created your website.
I’ve outlined some of the components of Webmaster Services on my website to help you understand their relevance. Please call me with any questions. I look forward to working with you to build a stronger online presence.
Victory Baptist Church, NH
Reading the fine print – does matter. It’s time consuming to read the “I Accept” these terms for every online transaction, or conversation. But this one sheds light on the importance of taking a bit of time. Read this article to see what you’re agreeing to using Pinterest.
As an artist and musician copyright is of great meaning and value to me and my created work.