Tag Archives: digital marketing

Mar '20

How Coronavirus (Covid-19) Will Impact SEO & Digital Marketing

With predictions of Google seeing a 15% decline in travel ad revenue as well as a 20% drop in the second quarter thanks to the outbreak and Facebook facing serious drops in their total ad revenue in those travel and retail sectors, it begs the question as to what coronavirus (COVID-19) means for the rest of the internet in terms of digital marketing, SEO, and digital budgets.

To say that coronavirus has made quite the impact would be putting it very lightly. Schools have been closed, public events of the highest magnitude (hello, NCAA tournament) have been canceled, and even the NBA and NHL seasons have been suspended.

Seeing the impact that this virus has had on the physical world is substantial enough. But it leads to questions about what kind of impact that the coronavirus can have on the SEO and digital marketing worlds.

Ad spending is expected to fall in a lot of sectors and analysts expect that giants like Facebook and Google will see ad revenue declines for things like travel or areas that are affected by global travel issues.

What does this mean? Ultimately, media buyers and marketers are re-evaluating the short-term advertising strategies that the coronavirus has had an impact on. The outbreak has resulted in serious issues that could persist for up to six months based on the predictions of experts.

Google’s Pivotal Role

Since the United States and many other parts of the world are essentially on hold, many wonder whether Google’s major algorithm updates will also be temporarily suspended. At times like these, it would be devastating for businesses to lose major rankings while also combating the adverse economic impact of the outbreak. But the flip side to this rationale is that a frozen algorithm could invite targeted manipulation by digital entities with the assets to execute such a plan.

Aside from SEO as an industry, Google will need to step up as a community aid during this time of crisis. They have already been tasked with creating a website to help manage the coronavirus outbreak (although there’s been some confusion about what the site will actually present). Aside from this special task, Google is also populating COVID-19 related queries in the autosuggest mechanism of its search engine.

Concerns about Supply and Demand

There is little question that the supply chain impact on inventory is beginning to be felt in advertising spending. With so much production based out of China, there are concerns about maintaining inventory. This means that ads that run digitally may not be viable if the current stock cannot keep up.

If key products go out of stock, that means that Google search and shopping budgets could be cut as much as 40% based on anticipation. For example, a luxury international travel business has faced budget cuts of more than 50% from previous months and this is across all digital channels. Though there is flexibility to move some of that remaining budget to other channels and campaigns that many be more effective, there is definitely less to work with at the moment.

There are some businesses that have put a complete stop on their digital ad budgets as well. In the hospitality and events industries, advertising budgets have been effectively turned off since coronavirus restrictions on gathers has played such a monumental impact.

Another big factor to consider is the suddenness of all of this. The outbreak had people concerned initially, sure, but the banning of travel, the restrictions on gatherings, and all of these other cancellations and bannings have sprung up in the last week alone.

As the outbreak continues, and we learn more about it, that will lead to adjustments in the way that these situations are handled. The same goes for digital marketing and ad demand in the face of the coronavirus outbreak. It may take time, but the budgets will come back around at some point, even if they are aimed at different niches.

A Feeling of Uncertainty

It is the uncertainty of everything right now that has most businesses of all types on edge. Not knowing what’s coming, not knowing the impact that it will have, keeps businesses from making the plans that they need to move forward and remain successful and profitable.

In some instances, demand hasn’t dropped, but trends from around the globe have marketing clients feeling wary and cautious. Amazon revenue, for example, is clearly down, but there is uncertainty about whether this is a trend or a lasting effect.

Budgets for marketing agencies and digital advertisers remain something of a day-to-day plan. Some clients have not changed their marketing strategies while other budgets have to be handled delicately as the coronavirus outbreak unfolds and more bans are put into place.

And even though some of those marketing firms have seen clients stay the course, there is a distinct feeling that they are definitely nervous about where things are headed and the drastic changes that we have seen in just the last two weeks.

There are sectors of the marketing world that seem to be unaffected by everything, but those clients still remain rightfully cautious. Seemingly overnight, the coronavirus outbreak has had a tremendous impact on some of the biggest names in retail, both online and offline.

That cautiousness has led those seemingly unaffected clients to tell their brand managers and e-commerce managers to be prepared to pull back spending. This is because the rapid movement of coronavirus restrictions and bans can change the game for any industry at a moment’s notice.

Bucking the Trend

Having said that, not everyone sees budget-cutting to be the answer in these trying times. For those who operate heavily on trade show circuits, there is an effort to find a way to digitize the experience so that they don’t lose the leads they would normally pick up at those events.

Essentially, it has created the need to adapt, not avoid. Cost-cutting is understandable in some arenas but there is room for tweaking and adjustment. This can mean reallocating budgets elsewhere in the short-term to provide the answers that are needed to keep business moving without a substantial drop off.

For those aforementioned tradeshow circuits or businesses that rely on touring, putting more money into digital marketing and SEO can be the solution to that obvious deterrent. For companies that have aggressive goals to meet this year, that shift to digital marketing (and thus increase digital budgeting) can be a way to increase revenues in the face of a potential downturn. It really depends on the niche, the company involved, and the way that they attack the problem.

Shifting budgets will certainly be one strategy that many companies implement during the course of the year. That, in turn, could drive up competition and prices for media. That means that advertisers could continue to feel something of a squeeze even after the coronavirus panic fades.

The Biggest Impacts

Where the greatest impacts will be felt as far as digital marketing is in the travel industry and that should go without saying. Even if there hadn’t recently been a ban on international travel from President Trump, people will be more and more reluctant to want to travel. It only increases the chances that they catch the virus and that alone has everyone panicking.

Major outlets like Expedia expect to lose in the range of $30-$40 million because of the effects of the coronavirus outbreak and the widespread panic that has ensued. What isn’t realized is the effect that this has on businesses in the hospitality and restaurant niche.

Think about it: if far fewer people are traveling due to restrictions and fear surrounding coronavirus, the hotels, and restaurants that those travelers frequent will see less business as well. It is a domino effect that is spreading into the digital budgets of those companies and continuously trickling into other areas.

The impact on SEO is clear as well. Most see SEO as a means towards ranking in the top of the searches, but that isn’t the only reason. The reason is sales and a recession in sales can have a wide-reaching impact on the SEO game.

Search marketing can be heavily impacted because clients tend to drop off if they can no longer afford to pay for consulting. There have been lessons learned from similar situations in the past to not be completely caught off guard by a global panic such as this, but those lessons can only teach so much.

In the end, patience and adaptability will be the biggest keys for digital marketers and SEO specialists. Clients will panic and some will pull their marketing and advertising budgets. But the smart ones will tweak their approach and find other avenues in the short-term.

These adjustments may not prevent losses from occurring, but they can help to stifle those losses that would be larger in other situations. Besides, the coronavirus outbreak is not expected to be a long-term issue, just one that could last the next six or so months.

Conclusion

While the initial impact felt by digital marketing agencies and their clients is apparent, things have shifted into a “wait and see” attitude for the most part. Budgets being cut seems like a temporary solution to combat restrictions and difficulties put forth by coronavirus-related restrictions and bans, but there are definitely limitations on where these impacts are felt.

The industries that are most heavily affected by these restrictions and bans will likely shift their advertising dollars to other areas, though the impact remains to be seen as the internet has created the most powerful marketing tool out there.

Until we know more about the impact of the coronavirus will have and how long these restrictions and bans will be in place, the best thing that digital marketing agencies can do is to wait and see. Shifting funds may work in the short term but who knows how it will look over a six-month period or longer.

Jan '20

14 Insurance Marketing Strategies for 2021 (+ Agency Tips)

Looking for insurance marketing ideas and strategies for 2021?

Implementing the right marketing strategies can mean the difference between a struggle to find the proper leads and having a consistently growing and thriving business.

There are more than a few marketing strategies that you can implement that can help your insurance firm develop the leads that it needs to continue growing and thriving. Here are 14 ideas for 2021:

1) Spruce Up Your Website

Your website is the first thing that the vast majority of your audience will see first. If it is a visual wreck or doesn’t respond the way that you mean it to, that could cost you more than a fair share of customers.

There are a few things that you definitely need to do in order to spruce up your website. The most important is to have your contact information in an easily visible and accessible place. You should never make it difficult for customers to try to contact you.

Making certain your site is fast, clean, and intuitive will go a long way towards drawing in customers to your insurance company website.

2) SEO is Your Friend

SEO is what keeps even the smallest of businesses competitive. Best of all, you don’t have to spend much to have a strong SEO foundation.

Make certain that your images are optimized, that your content is both clean and relevant, and that you develop strong backlinks. These are just a few things that will optimize your website so that you can rank near the top of relevant keyword and location searches.

SEO can keep your insurance business relevant in all of the right searches.

3) Create a Blog

Remember that content mentioned in the previous section? It is actually one of the most important aspects of any website. Google is a fan of relevant, informative content because it wants to provide nothing but the most relevant search results.

If your insurance website is informative and answers questions that your target audience wants to know the answer to, that will draw traffic to your website and make it an authority that will draw your target audience in.

Answer questions relevant to the industry, ones that your target audience is asking. This will create consistent traffic to your website.

4) Make it Simple

Here’s one simple truth: insurance is a complicated endeavor to understand. That is why you need to make it easy for your target audience to understand. Create something like an “insurance 101” section or an interactive guide that your audience can reference.

Maybe create a quiz that helps your potential policyholders understand what it is they are looking for in an insurance policy. Things like this will go a long way towards helping your audience have a better understanding of what policies they need and how you can offer it to them.

5) Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising

While SEO is a fantastic way to keep your website ranking near the top of relevant keyword searches, it isn’t 100% effective, either. Your SEO will only take you so far before you need to look into other avenues that can be effective to your campaign.

PPC advertising is one of the most common ways to get to the top of relevant search engine queries. This means that your business can be seen first and foremost, putting it right in your target audience’s line of sight.

This can be a hugely beneficial way of marketing to keep your business relevant in the eyes of your audience.

6) Video Marketing

Video is one of the largest growing trends in insurance marketing with United States consumers watching up to six hours of digital videos each day. This makes for a wonderfully beneficial avenue to reach your target audience and have the greatest impact.

Best of all, creating digital video content is easier than ever before. You can shoot high-quality videos on a smartphone these days and quickly edit it with any number of editing tools. That gives you the ability to create engaging content in a flash unlike ever before.

7) Reviews Generation

Reviews are one of the most important features of any effective digital marketing campaign. This is for two reasons. The first is that your reviews establish and create the tone of your business, encompassing its trustworthiness.

The second is that positive reviews tie into your SEO rankings. If your website gets a ton of great reviews, it will only strengthen your website’s SEO, making it more likely to appear near the top of the search rankings.

Reviews can be your business’ best friend if you have an ample amount and know how to properly use them. Check out this awesome review software for your website which can help showcase and generate reviews.

8) Highlight Achievements

This might seem a bit like tooting your own horn, but that is a good thing to do in order to set your website apart from the others in your industry. Maybe you’ve won a few awards or have a huge amount of positive reviews. These are all great things to feature somewhere on your website.

The key is to point them out without sounding like you are patting yourself on the back. Illustrate to the customer what sets you apart from the rest and they will see that perhaps your business is the one to choose based on those accolades.

9) Email Marketing and Newsletters

Email remains one of the most effective ways to reach a target audience. This is due mostly to the prevalence of smartphones in today’s day and age. People have quicker and easier access to email than they ever have before.

Using email to communicate with both current and potential policyholders is a great way to keep your business in their mind’s eye, to enforce your brand, and to inform them of any new or important updates.

Email marketing remains effective because it allows direct access to both current and potential customers in a way few other avenues can offer.

10) Social Media Presence

There was a time where having a social media presence was an option; that time has come and gone. If you don’t have a social media presence, you are leaving out a huge factor in marketing your insurance business.

Social media allows for direct access to the customer, allowing for the sharing of links and deals, the addressing of problems and issues that customers might be having, and a general direct interaction that can make a huge difference.

Social media is an asset like few others and can have a substantial impact on your insurance business as a whole.

11) Door-to-Door Promotion

This might seem like an archaic way of doing things, but direct interaction with your target audience can have an impact like no other. The only way to truly achieve this is by going door to door.

Not only that, there are a ton of benefits. The leads are free and they are personal. People get a feel for you during these sessions, making them more likely to use your business and to trust you as opposed to an email that can feel impersonal.

This might be an old-school way of insurance marketing, but it remains effective.

12) Show You Care

This is one of the truest methods of getting your target audience to understand your business and develop a level of trust with it. Showing your target audience that they aren’t just a number, that you care about them, can be a real difference-maker.

This means going above and beyond wherever possible. Taking the time to deal with the personal situations of your clients can give them a level of trust in your business that is unattainable otherwise.

Show your customers you care above all else and the rest will fall into place.

13) Facebook Live

Live, streaming video is one of the newest, hottest trends. With Facebook Live, in particular, you can invite both current and potential policyholders to interact with your business. Show off updates in policies or hold a live Q&A.

These kinds of things promote interaction with your target audience, promoting engagement that may not be possible through any other format. When you do this, you create a unique setting to interact with your target audience, allowing them to gain valuable information about your business that they may not have been able to get otherwise.

14) Partnerships and Backlinking

One of the best ways to establish your trustworthiness and authority is through backlinks from other relevant businesses. This is usually achieved through sheer authority, which takes a lot of time, or through established partnerships within your area.

These partnerships can go a long way towards establishing those helpful backlinks that make your business the authority within the industry and establish that trustworthiness that businesses covet. Those partnerships can be mutually beneficial, helping both sides along in their quest to establish quality insurance marketing campaigns.

Dec '19

Tree Service Marketing Ideas for 2022 (with/Updated Plan)

What is Tree Service Marketing?

Tree service marketing is the process of promoting a tree removal company with the intention of generating high-quality leads that can convert into new customers. Techniques used to execute a marketing plan include SEO, PPC advertising, social media advertising, and traditional promotional tactics.

Tree Service Marketing Ideas for 2022

Strategizing how to grow a tree service business is difficult to do. In a company like the United States, many markets already have a handful of established tree care companies with huge budgets and a mile-long head start.

Trying to compete with odds like that is something that simply can’t be done if for no other reason than they can outspend you if they so choose.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t compete and grow your business, though. Most tree service companies rely on similar marketing tactics, so making a name for yourself can be about picking the right battle.

With the right advice, you can start generating tree service business leads that will not only grow your business but won’t require draining your bank account to do so.

Tree Service Facebook Advertising & Marketing

Despite all the flack that it has taken in recent months for the handling of private user information, Facebook remains a giant when it comes to marketing potential. There are, however, some marketing companies that specialize in tree care that will tell you to avoid Facebook.

Oh well, their loss is your gain. Creating a Facebook business page is essential and can give you a litany of new opportunities. It is one of the easiest ways to build your brand and the values that are behind that brand. But ultimately, Facebook is a tool for how to get more tree work.

It is also a way to communicate with customers to share deals, spread the word about your business, and communicate with happy customers that have previously used your service. And most of all, it is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to run your own ads.

Ad campaigns for tree service companies generally focus on immediately measurable results and immediate returns. The problem with this is that it can also undervalue the aspect of social media marketing, like Facebook.

Think about it. If someone sees one of your posts on Facebook, clicks through to your website, and then calls, companies would say that the website did all the work. Similarly, posting informative content might not get you immediate calls, but it does help to strengthen your SEO and expand your network.

Think of it as a “word of mouth” form of marketing. Only, well, word of keyboard. In any event, Facebook marketing is a serious opportunity to market your tree service company in order to grow potential leads and generate revenue.

Google My Business for Tree Trimming

Google remains one of the internet giants because it is the place to go for anyone with any questions about, well, anything. Because of this, Google’s My Business listings are a wonderful marketing tool. Appearing in the Local Map can help you generate free leads for your tree service.

You can set up a listing for your business for free, and it only takes a few minutes to complete. It is important to note that you must ensure that all of your information is properly filled out. People will skip steps and wind up with incomplete information, which does not get the most out of a Google My Business listing.

Having this local listing makes you eligible to show up for local listings for keywords relevant to your business. Part of the problem that companies have is that they cut corners or don’t utilize them effectively. Here is how to positively use Google My Business:

Use your actual business name. Your business has to be precise with no added keywords. Fake names are easy to correct, and businesses that try to implement them are generally harder to find over the long term.
Use your actual business phone number. If you are thinking of using a tracking phone number, don’t. Google will check it against all the other data they can find on you; inconsistent data typically means less visibility for your business in searches.
Use your actual business address. Many businesses try to use a virtual office or P.O. Box, not realizing that it can do a lot of damage to your visibility. Use your real address, even if you work from home. You can hide it from searchers, so they can only see your service area.
Include categories that make sense. For tree service companies, other things are typically offered. If you do lawn care and landscaping, include them. This broadens your visibility in the eyes of search engines, and you can always refine this later.
Include your entire service area. You can always constrict this to your ideal service area later when you can afford to be picky.
Include hours of operation. This is another data point that Google uses to decide what companies to show in its search results. Your hours of operation can be one thing that sets you apart from the competition.
Add photos. Add real photos, too. Photos of equipment, work performed, and employees. This is because businesses with many photos tend to show up more frequently in Google searches. Make sure that you rename image files to include specific services and cities to give you an extra edge.

Google My Business can make a huge difference in your marketing while drastically helping your SEO. If you don’t have a Google My Business listing yet, you should make it one of your next goals.

Tree Service Referral Program

The aforementioned word of mouth continues to be one of the most powerful forms of marketing around. This remains true for one important reason: people trust people they know more than they trust your business.

That makes sense, so why not leverage that aspect? When you have a happy customer, try offering a referral fee. Something like “if they refer you a new client who spends $100, you’ll send them a $10 gift card.”

Something along those lines gives them an incentive to actually tell people about your business instead of “keeping you in mind.” This can mean a huge uptick in bookings if you have quality services. There are a few common mistakes, though.

Don’t be cheap about it. If you have to spend an inordinate amount of money to get a few bucks, people won’t bother. Not only that, pick a plan and stick to it. Having multiple deals can get confusing, leading you to mix up who got what deal.

It also goes without saying that you must give exceptional service to those who receive recommendations. If you provide flaky or uneven service, there won’t be another recommendation for that first person.

Also, consider to who you give this offer. There are some sources, like real estate agents, that could potentially send you hundreds of clients to take advantage of those referral bonuses. You could even put a cap on the total number.

Local Business / Non-Profit Partnerships

Regardless of how many five-star reviews you receive, you likely will never be as popular as a nonprofit. To put your business on the map, find a local nonprofit that you share values with or is doing something particularly amazing within the community.

Ensure that they have a sizable local presence but that they are small enough to have value in your help. Then make them an offer like this: 5% of total revenue goes straight to charity in exchange for promotion.

Many smaller charities will likely jump at this opportunity as it is an obvious benefit for them. Even better, you get the extra promotion and a boost for having your business’ name attached to their good name.

You need to make certain that contributions are defined throughout the project, though. Don’t assume that they’ll put the offer on their Facebook, in their newsletter, or on their home page. Make it clear what you are looking for from the jump, so there is no miscommunication or misunderstanding.

Even if it only results in a marginal uptick in business, you can take pride in knowing that the effort went towards a good cause. Ultimately, it benefits all parties involved: you get the attention your business needs, and a charity gets valuable funds for its cause.

These are just a few of the methods that a tree care service could implement to substantially improve its marketing efforts. For smaller businesses, the key is consistent growth, not an explosion in business.

These are methods of marketing that are meant to promote steady growth over a long period of time. The key here is to have patience. You won’t see a huge uptick overnight, and that is okay. Again, this is about steady growth.

Building a successful tree care business definitely is not an easy job. But with tips like these, anyone can be far more prepared to turn it into a successful endeavor. There are, of course, other methods to pursue, like SEO. That is one of the best ways to market a tree care business, whether you are a startup or an established business.

But for now, these tips should help you toward a more successful path.

Source: https://ctpa.org/membership-application/

Learn The Tree Trimming Marketing Plan at NWAcademy

Marketing is only as effective as its measurable results. It is very difficult to achieve sustainable success if you do not track your wins and losses. Obviously, the goal is to generate tree service business leads, but the routes in which you reach that destination are the most measurable. We often hear from arborists who want to know how to grow a tree service.

It is not rocket science to perform well online, but it does take patience and a real understanding of how digital marketing works. Is there a single best way to promote a tree service? The answer is no when considering the different challenges that arborists face depending on their budget, location, and other dynamic circumstances. Sure, you can pay services dedicated to finding tree removal jobs, but those seldom allow you to sustain success with your business over time.

Setting up Google Analytics and Google Search Console allows you to track where your leads are coming from and which keywords generate the most outside interest. You can also notice things like search impressions and click-through rates. If you have a high impression on a keyword but a low click-through rate, there is something about the page that is discouraging customers.

Arborists can enroll in Nolen Walker Academy to learn how to maximize their digital marketing campaigns in 2022. Nolen Walker Academy provides the highest level of SEO training for business professionals. We aren’t some guru selling SEO courses without ever doing SEO, as we’ve worked with thousands of businesses over the past decade.

Nov '19

How To Diversify Marketing Channels and Become Less Reliant on Google

Google is the industry standard when it comes to marketing campaigns online. This is for good reason, however: more than 90.46% of searches worldwide go through Google. When you consider that literally billions of people now have the ability to get online and that 80% of them are searching with Google, that means a whole lot of potential eyeballs that can see your product or service.

Google AdWords, meanwhile, is the standard in the industry when it comes to pay-per-click advertising. A pay-per-click ad is one that attaches itself as the user goes through their searching. This will keep that business in the peripheral of the user and doesn’t cost the company anything until it is actually clicked. It is a cost-effective way to get more leads for your business.

And with their purchase of YouTube, your ads can show up on only Google platforms and still have an enormous potential audience. Being able to have your ad pop up on millions of websites and reach over 90% of users on the internet, it is kind of hard to imagine what your options are if you are either banned by the internet giant or if you are simply looking for other avenues.

If that is the case, you might have to get a little bit creative but there are certain strategies that you can implement that can make your marketing applicable even if you are no longer relying on the powerhouse that is Google.

Spread out your offerings

One thing that will get you restricted, if not outright banned, by Google is advertising something like “technical support by third-party providers”. Still, if you create a blog that is valuable with things like trustworthy tips or discussion trends, you can then pay to promote those specific articles on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

Those two sites are hugely popular, reaching millions upon millions of users each and every single day. You could use these articles to help draw new customers to your website which would then potentially attract a new audience to your services.

Social media is a great way to help avoid the giant that is Google. The aforementioned methods are proven to work with constancy as well as quality content; you could also build a Facebook Business Page as a way to attract users to your page to see what other customers are saying about your business and to get a better idea as to the trustworthiness and reliability of your business as a whole.

Twitter is another fantastic way to drive traffic to your website. When you create the unique content mentioned above, you would then be able to share it out to your audience on Twitter and even reach users who might not know about you or your business using the correct hashtags. Additionally, you can tweet out links to your content which will then drive up traffic to your website. The more eyes that you have on your website, the more potential conversions to actual dollars that you can potentially make.

Use influencer marketing and email campaigns

What exactly is an influencer marketing platform, you might be asking? Well, it is a software solution that has been designed to assist brands with their influencer marketing campaigns. These provide discovery tools for agencies and brands and will offer pretty massive searchable databases for finding potential influencers.

Let’s say that your business is centered around a clothing line. These influencer marketing campaigns would entail finding influencers from YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and other forms of social media and paying them to advertise your goods or business. Influencers have been shown to have a tremendous and unique impact on the way businesses reach their audience, particularly if they have a younger demographic.

Email marketing might sound outdated but it continues to be one of the most consistent methods for reaching your audience and letting them know who you are and what you have to offer them. Obtaining that valuable user information – name, email, address, etc. – is how businesses continue to grow.

They send out a feeler email offering their services or a discount on one of their products to entice the user. The user will then usually either dismiss it entirely or go to the company website to see more about that business. This is huge as it is the goal of your marketing to drive traffic to your custom mobile website so that users can see what you have to offer. Just getting your product in front of as many eyeballs as possible can make a huge difference towards your bottom line.

Email marketing is also a great way to get customers to leave you reviews. Reviews are one of the most important aspects of an online business for several reasons. If you are not banned from Google, having good reviews (and a good amount of reviews) can make a huge difference in your SEO ranking, making your website that much easier to find in Google search rankings.

Reviews are also the quickest way to vet your business. Obviously, most businesses will tell you how great they are; few are going to say that they are mediocre or bad at what they do. So, you need to be able to vet that they are in fact what they say they are, right?

Reviews left by others who have used your service or business is a great way to build trust with potential clients. If you have a ton of positive reviews, it should not take long to build a level of trustworthiness with the audience that you are attempting to reach.

Even if you have negative reviews, that is okay so long as they are not overwhelming in number. Addressing negative reviews in a constructive manner will show whoever is looking through the reviews that you cared enough to take the time to address the situation. It is obviously better to have positive reviews but addressing that criticism positively will go a long way.

Focus on building your brand, reputation, and SEO

Even if you are looking for a way around making Google a focal point, optimizing your SEO strategy will only help to make your site more of an authority. Websites that have exceptional SEO, with content so good that it generally ranks in the top three of the results on Google, will only be outranked through the Google AdWords network.

Not only that, websites that did not have to pay for users to find them generally are deemed as more trustworthy and far more clickable than those who have the ad marker next to its name. Building that level of trustworthiness makes your website an authority in the industry and makes the user more likely to click on your page.

Likewise, building your brand and reputation is equally as important. Let’s say you are a new business and don’t really have that many reviews or much of an online footprint. Working to get positive, quality reviews as soon as you can help to make your brand more trustworthy.

Additionally, when consumers begin to recognize your business for being trustworthy and a reliable source within the industry, you not only begin to become an authority on the subject but your brand becomes more recognizable for that specific thing.

Brand recognition is one of the most important aspects of getting users to notice a business and it is something that businesses everywhere strive for. If you can get your customers to begin associating your type of service or product with you specifically, you have successfully developed brand recognition.

Make use of alternative ad networks

Even though Google AdWords is the standard in the industry, that does not mean that it is the only option out there. Even if your industry isn’t one that is in a restricted sector, you should still try to expand your overall online advertising platforms.

Depending on your goal, you can expand your reach, narrow your reach if that’s your prerogative, and lower your cost per click rates. What you might not have realized is that it is possible to get too many clicks in Google AdWords if the clicks are lower in quality.

The broader your industry is, the better your chances are of racking up low conversion rates and higher advertising costs. When you get into a more specific niche, you are competing for less clicks but ultimately are looking at higher conversion rates. This is what your business is after.

Pay-per-click is a marketing technique that needs consistent, almost constant optimizing. When you use something like Bing Ads, for example, you can unlock a huge network of users that don’t have much in the way of Google crossover. This means that the only way to attract them is through the Bing Ads network. Likewise, the aforementioned social media platforms make as excellent ad networks that can reach areas of customers despite not having a Google influence play its part.

There are many things that you can do to help your marketing grow even without Google on your side. It just takes a little work and creativity.

Get Started With a Trusted Digital Marketing Company

Oct '19

How to Get Maximum ROI From Your PPC Management Service

Pay per click campaigns offer incredible opportunities to supplement your organic search traffic. Not only do they provide fairly consistent returns (in the form of leads), they typically come with thorough reporting measures. Thanks to the very dedicated refinement of PPC management platforms, such as Google Ads and Facebook Ads, it’s easy to track and tune your paid search strategy.

With that being said, many businesses simply don’t have the time or expertise necessary to run their own pay per click efforts. That’s where digital marketing companies often step in with PPC management services. These companies vary wildly in their results. Some provide substantial returns for their clients, while others seem largely ineffective (or downright shady). Since PPC represents a significant investment – many contractors spend over ten thousand dollars a month on PPC alone – it makes sense to take steps to maximize your ROI.

Google Ads is the Most Widely Used Platform for PPC Ads. Image Source: AdEspresso

Today, we’re going to cover three crucial steps in securing that maximum ROI:

Step #1: Create Accountability.
Step #2: Build Diversity.
Step #3: Review & Adapt.

Master these three steps, and you’ll be well on your way to stronger lead generation and greater revenues. Let’s get started!

Step #1: Create Accountability

Accountability serves as the foundation for any successful PPC management service, yet so many digital marketing companies seem to neglect this step. What does accountability look like in a pay per click strategy? Transparent reporting and billing. Before going anywhere near a paid search agency, businesses need to learn one time, money, and effort-saving rule:

Get your reports directly from Google, Facebook, or whoever runs your PPC ads!

Direct Billing

Direct Billing From Your Provider

Do not accept reporting through your PPC management company, or even a 3rd party service they recommend. It’s a common practice for PPC services to markup the cost per click of keywords, so they can pocket a larger portion of the budget provided to them. The only way to guarantee that your costing is accurate is to receive the report directly from the platform that runs the advertisements.

Monthly Contract

Choosing Month to Month

Another accountability-driving practice is month-to-month billing. While a company might be tempted to slack off in an annual contract, monthly services have powerful motivation to continually provide leads. If they don’t, you can simply switch to another PPC management company to run your campaigns!

No Bundles

Skip the Search Bundle

While closely tied to the direct billing suggestion we mentioned earlier, this particular guideline can also protect you from shady costing practices that so many PPC management companies seem to love. Specifically, digital marketers often use organic SEO/PPC bundles arranged in an annual contract. Instead of providing the portioned work and budget suggested in their itemized billing, these companies mostly neglect the other activities and invest almost all their funds into paid search ads.

With markups, this makes it very easy for PPC-focused companies to turn a high profit without providing a substantial return. If you want both SEO and PPC services, just make sure they’re billed separately!

Step #2: Build Diversity

In the finance sector, seasoned planners often recommend diversifying your investments by spreading across multiple industries and nationalities. This lowers risk and allows you to explore numerous markets. When it comes to PPC campaigns, diversity also plays a key role in finding the best bang for your buck!

Most contractors only have experience with Google Ads. While that platform certainly enjoys an earned reputation for consistency and customization, there are plenty of other sources to choose from. Facebook Ads, for instance, also provides substantial tinkering and testing capabilities for your advertising campaigns. You can even use your most popular content marketing resources and turn them into ads!

Facebook Offers Extensive User Data and Simplified PPC Management for Your Team. Image Source: Facebook Business

Seasoned PPC experts can easily run campaigns in multiple platforms, generating high-quality leads for your business. They also experiment with multiple types of paid advertising, including retargeting ads. Retargeted ads identify visitors leaving your website (or an opponent’s) and delivers an ad specifically targeted to their recent experience. These ingenious marketing devices usually enjoy a higher conversion rate than your standard Google Ad.

What sort of diversity does your PPC management company incorporate into their strategy? If they take a hardline “Google Ads or nothing” stance, it might be time to try out other companies!

Step #3: Review & Adapt

One of the hardest parts of managing your own advertising campaigns is knowing when to adjust your strategy. Some keywords simply don’t pan out, while others require tweaking for maximum success. When you partner with a PPC management team, that team must be able to adapt if they wish to secure a maximum return on your ad money.

What does an adaptable company look like?

A Keyword Research Tool for PPC Management

When One Keyword Phrase Doesn’t Pan Out, a Seasoned PPC Team Adapts. Image Source: Ubersuggest

When a capable search marketing company realizes that a particular strategy isn’t producing the leads they’d like one month, they change their approach. Inept companies simply make up excuses on why it’s the market’s fault. They may also try to make themselves look better with familiar lines, such as “These search results just take time.”

They don’t, by the way! PPC campaigns should start generating results within days (or weeks, at most), unless your company competes in a market with a longer sales cycle. If a PPC company tries to argue otherwise, they’re probably trying to buy time.

Shopping for PPC Management?

Accountability, diversity, and adaptability are crucial parts of pay per click campaigns. Without them, it’s easy to lose perspective, then spend money on campaigns that don’t real returns. Consistently hold to these steps, and you’ll be much more likely to find a winning PPC management team, or effectively managing your own!

Hunting for your own PPC management team? The experts at Nolen Walker would love to handle your paid search activities. We provide a month-to-month service with reporting run directly through Google Ads. No sketchy click markups, just a simple flat fee!

See what an accountable marketing team feels like with Nolen Walker. Consult with an expert for free at (866) 356-8198.

May '19

How Can I Improve My Conversion Rate?

Did you know that getting people to your company website is only half the battle? Only a small percentage of people visiting your company page will transform into clients. That’s a daunting truth to face, especially when you spend so much time and effort getting people to visit your company site in the first place. You can spend all the money in the world on off-site advertising and promotions, but that won’t necessarily enhance your conversion rate.

In case that makes you feel like throwing up your hands in despair, don’t worry! Companies have lucrative ways to improve their website lead management and build business. You just have to know where to look. Today, we’ll explore how to enhance your site conversion rate at little to no extra cost. Let’s dive right in!

What is a Conversion Rate?

Before you can identify why your conversion rate is low, we need to define the term. If you have enough marketing and/or sales knowledge to know what a conversion rate is, go ahead and skip ahead to our next section. You won’t hurt our feelings!

In this context, your website conversion rate measures the percentage of people (in a given period) who contact your business for service after visiting your website. Keep in mind that viewers may be coming from numerous sources, from localized Google searches to promotions on your social media account. Right now, we aren’t concerned with where these leads are coming from so much as how they are being handled on your site.

Google Analytics Tool for Checking Conversion Rate

Google Analytics Offers Free Tools for Small Businesses to Monitor Their Site Conversion Rate, Among Other Things. Source: Google Marketing Platform

If you currently have no clue what your site’s current performance metrics are, that’s okay. You can easily check your conversion rate in Google Analytics, a free tool for small businesses for gauging site activity. After checking out our tips, try testing out this helpful service!

Starting With the Basics: Web Design

Web design plays such a crucial role in both your site’s user interactivity and your search rankings. Every element must maintain a careful balance between advancing SEO (search engine optimization) and making visitor experience more amenable. That can be a strenuous challenge, especially when balancing daily operations and your website development. If you don’t have the time or energy to enact these changes, there are plenty of highly-rated development services that are willing to do the work for you!

Call to Action

Give a Clear Call to Action on Every Page

Every…single…page on your website should contain a clear call to action (CTA) for visitors, preferably above the page fold. If you’re wondering “What is a call to action?”, it refers to an object or verbiage that prompts a desired action from a site visitor. As you can see below, a page can have multiple CTAs in a single page (even just above the fold). They may ask for direct communication through a call or indirect via email.

Calls to Action That Boost Conversion Rate

Notice the 3 Separate CTA Elements in This Homepage Alone. They are Clearly Visible and Fairly Commanding.

Businesses need to understand something: it’s okay to tell people what to do to. When it comes to navigating a new and unfamiliar site, readers are more than happy to receive guidance in the form of a call to action (especially if they are looking for service). Well-crafted CTAs will almost always increase your site’s conversion rate.

Navigation

Simplify Your Navigational Menu

Nothing tanks a conversion rate like muddled site navigation. Even the most sophisticated Adwords campaigns and social media marketing can’t save a poorly designed menu system and infinite link loops. If your site receives plenty of traffic every day, but your conversion rate still drops, you might be stuffing your site with too many services.

Finding the Perfect Service is the Ultimate Goal for Site Visitors, So Make it Easy for Them.

Don’t try to get too fancy. Stick with a simple top banner and dropdown menu navigation. Your visitors will appreciate how easy it is to find their services, and you’ll appreciate the higher conversion rate!

Mobile Optimization

Optimize for Mobile Browsing

More than half of all website traffic in 2018 was run through mobile phones, according to a study conducted by Statista. Here’s a startling question: what if over half (52.2%) of your visitors turned away because your site wasn’t optimized completely for mobile browsers? With so many tools to analyze and convert your site into a mobile-friendly format, it’s no wonder Google inflicts serious rank penalties on sites that aren’t suited for the majority of online viewers.

Google Offers Free Tools to Make Sure Your Company Site is Mobile-Friendly. Source: Google

WordPress and other site development tools usually contain options to convert your site into a mobile-friendly format. Unless your company is using a desktop-exclusive format, it shouldn’t be too difficult to convert your site. Of course, there’s always professional services to help you!

Want More Tips on Improving Your Conversion Rate?

Check out the Nolen Walker guide for keyword optimization, another crucial element of improving your commercial website’s conversion rate. Our team at Nolen Walker provides invaluable services for developing commercial websites optimized for search, crafting engaging and keyword-rich content, and formulating successful online marketing campaigns to promote your business! Our clients dominate the top results of their local search engine rankings, creating growth and a higher quality of leads.

To learn more about Nolen Walker’s SEO services, contact us at !