4 Shopify Best Practices to Implement

by Jack Smith | Jul 24, 2021 | blog, Blog Post, Digital Marketing, Digital Publishing, Marketing

Are you using Shopify? It’s one of the simplest and most popular e-commerce platforms available, and it has plenty of features to help you boost awareness and sales. But to take full advantage of Shopify, make sure you understand how to optimize your use of the platform.

Here’s what to know, including helpful tips you can put to work right away:

Let’s start with the basics…

Shopify is a subscription-based e-commerce platform that allows any business to set up a virtual store and sell their products online. Some of its key features include the ability to showcase products, manage inventory and facilitate payments — all while making stronger and more impactful connections with your customers.

And optimize with best practices.

Selling your products online gives you a bigger customer base, but it’s still up to you to grab people’s attention (and meet your revenue goals). Make sure you’re implementing a few best practices:

Copy: All of your products should be accompanied by descriptive, well-written copy. Keep it short but impactful, and always include a CTA.
Navigation: Break down bigger menus into smaller, more digestible sections so that your customers can easily see what’s available. And put an organized tagging system in place so shoppers can easily search and filter products.
Collections: Create curated collections to provide targeted recommendations and increase the scope of individual sales.
Design and Imagery: High-quality design and images make your products more attractive and let customers know what they’ll get.

Need help with your marketing? Get in touch anytime.

What is Omnichannel Marketing?

by Jack Smith | Jul 13, 2021 | blog, Blog Post, Digital Marketing, Digital Publishing, Marketing

Are you familiar with omnichannel marketing?

While it’s easy to get confused with multichannel marketing, omnichannel marketing is a distinct approach with its own best practices — and its own big benefits for your brand.

Here’s what to know, including the basics of what omnichannel marketing is and some simple tips on how you can start adapting it into your strategy.

What Is Omnichannel Marketing?
Omnichannel marketing is an integrated, sales-focused marketing strategy that aims to provide customers with a cohesive shopping experience across all platforms, places and devices.

At its core, omnichannel marketing is about putting the customer experience first. The goal is to ensure that regardless of how your customers like to shop — on their phone, through social media, in-store, etc. — the messaging and interactions they have will remain consistent.

Omnichannel Marketing vs. Multichannel Marketing
Both omnichannel and multichannel marketing are diverse strategies intended to capture an audience in various places and in various ways.

Where they differ is in intent: While multichannel marketing is focused on simply building a brand presence on as many platforms as possible, omnichannel marketing is about bringing cohesion to that practice in order to boost sales.

Make the Switch to an Omnichannel Approach
Creating an integrated sales experience isn’t just better for your customers — it’s better for you, too. Here are some tips to get you started:

Know your customers. Build well-researched customer personas to understand how and where your audience prefers to shop.
Work on segmentation. Different customers have different needs at different times. Segment them into groups (for example, new customers and existing customers in need of re-engagement) so you can offer an optimized experience.
Focus on cohesion. You want to make sure your customers have the same experience regardless of where they are. Double-check your story, your message and your branding are consistent from channel to channel.

Need more advice? Get in touch and we can help.

Do’s and Don’ts of SMS Marketing

by Jack Smith | Apr 20, 2021 | blog, Digital Marketing, Marketing, SMS Marketing, Text Marketing

Reach Your Customers With Text Messaging

Is your business making good use of SMS marketing?

Text messages can be a great tool for brands. Done right, they’re a fast and direct way to stay connected with your audience, share promotions and collect data on consumer preferences. Done wrong though, they can come off as overly pushy — or worse, even a little bit off-putting.

To help you find the balance, here are the do’s and don’ts of SMS marketing you need to know:

DO require opt-in and consent.
Just because customers give you their phone number doesn’t mean they’re providing consent for marketing texts. Require a direct opt-in so that your customers are more engaged (and happier to hear from you).

DON’T text just to text.
While SMS marketing is ideal for brand awareness, it’s not just for saying “hey” and checking in. There should be a reason behind every text you send, such as announcing a sale or sharing a discount code.

DO allow replies.
If your customer has a question or comment in response to your text, make sure there’s a method for responding. A marketing automation platform will help you do this and will ensure you can easily monitor incoming and outgoing messages.

DON’T overdo it.
Texting too often is pretty much a guaranteed way to get people to unsubscribe. Measure out your frequency and work on finding that sweet spot between texting too often and not enough. (Hint: Look at your engagement rates; if they’re going down, it might be due to your frequency one way or the other.)

Conclusion.
SMS marketing can look spammy and has to be done both carefully and legally. In all, it has come a long way over the past several years. The good news is that people are using their smartphones more than ever before. SMS is an efficient way to directly communicate with customers, once they op-in to your updates and special offers to increase sales. Netflix and Redbox do a great job using SMS marketing. Why not your business?

Need more SMS marketing advice? Get in touch and we can help.

4 Secrets to a Great Landing Page

by Jack Smith | Mar 1, 2021 | blog, Digital Marketing, Marketing, Responsive Website Design

Landing pages have one goal: convert. Done right, they can be a huge driver of lead generation for your brand. But landing pages that are poorly executed don’t have much to offer — for you or your audience.

Whether you’re creating a new landing page from scratch or are looking to improve an existing one, here are four tips to help you knock it out of the park.

1. Ace Your Headline

A great headline sets the tone for what does (or doesn’t) happen next. Keep it concise and on-brand, and make sure that it accurately conveys what the user will find on the page — such as a gated asset, special promotion or webinar access.

2. Use Simple but Attractive Design Elements

There are a lot of places where your brand can show off its graphic design skills, but with landing pages, simpler is usually better. Use your landing page design to reinforce your brand identity but avoid making it overcomplicated.

3. Write Clear Copy

Your landing page copy should be clear and concise, describing the features and benefits behind its purpose. Keep it skimmable, using creative formatting to highlight your key points.

4. Have a Strong CTA

The primary intent of a landing page is to drive action. Instead of leaving visitors to figure out what you want them to do, create a strong CTA that’s easy to spot. This can make or break your conversion rates, so consider A/B testing CTA language and placement to get it right.

Want more landing page advice? Get in touch and we can help.

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Six (6) Reasons Why You Should Have Google Reviews Embedded Into Your Existing or New Website

by Jack Smith | Feb 11, 2021 | blog, Digital Marketing, Marketing

Google Reviews is a great tool for any business wanting to expand its potential customers. It can give a big credibility score to a brand without the need to spend much time and money. In these recent times where everything is digital, you need to step up your game if you want to advance your business. Maximizing the use of Google reviews by having them embedded into your website gives your business a huge advantage over your competitors. The power of positive reviews, particularly in today’s online world, is smart. That is why your business will need a good strategy on how to best utilize Google reviews to help drive more success your way. This article focuses on the six (6) reasons why you should utilize Google Reviews to better promote your business, with one new and exciting option of having LIVE Google Reviews embedded into your existing or future website.

Here are Top Reasons Why You Need Google Reviews Now:

1. Customer Trust

With the changing consumer behavior nowadays, people are more concerned with transparency when it comes to business. Consumers tend to associate transparency with the accessibility of information by any given business. Some of them conduct thorough research about the company or business before deciding to buy their products or service.

According to recent studies, around 88% of consumers read reviews in order to determine the quality and credibility of a given business. A big chunk of this research is mostly done through Google reviews. Recent surveys also imply that 72% of consumers assert that positive reviews make them trust the business more. Thus making a great opportunity for businesses to achieve a competitive advantage over competitors through Google reviews.

2. Transparency

If you respond to Google reviews, you are also telling your consumers in a way that you want to stay transparent. Maintaining transparency in your business is essential especially with the rampant privacy issues surfacing over the years. Without transparency, you will not be able to establish trust with your customers and brand loyalty. Aside from that, transparent and honest reviews will allow your business to offer peace of mind to your consumers. Staying open and transparent offers social proof that your business is indeed trustworthy.

3. Search Engine Optimization and Online Exposure

In the online world, search engine optimization (SEO) is a vital tool if you want to step up your digital marketing strategy. People online use Google to search for answers every day. In order to be visible to your potential customers, you need to optimize your content in order to gain a higher rank on search engines. If you rank high, Google tells the consumers that you are a trusted source.

When it comes to Google reviews, using this tool can increase your SEO. Google has a complex search algorithm. Though this is the case, Google reviews have a great impact on Google Search. Around 9% of its search algorithm is directed by review signals similar to those with Google reviews. These signals are mostly focused on the number of reviews (quantity), the speed you receive reviews (velocity), and various sources your reviews come from (diversity). It can help your business rank higher over competitors on the search page. We have noticed that client sites that have been embedded with their Google Reviews have experienced a nice bump in their search rankings.

4. Brand Awareness & Recognition

When your local SEO improves, you are also expanding your online exposure. The longer time people see your business name, the more likely they will recognize and remember your business. Improving your brand awareness can help you remain on top of the customers’ minds. If you have a limited budget for your marketing and advertising campaigns, a Google review is a great resource. If you encourage your customer to leave reviews, you can increase your brand awareness and you will be able to keep up with your competitors.

5. Website Traffic

Having Google reviews can likely increase the number of visitors to your website. Leading someone to click on your link through a search engine will help you increase your website traffic. This will tell Google that you are a credible and relevant source, thus improving your SEO ranking. When you increase your Google review, you are also improving your click-through rate. These Google reviews can help you increase your website clicks. As a result, you are able to encourage more people to visit and explore your website and help them learn more about your business.

Aside from that, you can also use Google Reviews as additional social proof for your website by embedding them on your site. These Google reviews are actual reviews from your Google My Business page so no need to update them since it’s fully automated.

It’s a simple yet powerful way of getting customers to trust your brand the moment they open your website and learn more about what you do and how you do it.

6. Return on Investment (ROI)

Most people buy products and services from businesses they trust. If they are searching from brands they have never heard of before, the tendency is that they will look for legit and valid reviews. They tend to read online reviews from verified customers and purchasers in order to determine if the product or service is indeed worth every penny. When a potential customer clicks to your website, they will be able to see what your business can offer. They will be enticed to buy and avail of such service.

Another advantage of Google reviews is that it can increase conversions. When customers find you as a top-rated business, they will be inclined to trust you and as a result, they will be enticed to buy from you. Since you did not spend expensive campaigns nor advertising, you will then improve your return on investment (ROI) with that purchase. Embedding your Google Reviews on your site is a one-time fee.

Final Thoughts

In summary, Google reviews can certainly improve three key areas of your business. These are brand awareness and trust, search engine optimization, and feedback. Using Google reviews is a great way to help your business step up, especially in the online world we live in. Google reviews come with excellent advantages that you can use. Missing out on this resource can be a drawback since your competitors may be using this one too. If you want to stay ahead of the competition, then boost your awareness, website traffic, and sales with an active and consistent Google Reviews marketing program.

Smith Marketing, utilizing special software, can embed LIVE Google Reviews into your website, whether on an existing page or on a new reviews web page. This one-time service fee will publish your actual Google Reviews on your website. It’s also auto-updating, so immediately after a new review is published on Google, it will show up on your site. The software also gives you the ability to show only 4 and 5-star reviews if you prefer. Contact Smith Marketing for more details and pricing on this unique marketing opportunity.

8 Reasons Why You Need A Brand New Website in 2021

by Jack Smith | Feb 4, 2021 | blog, Digital Marketing, Marketing

It is a widely-accepted truth that technology has dominated the world. With recent advancements, technology has played a big role in today’s transformation. Over the years, businesses have embraced market technologies including the internet. According to studies, people have used the internet to search for local businesses around them. This means that if you have a business and you want your business to grow in this digital age, you need to be visible on the online market.

And to do this, a captivating website is what you need! Sure, you probably have a website right now, but is it optimized? Does it have new features? Or overall, is it a good website?

If you’re still stuck with the old and outdated website, here are 8 reasons why you need a brand new website in 2021.

1. Get Attention

In this digital age, most users are present in the online world particularly the tech-savvy millennials and generation x. Even baby boomers are catching up too. Having a website means you can display information about your business. You can be visible to your target audience in just a matter of clicks.

Like we said, we are already living in the digital age so it’s just essential for businesses to have a website. However, it’s not just about having a website but it’s about standing out from the countless websites out there online.

Having a well-designed website instantly catches the attention of website visitors. A new website that is optimized and does not lag also keeps your viewing time higher.

All of us have encountered this at least once where we visited a website that loads so slow so we end up just leaving the website. Overall, a new website will help you grow your business, solidify your brand, increase value, and deliver strong marketing messages.

In the online world, visuals are a big thing so having a fresh and new website sends a strong message that you have something to offer.

2. Your Business, Your Story

A good business needs good reviews and it’s difficult to control what people say about you. This is where optimized websites come in because you have total control of what you can show to your audience.

For example, there are new features that enable you to embed organic feedback from social media reviews such as Google and Facebook to your website.

This is a great way to influence people’s perception of you and your growing business without jeopardizing the authenticity of the feedback. Some websites create fake positive reviews and it does not help at all.

SEOTribunal says that there are around 5.6 billion searches per day which is about 63,000 searches per second. With these numbers, there is a high possibility that someone online might be looking for your exact product or service.

Remember, social proof is very important in this digital age. If people see organic and authentic reviews on your website, they will trust your brand right away.

3. More Revenue, Less Cost

In this digital transformation era, the cost of creating a highly-optimized website is nothing compared to the revenue that you will get having one. Yes, you have an old website and you don’t want to spend more dollars getting a new one, but you’re actually losing a lot of money.

Highly optimized websites improve click-through ratios and viewing time which will eventually increase sales.

4. Professional Websites Assures Credibility

If you are serious about your business, then devoting resources to having a professional website is a wise investment. In today’s generation, almost 50% of smartphone owners use their smartphones to search for products and services online, and not having a highly-optimized website may damage your brand’s image and credibility.

According to studies, 75% of online users engage in companies they can trust and the visual aesthetics and features of a website adds up to building that business-customer relationship. Most users spend around 2.6 seconds scanning a website for information search. If the user stays longer on your website, that means there is a good impression. That is why a professionally designed website has a vital role in keeping a good impression on users. The design is crucial since visitors judge not only the content and layout but as well as credibility and security of the website. Great design can lead to user engagement, trust, and retention.

5. Compete with Bigger Companies

Having an optimized website can give you a chance to compete with much bigger competitors. With the right keywords and the right SEO strategy, your website can rank high. The right keywords can increase your website traffic and can surely influence your consumer’s buying decision. By dominating the search result list, you are becoming more visible in the online world and have a higher chance to stand along with bigger companies in your industry.

6. Security Is Key

With technology evolving, scammers are also adapting and using technology to do their schemes. This is why it’s very important to assure your users that your website is secure. Plus, more users are becoming aware and concerned of how their data is used.

Regardless if you store user data, you need to make sure that you have SSL (https) because it can affect your Google Rankings. Users are aware of this and if they see your website does not have it, they won’t do business with you. This would also help your business as a whole because it prevents hackers from gaining access to your website.

7. 24 hours a day, 365 days a year

If you have a website, then your content will be available to users all day long. When someone visits your site in the middle of the night, they will be able to access information about your business which means you are still interacting with them in some way. It is amazing to discover the number of searches that take place before and after businesses close for the night. Your website never sleeps.

Accessibility at all times can help your business both in the marketing and sales aspect. This is true, especially for e-commerce businesses.

But apart from that, there are also new features that websites can have such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) or chatbots. These features are now becoming more popular in almost every optimized website. This ready-chat service can answer the basic questions and solve basic problems any customers may possibly have.

8. Showcase Your Brand

It has been stressed enough that websites can greatly help establish and promote your brand. However, having an optimized website lets you control how you position your business in the market. You have full control over how to showcase your products and services.

There are countless features that you can use to get maximum results and if you have an old website that doesn’t have these, you are missing out a lot!

You can make your website display your product features and offerings that help consumers in their buying preferences and decision. Tutorial videos and PDF files about your product can also be embedded in your website which enables consumers to learn more about your business. Awards and testimonials can also be uploaded to your website which has a great impact on how your consumer sees you.

What’s Next?

Regardless of the industry you’re in, having a fresh and up-to-date website in 2021 is an absolute must. If you don’t want to be left behind, then you should start creating content and designing a new website or do a makeover on your existing website, starting today. Keep in mind that technology is dominating the world and more people are connected than ever before. If you want to be successful with your business, then it’s the perfect time to embrace the strategy of having a fantastic and mobile friendly website in 2021.

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