by Westcountry-Admin | Feb 26, 2019 | Marketing
Search engine optimisation (SEO) should be seen as an ongoing process. But while you can be working on SEO activities throughout the life of your website, there are some absolute essentials which can act as the building blocks of your SEO strategy. In this blog, we examine the first five steps you should take to ensuring that your website is SEO-friendly:
1. Sign up to Google Analytics
Unless you are measuring your website's performance, how can you ensure that you improve going forward? Google Analytics is a very informative free platform which will give you a heap of information about the metrics of your website. How many hits are you getting? Where are your visitors from? Which pages are most popular? How long are visitors staying on your site? Google Analytics will reveal all.
2. Submit to Google MyBusiness
For any organisations which are targeting a local or regional market, Google MyBusiness can be essential to SEO success. It won't take long for you to register, and you'll be able to appear on locally focused searches, as well as Google Map results. Encourage customers to leave positive reviews in order to boost your profile, and pick some fantastic images!
3. Set up social media accounts
So you have a sparkling new website, but how are you going to attract visitors? 'Funnelling' visitors in from your social media accounts is a great way of boosting hits. Host engaging content on your website, and then direct people there.
4. List the site on free online directories
Before you think about paid search marketing, ask yourself 'what can be done for free?'. Depending on which industry you inhabit, there are a range of free directories online which allow you to include your online home, boosting SEO and offering another visitor pathway.
5. Create a keyword strategy
Your content can educate, inform or persuade, and it can also have an important SEO benefit at the same time. You can do this by employing a keyword strategy which is built around terms which you want to rank highly for on Google. Seek out the help of an SEO specialist such as Westcountry Media to do the right research and refine your keyword list.
Are you in the process of planning a new website?
Speak to the experts at Westcountry Media and give yourself the best digital fundamentals. Call us on 01278 556119.
by Westcountry-Admin | Jan 28, 2019 | Marketing, Web Design
We’re living in very turbulent times, with the Brexit deadline looming and many small and medium-sized businesses struggling financially. Political uncertainty around the Prime Minister’s deal has already caused some major companies to pull out of the UK, with future trading deals potentially falling apart and the country running the risk of a supply shortage.
All bad news?
While the news is filled with doom and gloom, there are always silver linings to be found if you look hard enough. British businesses have already proved they are resilient, and many are talking up their chances of surviving the coming months and years however messy the country’s exit from the EU is going to be. If your company is to weather the storm, however, now is the time to take proactive steps to help you secure new customers and hang onto them, no matter how hard trade becomes.
If things are about to get bumpy, now is the time to invest in your marketing strategy and upgrading your website. If trade is to slow down in the coming months, you need to do everything you can to see that your business is future-proofed and able to thrive whatever happens. If you’ve been putting off upgrading or refreshing your website, then quit stalling – put it off much longer and it could be too late!
Invest now to future-proof your business
Customers are quickly turned off by unattractive, hard to navigate or slow websites, and they’re likely to go elsewhere if they don’t like what they see. If you want to attract customers and keep them coming back for more, you need a site which has a slick and appealing design and is easy to use across all devices.
As experts in this field, we know the value consumers place on great website design. As an integral part of your marketing campaign, make sure your site is the very best it can be, because it could be 'make or break' as we head into an increasingly challenging market. To find out more about how Westcountry Media can help your business, simply get in touch with our expert team today.
by Westcountry-Admin | Nov 28, 2018 | Marketing, Web Design
As a business owner, one of the most critical decisions you can make is deciding on which other companies you are going to work with. From the design of your website to product packaging, the services you seek have a huge impact on your overall brand image and how you are viewed in the eyes of your consumers. With that in mind, read on to discover some of what you should consider.
1. Are they a Limited Company?
You can check with Companies House to ensure the firm is a UK-based Limited Company. This will help you determine if the company is credible.
2. Do they have insurance?
You should find out whether they have professional indemnity and other insurance in place. Don’t be afraid to ask the question.
3. How long have they been in business?
You also need to establish whether the company is experienced and stable. To do this, find out how long they have been in business. 8 in 10 businesses fail in their first year, which is why it is not always wise to go for a new company.
4. What have other people said about their service?
Search online for customer reviews. If a business has a bad reputation then you know to stay away. In today’s digital age, it’s easy to pick up on businesses that have disappointed their customers. Don’t just consider the reviews directly on the company’s website, as it is likely that they will only display the positive feedback they have received. Check out independent review platforms for a true understanding. Most businesses will have a couple of negative reviews but they should give an idea of what to expect. Not being able to find any reviews should also be a red flag.
At Westcountry Media, we tick all of the above boxes. If you require web design services, working with us will give you peace of mind knowing we are an established and reliable company with an impeccable reputation.
by Westcountry-Admin | Oct 29, 2018 | Marketing
Getting your business in front of the right person at the right time is crucial. It’s important that your PPC advertising campaigns take advantage of the latest tools and features. Google AdWords has an often-underused tool launched earlier this year which allows you to better connect with your ideal audience. We think demographic targeting should be an integral part of any campaign. Here’s the lowdown on how it could work for you.
All about targeting
Demographic targeting allows the user to narrow down their potential audience using the information they hold on their customers. If you know, for example, that to sell a new product you need to reach men aged 18-24, demographic targeting can help you do this.
When people are logged into Google, social media or other websites that share their data, Google can access this and make use of it in search. Users can edit their profile and preferences to include, among other things, gender and age. This means digital advertising can connect businesses with the right audience.
In Google AdWords, you can now target specific demographics and exclude others which are not relevant to your campaign under the following categories:
Age Range
– 18 – 24
– 25 – 34
– 35 – 44
– 5 – 54
– 55 – 64
– 65 or more
– Unknown
Gender
– Female
– Male
– Unknown
So, when a consumer with the user settings ‘female aged 25-34’ searches for ‘winter coats’ in Google, ads which have been set-up to target their demographic should show high in search results.
Does this mean more work for me?
Westcountry Media are experts in making your digital advertising work for you and your budget. We can offer independent specialist help and advice on getting the most out of your Google AdWords campaigns. Get in touch with us to find out how we can help.
by Westcountry-Admin | Sep 25, 2018 | Marketing
There is an old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words and this is especially true in the case of having your own unique logo. Each year global brands like McDonalds, British Airways and Apple all have thousands of articles, news reports and opinions written about them, but ask anyone what their names bring to mind and almost always the answer will be their company logo. The reason for this is very simple, our minds retain images far more easily and for far longer than any amount of information.
Your ultimate branding device
It does not matter what size your business is or in what market you operate, a clear logo both defines and identifies you as who are you, what you do and, where appropriate, what you stand for. Your logo is your ultimate branding device due to its design being unique to your business – an easy to obtain and invaluable asset, particularly when you are starting out.
This is why having a logo that is professionally designed is so important. The first step is to understand your logo’s role in both synchronising with and strengthening the positioning of your business in its market sector. In this respect, the choice of design is as much a marketing decision as it is a graphics task. It is crucial that you get it right.
Your logo gives confidence to your clients
It will appear on your stationery, office premises, advertising, website, social media and where opportunity permits even on your company’s transport and employees attire. It adds prestige to your brand identity and by proxy gives confidence to clients both present and future.
The most important part of your marketing mix
Perhaps among all the marketing details to be considered, your logo is the most important since it serves to bind everything else together. And yet ironically, it is also one of the least expensive. At West Country Media our design team can produce a simple logo for as little as £39+VAT. To find out more about how we can design a logo that helps build your brand, get in touch today.
by Westcountry-Admin | Jul 24, 2018 | Marketing
Word of mouth is more alive than it’s ever been – but it’s had a change of address.
In 2018, you’ll find all the benefits of word of mouth recommendations on online review sites. A lot of smaller businesses think online reviews are the domains of companies with big marketing departments who can monitor every mention of their company online. That’s not the case.
Today, we’re looking at exactly why small businesses need to encourage reviews on other sites – not just their own.
Driving business success
Online review sites like Trip Advisor, Glassdoor and Trust Pilot can be key drivers for business success – particularly for consumer-facing businesses.
Positive comments from clients are responsible for an average sales increase of 18%, and consumers are likely to spend 31% more if they read a positive review. At the same time, just over a fifth of people won’t buy a product or service after reading just a single negative review (although this figure is greatly affected if there are four or more bad reviews).
No reviews isn’t ideal
While it might seem painfully obvious that positive comments are good and negative comments are bad, it’s also worth noting that having no reviews can have a bad impact. For one thing, you’ll risk being simply forgotten. And once a person has started to consider your product or service, they’ll become deeply suspicious if they can’t find <i>anything</i> about it.
Reviews impact Local SEO
Google’s search algorithm is unimaginably smart, and local SEO (search engine optimisation) is greatly affected by your business’ presence on local review sites. The more reviews a business has, the more likely a person who’s googling “hotels in Watford” or “hair stylists in Trowbridge” is going to be led back to them.
In fact, a reputable Local Search Ranking Factors Survey by industry giant MOZ says that online reviews are considered to contribute up to 10% of how Google decides to rank its search results.
We specialise in local SEO for businesses in the UK. Get in touch today, and we’ll give you a free audit and analysis of your search equity.
