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      • February 27 BNI Presentation

How do You Market Your Business?

June 19, 2017 by DreamPix

As a freelance design and brand specialist, I am passionate about my craft and proud of my work. Like every small business owner, I too must effectively market my business in order to grow. There are many talented designers vying for the same clients and it’s important to find a way to stand out in the crowd.

In addition to devoting time to network and blog it would helpful if I was given the honor of being listed among the top 3% in the UX Designers Community. How might that happen? The American freelance company Toptal is an exclusive network comprised of the top software developers and designers in the world.  Global companies hire talent from Toptal and, the freelancers themselves, give glowing reviews of the company reporting that they are well paid and well protected. Not only would it be an honor to have a like opportunity but, it would help to grow my business.

Filed Under: Marketing Tips from DreamPix

The 3 Best Stats on Google Analytics

June 7, 2017 by DreamPix

There is a wealth of information that can be gathered from the data provided by Google Analytics. Making heads or tails of that information can be daunting for those who are unfamiliar with the analytics dashboard. To keep it simple, there are three key statistics to track that will help you to stay in touch with the source of your website traffic, the pages that are attracting visitors and the value of that content.

How are visitors getting to your website?

The “Source/Medium” (Acquisition/All Traffic/Source/Medium) window reveals a breakdown of the source of the traffic. From paid advertising to social media to backlinks from referral sites, the information will provide insight as to which marketing efforts are working for you and where you should invest marketing dollars.

What pages are attracting visitors?

The “All Pages” window (Behavior/Site Content/All Pages) tells which pages are the most popular on your website. The results my surprise you. Armed with this information you will be able to better tailor your content according to the preferences of the target audience.

How much time was spent on a page and did the visitor take action?

These stats are known as “Time on Page” and “Bounce Rate” (Behavior/Site Content/All Pages). They are two different statistics but are inherently related. The first tells how long a visitor stayed on the page while the other tells whether they left without taking action. The more time a visitors stays on a page the more likely they are to be converted. On the other hand, a high bounce rate is indicative of a missed opportunity.

There is obviously much more informative data that can be gathered from the analytics dashboard. Whatever time that is spent analyzing data from Google Analytics is well spent and will be helpful in more effective marketing.

Filed Under: Marketing Tips from DreamPix

Spring into Action

March 29, 2017 by DreamPix

The snow is slowing melting away but winter has left an indelible mark on the landscape. It is likely that your company website is also looking a little tired and could use a pick-me-up. Here’s a few tips to freshen things up.

  1. Jazz up the content with fresh seasonal material. If you have a blog this is the perfect vehicle to use use. Nearly every business has a subject matter that is more pertinent at once time of the year than another. Take advantage of seasonal opportunities by freshening content and images so that visitors have something new to engage them when they visit your website.
  2. Is your SEO working for you? It’s easy to fall behind in Google standings. Did your competition pass by you in search results when you weren’t paying attention? Perhaps it’s time to mix up your keyword phrases and page titles so they better target your local market niche.
  3. Get Chatty.  Don’t be a wallflower on social media platforms – be an engaging conversationalist who adds value to the discussion. Be sure to include social media links on your website and blog posts. It will help you to building trusting relationships with customers.
  4. Mobile Compatibility. No more excuses – websites MUST be mobile responsive. If you don’t have a mobile responsive website it is akin to have a flip phone. Google punishes businesses whose websites are not mobile responsive you will lose money.
  5. Credibility. If old holiday ads are still on your home page it is time to tuck them away for next year. Outdated material, misspellings and bad links are a turn off for visitors and your competitor is only a click away.

Once you’ve completed the spring dusting and cleaning your analytics report should perk up a bit.

Filed Under: Marketing Tips from DreamPix, Website Design | Marketing Tips by DreamPix

4 Good Reasons to Blog

March 6, 2017 by DreamPix

Every small business owner would benefit from a blog. Why?

  1. Blogging drives website traffic: Blogging provides you with an opportunity to create content that is relevant to your customers which, when shared on social media platforms, will drive traffic to your website. It is a simple marketing tactic that works like charm.
  2. Blogging Increases SEO: By regularly posting fresh, keyword peppered content on your website that is relevant to your business, Google will reward you by boosting your search ranking.
  3. Becoming a Brand Leader: By demonstrating your knowledge and marketing skills through blogging, you will emerge as any authority in your field for others to follow. Blogging is a marketing opportunity that should not be overlooked.
  4. Develop customer relationships: As you become a familiar face on the web you will build stronger relationships with potential and existing clients. We all know that building relationships is at the core of networking.

Filed Under: Marketing Tips from DreamPix

Social Media Trends in 2017

January 18, 2017 by DreamPix

Are you struggling to keep up with changes on social media? Don’t blink! The internet, and more specifically social media continues to be one of the fastest changing industries in the world today. Here are a few trends that promise to dominate in 2017.

Social Messaging

Social messaging sometimes takes a backseat to all the chatter about social networking but the truth is that messaging apps have always been a preferred method of communication among millennials and this year, messaging will find its way into business as brands start to be part of the conversation in these channels.

Cracking Down on Fake News

The 2016 presidential election spotlighted the worst of what was termed “fake news”. As a result, social media networks are taking a stance against the guilty news outlets that regularly circulate bogus information and shutting them out. In 2017, there will be new standards put into place to regulate “news” and its validity.

Live Video Streaming

Unfiltered live video continues to be all the rage. Live streaming video first appeared on Twitter. It was recently launched on Facebook and Instagram is in the wings testing its own live video option. The trend will certainly continue through 2017.

Filtered Reality

We are all familiar with Snapchat’s filtered lenses which have become common place across generations. Other social media platforms are poised to offer copycat apps that can be applied to photos and live video. With more that 75% of millennials enamored by virtual reality we can expect more on that realm as the year unfolds.

Chatbots

The opportunity to have a conversation with a chatbot in the customer service capacity has become more and more common place on websites today. The tool has brought with it improved customer service reviews for companies which means that we can expect to see more of this technology in the future. It is no doubt easier to have a text conversation with a computer on a social media site than to navigate through an automated phone. We are slowly be trained to function in our future world.

Filed Under: Marketing Tips from DreamPix

Stock Photography VS the Real Thing

January 4, 2017 by DreamPix

The fact that 68% of American’s carry smartphones means that most of us have access to camera 24/7 hence, businesses owners no longer have an excuse to feature dreadful stock photography on their website. Let’s face it, even simple photos that are taken with a camera phone offer a quality that surpasses the awful stock photos that litter the internet.

It’s a Fact: Real photos are better for your business.

Real photography is more engaging and, by nature, supports your business marketing strategy. Original photos tell a story that allows a business to stand out from the competition. Even if the physical space of a business doesn’t lend itself to slick imagery – a little creativity can go a long way. It may be local scenery or nature shots that brings personality to a website or photo of employees at work.

Whether a professional photographer is called in to do the job or a few simple photography tips are used in order to take original photos – the effectiveness of the website will improve ten-fold when the photography is upgraded. If all else fails, take the time to search for quality shots. Thankfully there are a number of photography websites that have emerged in the last few years that offer quality photos for free no less. An organic search on Google will call them up.

Filed Under: Branding - Marketing Tips by DreamPix, Marketing Tips from DreamPix, Website Design | Marketing Tips by DreamPix

Choosing a Social Media Platform for Business

December 28, 2016 by DreamPix

Which social media platform is the best one for my business and how often should I post?

This is a common question and it is one that I address in my initial marketing proposal to clients. Since the majority of my customers do not have a dedicated social media department, the task of posting often falls squarely on the shoulders of the business owner themselves. For this reason, I caution clients to commit to only to those platforms that they intend to fully embrace. A stagnant Facebook or Twitter page will do more harm than good. In my proposals, I identify the top two platforms that would be most beneficial to the business at hand. For example, I might encourage a commercial printer to promote their new vehicle wrapping capability on LinkedIn while my client who makes custom saddle pads may thrive on Pinterest. The decision as to which social media platform is the most effective is often determined by the whether the business is a B2B (business to business) business or a B2C (business to consumer) business.

The more daunting task – What to Post?

Developing engaging content is a challenge. Remember to always behave as a dinner guest might at someone’s home for dinner! When brainstorming ideas consider these questions:

  1. What is the headache du jour in your industry?
  2. What is the popular client question of the week?
  3. What is the latest industry buzz?
  4. Do you have an interesting story to tell about your company or it’s history?
  5. What is the competition doing?

It isn’t easy being a good conversationalist who stands out in the crowd but somebody’s got to do it!

Filed Under: Marketing Tips from DreamPix

Twas Days Before Christmas

December 21, 2016 by DreamPix

Twas days before Christmas and all across the net,
Small businesses had not set their New Year’s goals yet.
Their blogs were outdated, portfolio’s a mess,
They’ve slacked off of Facebook and Twitter no less!

Santa would frown if he only knew,
Not an email has gone out in 4 weeks – boo hoo!
Marketing & branding are crucial today,
Be sure not to let that visibility stray!

But, there’s help on the way, so Oh never fear
For those who want to stand out next year.
Be it a restaurant or Spa that wants to be found
or those who are lost and just and fumbling around.

DreamPix can help to find your market niche,
Just give me a jingle and a chance at the leash.
We’ll come up with a plan to suit your own needs
and generate invaluable new sales leads.

The moral of the story? Set some new goals,
ramp up the website, fill social media holes.
It does take some planning – that’s where DreamPix stesp in,
to help you woo Google so next year’s a big win.

Filed Under: Branding - Marketing Tips by DreamPix, Marketing Tips from DreamPix

Must Have WordPress Plugin: Flamingo

November 16, 2016 by DreamPix

While I have an aversion to contact forms in general, I concede that they have their place in website development. Over the years, I have used numerous contact form plugins for WordPress, many of which eventually fail to keep up with developmental upgrades. While some are superior to others, even the best of the bunch have their issues. Contact Form 7 is currently my default free form plugin of choice. The plugin itself does not save submitted messages but, forwards them via e-mail. Since issues can arise on either the client side or on the mail server side, submitted emails are at risk to be lost in cyber land. The chance of missing an email from a potential client should be avoided at all costs. Flamingo is a customer relations management (CRM) plugin that works with Contact Form 7 and is the perfect safeguard against lost emails. It requires minimal configuration and has two basic functions.

  1. It stores submitted messages in the WordPress dashboard.
  2. It archives email addresses from those messages that can be exported for email marketing purposes.

If you are using Contact Form 7 it is worth installing Flamingo along with it for added insurance. It makes managing your contact form messages a cinch.

Filed Under: Marketing Tips from DreamPix, WordPress Tips | Boston Website Design

Website Must-Haves for the Hospitality Industry

November 8, 2016 by DreamPix

  1. Build a website on a CMS platform such as WordPress. The content on a website for businesses in hospitality will and should change on a regular basis. Whether it is a menu of services/food/beverage, a blog, upcoming events or seasonal specials, the business owners must be able to readily make content changes.
  2. Menus must be live, current and contain pricing. While it is acceptable to have a pdf link with downloadable menus, the menu itself should be nicely displayed on a page that loads easily and is as delicious as the services or food you are offering.
  3. Showcase your establishment with a photo gallery – whether a website visitor is interested in coming to your establishment themselves or they are considering purchasing a gift card, a photo gallery will make the decision making process easier for the prospective customer. Carefully select images that showcase your establishment and tell the story of your brand. There is no need to overload.
  4. Be sure that a contact phone number is prominently displayed. As obvious as it sounds, there are many restaurants and spa’s that overlook this detail. The phone number should be visible and clickable on every page of the website as should the location of the business.
  5. A mobile responsive website is a must for any business in the hospitality industry. That means that the website will adjust itself on a fluid grid on mobile devices. A website should be clearly legible on every platform – whether it is an iPhone, an iPad and Android or a desk top computer. This not a mobile website that looks entirely different from your main website. A mobile responsive website is one website that works on multiple devices.

Filed Under: Marketing Tips from DreamPix, Website Design | Marketing Tips by DreamPix

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