Launched in 2016 at the end of the year this new product was certainly overshadowed by the presidential election, Google Posts was originally intended to be used by the presidential candidates. In response to the extreme limitation, Google expanded the service to a number of local businesses in the same year. Here’s why it gained popularity among small- and medium-sized businesses so quickly: What are Google Posts and what can They can do for your SMB? Google Posts enable merchants to share timely, relevant updates right on Google Search and Maps. Google Posts basically allow users to communicate directly in the search results. This differs from the Knowledge Panel since you can highlight content, information, products or services. These posts can be images, videos, or even animated GIFs. You can even add inline links on the posts to drive traffic to a particular page, service or product. According to Google, this enhanced format enables searchers to hear directly from you while complementing existing search results across the web. Postings Google Posts are shown instantly and show up in search results on both mobile and desktop platforms. Whether they’re texts, images, videos, or events, you can schedule the time and duration of the post with ease. Posts are shown on the default view for the first 7 days (or when the event date the post referenced has passed), and beyond that in their historical view under the Posts tab on mobile. This is a great feature that prov ... [Read More]
WordPress Maintenance Checklist
WordPress is one of the most powerful blogging and content management systems (CMS) to date. Since it powers approximately 27% of all websites, there’s no room for sluggish load times, potential security vulnerabilities, or search engine delistings. To avoid these problems altogether, sticking to the following this WordPress Maintenance checklist will help. Make Frequent Backups It’s crucial that you perform a daily offsite backup of your WordPress files and database. This ensures data security in the event of a network breach or natural disaster and facilitates the resumption of your business's regular operations. Although there are plugins like BackUpWordPress that help to automate the backup process, you should still perform manual backups. It is important to find a hosting partner that offers frequent backups or even Managed WordPress Hosting. Verify your Backups Not only should you be making backups, you should also be verifying them. By doing so, you are making sure that the backed up files are going where they are supposed to, and backups are being restored. The last thing you need is a failed backup strategy on the day you need it most! Daily Security Reports If you ask any cybersecurity expert, “Is it crucial to maintain a daily network security report?” the answer will be a resounding YES. While you might not have enough time to carry out thorough inspections and create these reports yourself, you can rely on security monitoring services like Delaney Computer ... [Read More]
Some Social Media Options You May Have Overlooked
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have changed the way we interpret the word social. Whereas it used to mean just catching up with a friend over tea, being social online now has blurred the lines between friends and customers. But far beyond the “big three” lies dozens of untapped social networks. If you’re hoping to get into some of the biggest rising stars in online marketing, you’ve come to exactly the right place. Having great content on your site is the magnet that attracts visitors. However, when there is too much competition on the most popular platforms, it's hard for your social media reputation management to deliver the results you expect. To reap nominal rewards from social media marketing, you need to devise new methods to stand out from the crowd. Meetup For people with similar interests, Meetup is a great site to plan face-to-face meetings. Does your company sell hiking, camping, and backpacking products? Organize a meetup for the people in your community to go on a hike. You really can’t get a better customer interaction than engaging them in the activities they love. Eventbrite If you’re looking for a more formal event platform, Eventbrite helps you to organize, plan, and market your event so you can ensure its success. Another way it differs from Meetup is its recruitment potential. You can easily market yourself as an expert in an industry to either attract freelancers or educate potential customers about the problems you aim to solve for them. Town ... [Read More]
Making Sense of Google Analytics
In today’s competitive business world, it’s imperative that you have a thorough understanding of who your visitors are and what are their expectations. If you’re looking for a powerful analytical tool for your company’s website, Google Analytics one of the best options in the market. Yet trying to understand Google Analytics and its strategic use can make your head spin. If you’re just starting out, here’s an overview of Google Analytics and its key metrics that are noteworthy. What exactly is Google Analytics? Google Analytics is a free website analytic product offered by Google. It is an application that collates visitor data from your website and provides basic statistics and analytical tools for search engine optimization (SEO). The data is used to generate reports that give you insights as to how your visitors are engaging with your website. With Google Analytics, you can analyze your traffic to discover whether your target market is finding your website, how they’re finding it, and if they’re taking the actions you expect them to take while on your site. By tracking and analyzing your traffic you can increase the engagement and enhance your marketing strategies. Google Analytics’ Key Metrics Navigating Google Analytics can be mind-numbing, since you are likely to get lost in its many features, variables, and settings. Check out these basic key metrics that will help you analyze your website traffic. Unique Visitors Most people tend to confuse this metric with “Vis ... [Read More]
How to Turn Instagram Followers Into Buyers
Because of its image-heavy content, Instagram has become a tremendously popular social platform, as evidenced by its 500 million users and over-a-billion daily engagement. More than being a photo-sharing social network with fun filters, Instagram’s potential to turn your followers into customers is worth exploring. Make the most of your Instagram account with these 5 practical tips. Ensure that your posts are shoppable This simply means providing a convenient path in which your followers can buy the products posted on your page. With a shoppable Instagram tool, you can direct users to your online shop where they can make an actual purchase. Instagram is, arguably, not the best ecommerce platform to use if you depend on clickable media, but if you know how to tweak the app to your advantage – and provide an attractive presentation of your products – you can turn likes into sales. Give away discount codes or coupons Entice followers to engage with you and share content with incentives such as discount codes or coupons. You can do this by running contests with an interesting concept, cool prizes, and a sharing or voting element that encourages participants to share your content with their friends. Better yet, engage followers by tapping into user-generated content via photo contests, resulting in free promotion for your brand. Come up with a strong call-to-action (CTA) Instagram doesn’t exactly have the most mobile-friendly CTA's, but don’t let this prevent you from sending ... [Read More]