Social Media Marketing Is More Than Just Posting Links

Many businesses use their social media marketing (SMM) efforts to post links to products and discuss new ventures. They forget one important detail, as Robert Ball noted in a recent Huffington Post blog:

Small and large businesses alike frequently fail to comprehend how social media can be used to hear the subtle, vital nuances of the market or worse yet, the not-so-subtle screams. They get caught up in amassing huge numbers of Facebook likes, Twitter followers, and high generosity scores. They forget to actually listen to what is being said.

Businesses new to the social media realm lack the understanding to know that social media is essentially built on interaction. You want to your Twitter followers and Facebook fans to interact with you. In return, they want you to interact with them.

Ball says it best: “Just go where people are talking.” You want people to discuss you and your products. But, if you’re going to just observe and not participate in the discourse, then your social media marketing efforts aren’t being properly conducted. It’s kind of like being at a party and people are discussing you, but you choose to stand against the wall and view your surroundings.

It takes a lot of time and effort to execute a great SMM plan. It includes strategic business consultation, planning, marketing and brand strategies, and editing text. This time and effort is ultimately worth it in the end, as SMM gives you a better foothold for market research, word-of-mouth advertising and customer development.

You might not have the time and effort resources needed to properly handle all SMM strategies. Contact 21thirteen design today for a free social media marketing consultation. With offices in NYC, Boston, Philadelphia and Northern New Jersey, we can employ the media, messages and messengers tailored to your company and its needs.

What Is SEO and Why Does It Matter?

In today's world of running a business, there is much to be considered. There are not only the considerations like, "What type(s) of product or services is the public looking for?" but "What is the best way to market the product?" Then, once the product is determined, one must ask, "How can one have a successful online business?" and "How can our business-either the brick and mortar location or the website be found?"

Ironically, these latter questions have the same answer-the use of SEO. SEO or search engine optimization is best defined as, "The process of making one's website more accessible and visible to search engines via natural or unpaid (aka- organic or algorithmic) search results rather than through SEM (search engine marketing) which is paid inclusion". Or, simply put, designing your website to be search engine friendly so that your site will be at the top of the list when someone does a web search for your particular service, product or company. This is done by employing methods such as:

1. Deciding on a list of keywords that represent your site or product. Consider synonyms, phrases, and even mis-spellings that apply to your product or service.
2. Use the Google Adwords Tool to help you determine what words rank the highest.
3. Create the content for your site using the word list you have developed. However, be sure that while you include the words as part of the text that they don't overshadow your content. A good ratio is that keywords should make up no more than 5-8% of the overall content.
4. Once you have developed your site's content, take some time to test the effectiveness of your SEO work by checking with tools such as Google Website Optimizer.

When SEO is done properly, the number of visitors to your website will grow and your sales will increase exponentially. The use of SEO is not something to be afraid of, and with a bit of practice nearly anyone can do it, although to have an effective search engine optimized website it is best to read a few books on the topic, talk to someone with a lot of experience or contact a business that specializes in designing SEO friendly websites.

Despite the fact that SEO is one of the most vital aspects of having an effective business website, there are still people who insist on creating websites that have no value to an online search. However, this mindset is much like deciding to bake a cake but refusing to turn on the oven. If you want to have an effective online business then making use of the tools proven to work is a must! Do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you. Either way, taking the time to grow your business through the use of search engine optimization is one the best things you can do if you want to see your customer base increase and your sales reach new heights.

21thirteen Design offers website design and SEO and SEM services. Contact us today at www.21Thirteen.com. 

Article independently authored by Janet M. Slagell. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of 21thirteen Design. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

21thirteen design Portfolio Spotlight: Bentzen Financial

21thirteen design is proud to spotlight the following website design:

Left: Bentzen Financial's old website. Right: Bentzen Financial's new website designed by 21thirteen design.

www.BentzenFinancial.com

Bentzen Financial wanted a website design that accurately reflected the business’ motto of “Fair Pricing, Honest Answers, No Pressure.”

With a complete overhaul, including a total layout and color scheme redesign, we think we met the challenge and gave this Tennessee-based business the look it deserves.  

21thirteen design has offices in NYC, Boston, Philadelphia and Northern NJ. Contact us at 646.808.0391 or visit www.21thirteen.com for a FREE QUOTE!

21thirteen design Portfolio Spotlight: The Closet Builder

21thirteen design is proud to spotlight the following website design:

Left: The Closet Builder's old website. Right: The Closet Builder's redesigned website by 21thirteen design.

www.TheClosetBuilder.com

The Closet Builder designs sleek closets, sliding doors and room dividers for clients in NJ and NYC, so it needed a website design just as sleek as its products.

With a stylish navigation panel and color scheme, we made The Closet Builder’s Web presence as stylish as any of the Manhattan or North Jersey customers it serves.

21thirteen design has offices in NYC, Boston, Philadelphia and Northern NJ. Contact us at 646.808.0391 or visit www.21thirteen.com for a FREE QUOTE!

Successful Websites - SEO and SEM Can Propel Your Website and Profit Margin With Superior Results

Financing and maintaining a sufficient revenue stream to ensure success and attain desired goals is in the forefront of every business owner's mind, especially in these uncertain economic times. From small lawyer firms competing with the "giants" in the middle of New York City or Boston to flower shops strewn throughout New Jersey, nothing is more important than projecting the right image and providing the necessary products and services that customers demand. The major obstacle and expense is marketing and effective advertising.

The household items consumers purchase have not really changed for the past 30 years. Every individual will purchase flowers, real estate, automobiles and even have the need for an attorney at some point in their lifetime. Shopping methods, however, have changed. No longer do the majority of people turn to the phone book when searching for businesses or services. The shift has been to searching online. What has accelerated this situation further is the explosive proliferation of web enabled phones.

Now individuals can find any business providing a needed product and service and have it mapped out with turn by turn directions for the ultimate convenience. The internet and all the millions and millions of websites are available to look at on a moments notice via smart phones. Which sites will be displayed in the first few search result pages will be determined by a number of factors. How many working quality hyperlinks does a website have and does the site have the most relevant text to the search being done? Does the website rely strictly on flash or is there the correct balance of static images with a well laid out and user friendly form? Does the website get updated with relevant content regularly or has a "set it and forget it" type of approach been used?

These are just a few of what may seem to be an endless amount of questions and quantifiers which search engines and directories will examine. While a poor quality effort in one area will not necessarily prevent the chance of a customer finding a business' website, it does provide an increased opportunity for the competition to be discovered first. Unfortunately there is not any definite guarantee that a particular website will always be listed in the number one top search result, but there are ways to improve one's standing in relation to other businesses competing for the same clientele.

Relying on pre-fab software packages to create a workable website is not the right solution for any business. Simply throwing up a website will not yield very positive results. Effective search engine marketing (SEM) and search engine optimization (SEO) need to be utilized, whether it is a business targeting a local audience or a worldwide audience. In essence SEO and SEM are "playing to" or "selling" the website and contents to the search engines and directories with the intent of getting listed and noticed more prominently in the search results.

How to achieve this goal is where experience and knowledge of the specific target clientele comes into play. Website specialists - like 21thirteen design, serving NYC, Boston, Philadelphia and New Jersey - experienced in SEO and SEM can lead to improved income revenue while requiring very little expense compared with traditional print ads and commercials. As with any type of advertising it is always a work in progress as the optimizing and marketing will require ongoing fine tuning to stay competitive with other rival businesses. SEO and SEM are not an exact science, but more of a fluid canvas which can be worked to create a thriving business.

Article independently authored by Dan Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of 21 Thirteen Design. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

Free Quotes from 21thirteen design

Before signing a contract or agreeing to have a website design or website development solutions company perform work, you should shop around. That’s one of the huge benefits of the Internet marketplace; you have thousands of options available to you thanks to search engine results.

At 21thirteen design, we encourage you to shop around. That’s why we offer potential clients the option to obtain a Free Quote for our services. Plus, we’re not interested in wasting anybody’s time, especially yours.

21thirteen design has offices in NYC, Boston, Philadelphia and Northern NJ. Contact us at 646.808.0391 or visit www.21thirteen.com for a FREE QUOTE!