by fmadmin | Apr 3, 2023 | Content, Digital, Strategy
Increase organic traffic to your website through search engine optimisation
Did you know… 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine (BrightEdge)
So, search engine optimisation is important then, right?
The challenge is that most businesses struggle to implement effective SEO strategies. This contributes to their websites ranking low in search results… and sometimes not at all.
Think of your website as an island, metaphorically speaking.
A beautifully designed and constructed virtual destination for your guests to discover. The only problem is they can’t find you on the map! Unless you provide a way for viewers to easily find you and want to travel to your website, there is no point spending time and resources renovating it.
So, how can you improve your organic website traffic through SEO?
Shhhh… below are some insider tips from our Focused Marketing specialists, but first…
“Content is the reason search began in the first place.” – Lee Odden
What is search engine optimisation (SEO) and how does it work?
SEO, or search engine optimisation, is the practice of optimising a website to increase search engine visibility. This in turn, generates more organic traffic and hopefully, dollars for your business. But not all SEO is the same.
Here are three types of search engine optimisation worth knowing about:
1. Technical SEO
This involves optimising the website code and structure to ensure it is easy for search engine crawlers to read and index. Consider your overall website speed, mobile responsiveness, schema markup and meta tags.
2. On-page SEO
This focuses on optimising individual pages on the website, including the content and HTML source code. This includes elements such as optimising headlines, formatting content, and ensuring that keyword usage is appropriate.
3. Off-page SEO
This refers to the activities that occur outside of your website that influence its ranking on search engine results pages. Look at link building, your social media marketing, and other activities that increase the website’s authority and reputation.
So why is SEO Important?
SEO is very important. Here are some key reasons SEO may assist you and your business:
Increased Website Traffic
SEO helps to increase the visibility of a website on search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Higher visibility leads to more traffic to the website, which can lead to more sales and revenue.
Cost-effective Marketing
Unlike other marketing methods, SEO is cost-effective and offers long-term benefits. Through ongoing search engine optimisation, your website could rank highly on search engines for years to come.
Improved User Experience
SEO also improves the user experience by making the website faster, easier to navigate, and more mobile-friendly. A well-optimised website will also have relevant and high-quality content that engages users.
Competitive Advantage
By optimising your website, you can gain a competitive advantage over your competitors by appearing higher in search engine results pages.
Builds Trust and Credibility
Being on the first page of search results builds trust and credibility with users, making them more likely to engage with your website and its content.
Okay, so you now know what SEO is and why it is important. Here are our tips on what to focus on and how to get started.
Our top 8 tips for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
1. Understand your target audience
Understanding your target audience is key as it enables you to identify their specific needs and interests. By tailoring your keywords and content to address these areas, you can ensure your website is relevant and engaging.
2. Identify target keywords
Conduct keyword research to identify keywords and phrases that are relevant to your business and likely to be searched by your target audience. Leverage tools like Google Keywords Planner to assist you.
3. Create meaningful, keyword rich-content
As Lee Odden eloquently stated, “Content is the reason search began in the first place.” Creating relevant and timely content that is engaging and addresses your target audience and keyword search terms is exactly the point. Be sure to include your keywords throughout but don’t overdo it!
4. Optimise every element of your website
Feature your target keywords in meta titles, meta descriptions, image file names and header tags throughout your website. Assign a main keyword phrase for each individual page on your site.
5. Monitor your website performance
Improve your performance including website speed and mobile responsiveness across all devices. Optimise your images and video by compressing them and saving them in the appropriate web-friendly file types.
6. Build high-quality links
Build back-links from high-quality websites that are relevant to your business. Link your site content to relevant external websites that add value to your user e.g. provide additional information on a topic. Don’t forget to include internal links to other pages or blog articles within your own website. Leverage social media.
7. Create a Google Business account
Create, verify, and optimise your Google Business Account to improve your local SEO and capture reviews. This account will also give you access to other handy Google products including Google Trends and Google Adwords.
8. Monitor and track your SEO results
Use tools like Google Analytics to track visitors, click-through rates, and other metrics. This will help you identify key areas for improvement.
Ultimately, SEO is a great way to get more traffic to your website, but it does take some time to start seeing results.
It’s a long-term strategy that’s not going to give you an instant boost but is worth the effort if you want to get high-quality organic traffic.
So, just remember to be patient and put in a little effort, and you’ll start to see those positive results before you know it.
Looking for more information and assistance with your SEO Strategy? Contact us today and our team will be happy to Make It Happen!
by fmadmin | Feb 28, 2023 | Content, Digital, Strategy
Your business name is the first thing people will notice about your brand, and the foundation upon which your brand identity is built, so it’s crucial to choose a name that makes a strong first impression. A great business name can help you:
- stand out from the competition
- build brand recognition
- establish credibility with customers
Your business name should stick in people’s minds and can be easily remembered. It’s vital to invest time in researching potential names before starting your business to avoid the costly and time-consuming process of rebranding in the future. By choosing the right name, you can establish your brand and create lasting customer relationships based on the recognition and association of your business name with your products or services.
A great business name is a game-changer, so don’t settle for a bland or forgettable name!
With over 15 years of experience in helping clients name their businesses, we have compiled a list of top tips to assist you in finding the perfect business name. Consider the following suggestions when searching for a suitable name that will resonate with your target audience and create a lasting impression:
Start with your unique selling proposition
To create a memorable business name, understanding your brand values, personality, vision, target audience, and competitors is key to creating something distinct.
When working with a new client, we conduct a discovery workshop to gain a deep understanding of a brand’s service offering and competitive advantage.
This will help you create a name that stands out.
Read: What happens in a brand discovery workshop?
Find inspiration for your business name
Brainstorm a list of potential business names, draw inspiration from your industry, company history, or personal experiences. Look at the names of your competitors, as well as successful businesses in other industries, for ideas.
Descriptive names are too generic and the LESS it has to do with your category, the better. It will cause fewer trademark hassles, be more distinct, and more memorable.
Focus on what the word reminds you of, over what it means, for example, “Starbucks” is so much better than “The Coffee Club”.
Read: Brand image – why it matters more than you think
Keep it simple and memorable
A simple business name is more memorable than a complex one, so choose a name that is easy to pronounce, spell, and remember. It’ll be easier for customers to find, remember, and share your brand.
Common mistakes include choosing a name that’s too similar to your competitors, using obscure or difficult-to-pronounce words, or choosing a name that’s too long or difficult to remember.
Avoid these mistakes by keeping your name unique, simple, and memorable.
Case study: Rohan Reibelt and Stephen Dionysius approached Focused Marketing to create a brand identity for their new business. We began with an immersive brand discovery workshop to gain a deep understanding of their values and unique selling proposition. In collaboration, we arrived at Venro, a merging of the founders’ first names. The name reflects their close collaboration while resonating with their target audience and conveying a marrying of their innovative, customer-first approach.
Read more about how we created Venro here.
Conduct a trademark search
When shortlisting business names, complete a trademark search to make sure your name is not already in use. A trademark search can help you avoid legal disputes and protect your brand’s intellectual property.
Check for available domain names
Check for available domain names for your business, your domain should match or closely resemble your business name, to make it easier for customers to find you online.
A perfect domain is not as important as one that is easy to find via Google search. Choose a great word with a less than perfect domain over a perfect domain with a less than perfect word.
People don’t type in domains, they search via Google!
When a domain is taken, you can insert words before or after your company name, add an action word, or incorporate geography.
Test and validate your business name
Once you have a shortlist of potential business names, test them with your target audience or focus groups to see how they resonate. Get feedback and suggestions from others, and consider which name best represents your brand and appeals to your target audience.
Plan for future growth and expansion
When choosing your business name, consider your future growth and expansion plans. Will your name still be flexible as your business evolves?
Think about the long-term goals and vision for your business and ensure that the name aligns with this. Does it limit your options for expanding into new products or services?
Choose a name that can grow with your business.
Case study: When ZekiTek first approached Focused Marketing for a brand identity, it was called Smart Chakratec. We worked together with the goal to creating a more-distinct company name, flexible to encompass six product sub-brands. Landing on ZekiTek, the company now has a more-memorable name that will underpin plans for growth.
Read more about naming Zekitek, here.
Finalise and register your business name
Register your chosen name with your state or local government and obtain any necessary licenses or permits. More information on obtaining the right licences and registrations can be found here.
You may also need to register your business name as a trademark or domain name to protect your brand’s identity.
Selecting the perfect name for your new business can be a daunting task, but it’s important not to get too caught up in the process.
Remember that your business name is just the first step in building a successful brand. While it’s crucial to make a good first impression, it’s ultimately up to you to deliver on your promises and exceed customer expectations. So take the time to choose a name that resonates with your vision and values, and then focus your energy on making your business a true success story.
Ready to choose the perfect business name for your brand? Start brainstorming today and see what you come up with!
Have questions or need help choosing a business name? Contact us today and our team will be happy to Make It Happen!
by fmadmin | Jul 28, 2020 | Content, Digital
Is it just me or does it feel like words are disappearing from the web and our lives?
Not only are we favouring social media that’s heavy on visuals, like Instagram and Pinterest, even social media apps like Twitter – that are all about words – are limited to 280 letters.
I noticed this decline in written content, when I went to a news article site and a video started playing. Later, scrolling through various websites, I noticed in horror that some small business websites were completely devoid of written content. Instead they filled their websites with nothing but pictures, videos and icons – no welcome paragraph or what services they offer or the benefit of choosing them over their competitors – nothing. Na-da. Zilch.
Personally, I think we have forgotten the significance of writing and reading to communicate, and that not everyone prefers audio and visual. Some of us – and yes obviously being a writer and all, I am the ‘some of us’ – would prefer to read and write to communicate rather than be spoken to or bombarded with vivid images, videos and noise.
Even in our personal lives it feels like the majority of stories are now told via video, audio or Gifs? Between listening to podcasts on the way to work, scrolling through Insta in our lunch breaks and sitting down to watch Netflix in the evenings, we are missing the quiet and calming effects that reading stories can bring to our lives.
And it turns out science is on my side. Huh! According to a journal article published on the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) website, more screen-time has been linked with shorter sleep duration, decreased sleep efficiency, and longer sleep onset delay.
So, why do we now lean towards visual and audible aids compared to words on a page or online? Because it’s easier! Having a book read to you requires no arm strain due to holding said 1-kilogram book (hard cover anyone?), and relaxing in front of the telly watching a story unfold before your eyes means no work for your imagination to conjure the characters and settings found in words.
Hey, don’t get me wrong, I love the easy way too, but I do call for a reprieve from the excessive amount of audio and visuals now found online that are taking over the way we communicate to our clients and customers.
I think the last few years has seen a resurgence in simplicity, and while making bread from scratch and knitting is becoming almost trendy, I think an increase in the amount of people retreating from the visual and auditory disruptions we receive constantly throughout our day is the next trend.
Perhaps, this is the answer businesses have been looking for to cut through the online competition. By delivering your online branding and communications through the use of a unique tone of voice (that’s lovingly weaved into quality written copy), could make you stand out in the crowd.
Let’s bring back the words, for a simple and effective way to inform clients and customers of what you do best, without all that noise and eye strain.
If this article sounds like your website and you’re not sure where to start, order our personalised website review online to get expert advice on how to improve your website and online presence yourself.
by fmadmin | Jun 8, 2020 | Content, Digital, Training
As a journalist who has written for both print publications and online content, I’ve found the difference between print and web content is actually the reader.
You see a print reader is generally relaxed, sitting in a comfy chair with some spare time and less fatigued eyes. Whereas, online readers are usually attached to a work desk or utilising a small mobile device – they’re stressed, time poor and fatigued. Therefore, they don’t tend to read as much, instead they scan content and only take in ‘snack’ size pieces of information.
How to write for the online reader
Get to the point
Arrange your content with the most important information at the top, similar to how news articles and press releases are written, this is the best way to get to the point. The most important content is usually what your website page is about, for example, if it’s your home page it will have who, what, where and how your business/service/product operates.
Web copy needs to be:
- Concise – Think of it as half the word count of print publications. Keep your headings short (less than 10 words long) and discuss only one idea per paragraph. A paragraph of web copy is about 10 – 150 words long and you might have up to two paragraphs on one topic but only one idea per paragraph.
- Scannable – Use short sentences, bullet points, lists, highlight key words and underline hyperlinks.
- Credible – Your content needs to be accurate and trustworthy, so research your facts and figures. And triple check your spelling and grammar.
- Objective – Avoid obvious promotional writing or being too jargon heavy, ensure there is clear direction as to where the reader should go next to learn more, buy or contact you.
Keep it modern
How I can tell if a website is dated (aside from design) is it will read like a mission statement for the business! Your website copy is to tell the reader what’s in it for them – what solutions you can provide, what are the benefits of using your product and services and why should they choose you over your competitors.
Remember, it’s all about them. What you can do for them, how you can solve their problem. Ideally, only your ‘about us’ page should be about you and your mission statement.
TIP: Test your copy by reading content aloud and asking, ‘so what?’ Does this paragraph benefit a reader, client or customer?
Web copy is copywriting
I describe copywriting as ‘writing words that sell’. When writing to sell, try not to focus on the features, instead sell the benefits.
For example:
The features of accounting services might be – Tax planning with a qualified accountant
The benefits of accounting services could be – Freedom to concentrate on growing your business by letting us worry about your tax.
Turn your features into benefits for the reader and you’ll succeed two-fold, your content will be all about them and you’ll increase sales in your product or services. Regardless of your business or industry, or whether the purpose of your website is to persuade, sell, inform, enforce compliance or entertain, your website content should always be written with the reader in mind.
by fmadmin | Jun 8, 2020 | Digital, Training
2020 has been quite a year for me. We moved back to Australia from the UK at the end of 2019, so 2020 was about settling the children in to school and then looking for work. I started work with Focused Marketing at the beginning of March. By the end of March we were all working from home in isolation due to Covid-19. It was not the start I had envisaged, but as a company we were quick to recognise what needed to happen to keep the wheels turning for both our business and our clients’.
One of our first priorities was to set up a series of free webinars. This had been a plan for some time but was the perfect opportunity to connect now that we were suddenly all so isolated.We had Teams installed but it wasn’t being used to its full potential. We started using it immediately for our daily meetings at home and utilising the instant messaging feature for quick catch-ups. I set up some current projects in Teams and created an onboarding channel where people could test it out, report any issues and familiarise themselves with the system. For our webinars we decided to use Teams Live to enable us to stream live video and digital content to potentially larger online audiences.
What is the difference between Teams Meeting and Teams Live?
Teams Meeting allows everyone able to speak and participate and are designed for real-time synergy and conversation between a group of people. Teams Live events are ideal for presentation style webinars where attendees are listening and viewing. Up to 10,000 attendees can join an event but their only means of participating is by submitting written questions to the presenter, giving the presenter control over the webinar. Attendees do not have the ability to speak.
What license do you need for Teams Live?
To create a Teams Live event you will need an Office 365 E1, E3, E5, A3 or A5 licence which includes Microsoft Teams. We asked our amazing IT providers, Crofti, to assist us with this part and set up the permissions. The tutorials and help sections on the Microsoft website are also really comprehensive and this is a great starting place if you don’t have an IT department to call upon.
The Event Roles
There are roles involved in organising a Teams Live event; the organiser, producer, presenter and attendee. The organiser schedules the live event and checks that the event is set up with the correct permissions for both the event group (who manage the event) and also for the attendees. The prganiser will select the presenters and the producer and will create the event in Teams Live, similar to how you would create a normal meeting in Outlook or a Teams meeting.
The producer is responsible for starting and stopping the event, as well as selecting the content and layout and sharing the presenter’s screen. There can only be one producer.
As the name suggests, the presenter presents audio, video, or a screen to the live event. You can have multiple presenters on your live Teams Live event.
And most important are the attendees, who are the viewers. While they do not have the ability to speak, they are able to type questions in the Q&A section if the producer has chosen to include this when the event was set up. The producer can also read the questions before deciding whether to publish them to the presenter.
Attendees can attend either anonymously or authenticated if they have logged into their Microsoft account.
Creating a Teams Live Event
Once you have the Microsoft Teams live events feature for your organisation, you can create your event. Step-by-step links from Microsoft are below:
Step 1. Schedule a live event
Step 2. Invite attendees
Step 3. Produce your live event
Step 3a. Present in your live event
Step 4. Manage the recording and reports
What I have learned setting up and using Teams Live.
Practice and practice some more! Before our first live event, I set up several rehearsals, so we could all become accustomed to our roles and practice sharing our screens. My roles are organiser and producer, so what I see on my screen is different from what a presenter sees. If you are not in the same office, it may take a little bit of trial and error for everyone to work out how to share their content and check the audio is working.
For our first live webinar we shared the Powerpoint screen, but the video feed of the presenter was not shown. For our second webinar, we decided to use a split screen so video and the presentation were both visible. We work across both PC and Mac, so rehearsals are an important part of the process to ensure everything is working as it should be.
The producer sends the presenters a link. Be sure to join in your required role if you are a presenter or producer and not as an attendee.
During the live event, the producer can see a live count of how many people are watching, but not their names. After the event, you can download the attendee report that will list each attendee’s name, email, time they joined and left the event.
As long as you are ‘pre-live’ you can talk with all the presenters and producers in the Live Events meeting. As soon as ‘start’ is pressed to broadcast to the audience, they are able hear everything you say in the meeting. Organise for the event group to join about 20 minutes before your start time. It’s good practice to have an introduction slide indicating the event will begin shortly. Start the live broadcast about 10 minutes early to ensure everything is working. Leave all audio muted until you’re ready to go live with your presenter at the start of the live event, otherwise their audio will go out to the audience. As a producer you can remote-mute them, but they have to un-mute themselves.
Another important takeaway to note, is that there is a 15 to 60 second delay from the time a media stream is broadcast to when attendees see it.
Teams Live has a variety of backgrounds you can add to ensure you have a clutter free and tidy space behind you when presenting, check these out in your rehearsal. If you choose a minimalist white background, consider wearing a dark or bright colour, avoid white or you won’t be seen very well!
Please get in touch! I would absolutely love to hear from anyone that has recently started using Teams Live. What top tips do you have, what do you like about it or what do you struggle with?
Our upcoming webinars are profiled on our Eventbrite page.
Recordings from previous webinars are on our Youtube channel.
If you have some topics you would like us to cover in our webinars, please let us know.
by fmadmin | May 14, 2020 | Digital
We’ve all experienced that frustrating feeling of landing on a website and not being able to find the information we’re looking for. Maybe the links are broken, the content is arranged in such a way it’s impossible to find things, things are slow to load or maybe the website is just plain ugly to look at.
Your website is a powerful extension of your brand. How confident are you that yours is attractive to customers or clients, and is easy to navigate?
Well, it’s your lucky day. We’re going to let you in on a few secrets to make sure your website is the best it can be. Mark the performance of your own website against each of the four criteria below to determine whether or not your website is at its best.
- Best Practice Design & Functionality
Websites can become outdated very quickly, both in terms of design and technology. If your website is custom built, make sure you stay on top of best practice techniques and incorporate these into your design every 6-12 months. If you are using a template from a themed site, such as WordPress, be sure to update the theme each time the developer releases an update. This will keep your site looking fresh and incorporate the latest functionality. You should also update your content on a regular basis. This means reviewing your text to make sure it is up to date, relevant and interesting, as well as rotating the imagery you use throughout your site to keep things fresh.
- Responsive Design
Today, consumers view websites on a variety of devices with different screen sizes, from phones to tablets to desktops. It is critical that your site looks great and is easy to navigate on each of these platforms. When people visit your website it should be a positive experience with no difficulty navigating around the site. Be sure to test how your website looks on different devices, and adjust your layout accordingly.
- Clear Navigation
Whilst your website makes logical sense to you, it’s important that not all brains work the same, particularly new users who are not familiar with the way you do business. For this reason, it is important to consider how easy it is for people to find what they need on your site. Is content organised in a logical method? Are your menu bars clear and comprehensive?
Spend some time researching your customer path. What information will they search for? How are they moving around the site and why? Much like the purchasing journey you aim to achieve in person, this process should be equally smooth and enjoyable online.
- Visual Appeal & White Space
A picture speaks a thousand words and this couldn’t be truer for online content. People are time-poor and come to your site to find information quickly – don’t bog them down with walls of text. Images build your brand persona and help tell your story, but don’t over do it; white space is important too. It helps visitors focus on the important aspects of the page without becoming too overwhelmed. It helps guide the reader’s eyes as they follow the path of your content down the page.
We know, we know. You’re SO busy. But if you want to keep it that way, set aside some time and make sure your website is working as hard as you are and not driving potential new business away.
