 If you’re looking to hire a website designer for your next design project, be sure to do your due diligence and watch out for these 3 things. Website Designer Tip #1. The Price is Right. Warren Buffett, who is widely considered one of the greatest investors of all time, states that the most important thing when it comes to thinking about money is "opportunity-cost". What is opportunity-cost? When looking for a website, think of it like this. “I have this money. I can do one of many different things, including getting a do-it-myself site, hire a website builder near me, hiring someone overseas, etc. And then out of all those decisions, which one will bring me in the most net profit overall?” That’s really the way you should be thinking about hiring a website designer. What’s the best overall net profit on all the different options available? Sometimes when you go the cheap route, you’re really losing a lot in terms of potential net profit. Does building a DIY website, truly save you money in the long run, if when you launch, it does not bring in new leads, customers, and sales. Sure you could try and build a website on your own. There are templates out there, and cookie cutter site builders that get you started. But truth be told, just like trying to assemble furniture, you’re not a professional furniture builder, and therefore the quality and the product is not going to be as good. And that metaphor applies to website design. Most people are not professional digital marketers or designers or understand SEO, Keywords, Metatags, user personas, or how to get traffic, or any of these details that a professional website designer knows. And so, not only are you using all of your time to build the website but then you’re not getting as high-quality an output and return on investment as you would if you just hired someone who did that full time. Let me reveal a little secret when it comes to website design. Most people think, "I'll hire a professional website firm because I want a “real website” As opposed to a Word Press site or template builder. What most people don't realize is that all websites are made from the same stuff - coding! HTML and CSS and Javascript, and the list goes on. If you go to google.com, CNN.com, Youtube.com, and any other sites on the web, and you look at the source code, it’s just CSS and HTML. The HTML gives it structure, the CSS gives it design, and JavaScript gives it animation. So, when you work with an experienced local web designer, you’re paying for a higher quality version of the same thing. Someone who knows how to code better, someone who understands design, marketing, and search engine optimization, and that’s what you’re buying. You get what you pay for. One thing I would suggest when it comes to choosing a website designer is to focus on the results. At the end of the day, “do you like the work?” Do you like the quality of their portfolio? You are looking for a final result that will represent your company and bring in more leads and sales. Trust your own judgment. Trust their customer reviews. Website Design Tip #2. Get a Good CMS. A CMS stands for Content Management System; software to manage and update your website. Wordpress and Weebly are both a CMS, and there are thousands of different CMS's out there. The one thing to know is that not all CMSs are the same. The "behind the scenes of a website is called the backend of the site. This is where you can edit the site within the content management system. Most people, when buying a website only think about the front-end; the site's appearance. A CMS creates ease of use, and reduces the number of hours and frustration it takes to edit and manage the website. Most current CMS systems use WYSIWYG editors (What You See Is What You Get) which utilize a drag-and-drop type of program. A good CMS allows you to update the images, titles, descriptions, and many other pieces of the puzzle eith ease. Local Website Designer Tip #3. Research Their Portfolio. Check out their online portfolio samples, and also look for testimonials and client reviews. Look them up on Yelp, Facebook, Google Reviews, and LinkedIn. See if people are saying nice things about them, or if anyone is saying anything particularly bad. Most importantly ‘do you like their work?’ As well as, look at their work on mobile. A lot of people don’t take the time to think about what their site is going to look like on mobile. Responsive sites (websites that look great on all screens) are very important! Just as you wouldn’t trust an obese personal trainer, you should probably never trust a designer with an ugly or outdated looking website, or an SEO expert who doesn’t rank well on Google. For example, we rank on page one on Google for “Gettysburg Web Design.” Ready to Hire Someone to Make a Website? So, if you’ve made it this far, then you’re probably thinking “I need someone to build my website for me.” So, I’d like to make you an offer that you can’t refuse. Simply request a time for a FREE consultation before you sign or pay for anything. We'll come to your office, free of charge. We simply ask a few questions to learn more about you and your company, and dig a little deeper into your online business goals. There is nothing to sign, and no credit card information is taken. So, if that sounds like something that might be of interest to you, click here and choose a time that works for you. 
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 In 2020, an online presence is crucial for any business, even for local brick-and-mortar companies that don't conduct via an online storefront. Studies show that 97% of customers search for local businesses online, while 94% of B2B buyers research companies online first.
Whether you are creating a new website or updating an older site, you must keep these design principles in mind:
https://www.vidyard.com/blog/benefits-of-video-marketing-for-small-businesses/  Your current clients and the people in your desired target audience will all experience many changes in their lifetimes. They'll go through different life stages that depend upon their circumstances and age. Consequently, they look for consistency in other ways. When they are going from their teens years into adulthood, there is a comfort that comes from knowing a certain food item is always going to taste the same or a certain lotion is always going to deliver desired results. Keeping your brand consistent all across the board matters to your customers, so here are a few ways to meet that need and help your business thrive.
First, Determine Your Brand It has been said so often and for so long that it has begun to sound like just another cliché, but there is a lot of wisdom behind the words, "Know thyself." In order for your brand to be successful, you have to know what it is before you roll it out. If you do not know what your brand is, there is a good chance your target audience won't either. That is a recipe for a potentially expensive disaster. Whether or not you have a deadline to meet, you can try idea boards. You can also consult with professionals. Once you have narrowed down the options, it is time to seriously ponder how they each look on social media, websites and printed media as well. Then, you'll be ready to make your final decision. Take some time with it, though. You'll be living with it for quite a while. What Does it Take to Be Consistent? From visuals to messaging, your brand should be the same across all channels so it creates a clear representation of your business. Studies show that once a child begins to recognize brand logos, they are ready to begin to learn to read. The way a child can look at the golden arches, the bull's eye or the black mouse ears and know exactly what they represent is how you want your target audience to feel about your brand. When they see it, they should immediately know the name of the company it represents as well as the messaging. Consistency is the key. Brands do not become household names overnight. The success of Google and Amazon did not happen from one day to the next. Each company's brand was built from the ground up, and it was helped by strategic placement in entertainment, advertisement and marketing channels. Why it Matters to Your Customers A company's success can be built by several factors. Consistency is one of them. Credibility is another. A consistent brand will build credibility with your customer base. It will also help draw in other people who need a little bit more time to check you out. There are brands that have trained their clients to expect something different every other week, but McDonald's, Target and Disney are some of the most recognizable brands because they do not change. They might roll out new campaigns every so often, but the core remains the same. If you walk into a McDonald's anywhere in the world, you know that there are core menu items you can order whether you are in Spain, Japan or the United States. Consistency in Media As with your website, you don’t want to leave your logo to amateurs. Invest in professional design for your logo and use that logo everywhere for consistency. Place it on all of your company's media. This includes online and offline materials like brochures, flyers and letters. Promotional merchandise, storefronts and all digital assets should feature it as well. Studies show that it takes anywhere between 15 and 17 times for a consumer to see a commercial and remember the details of the advertisement. By placing your brand's logo on all company materials, you are creating the opportunity for consumers to remember it. Consistency in Engagement Another great way to keep your brand consistent is to participate in relevant events, and release relevant content on a regular basis. For example, sneaker companies do well when they attend races and post relevant running and exercise content based on a content calendar. Customers are more likely to engage with a brand that posts to its blog and social media on a regular basis. When you operate a business, you are going to find that things run in cycles. Your job is to keep things as consistent as possible during the peaks and valleys. This is especially true of your brand. When you think it is time to pivot, think about the equity you've built before you decide.  Marketing often proves most successful when businesses employ dramatic strategies. Sticking with old methods isn't necessarily a terrible plan, but a failure to also integrate modern technological tools is. There are small business owners who still don't fully embrace the value of marketing technology. A quick look at three top benefits may lead many to take steps to start increasing technology-based marketing plans.
Improved ROI Return on investment might reflect the most essential sought-after benefit to any marketing campaign. Mostly, ROI refers to what you get a monetary return for what you’ve invested into into it. Investing $500 in marketing software might lead to $2,000 in new revenue. That's a $1,500 return on investment. And more benefits might be connected to the initial ROI. If new technology also increases overall productivity, cost savings and efficiencies might result. Cutting down on costs has a definitive effect on a company's bottom line. The double impact of increased revenue combined with fewer expenditures puts a small business in a superior position. A full-service voicemail system intended to handle scores of customer service requests represents an example of valuable technology. Instead of relying on a cumbersome standard phone setup, many small business owners choose to streamline things with customer service and marketing-friendly VoIP programs. The investment tends to pay off. Reaching More People Casting a wider net for customers supports the cause of generating more sales. Manually performing all promotional tactics, however, has its limitations. For example, posting on several social media accounts every day is more labor-intensive than it needs to be. Using a program to handle some posting tasks will take some work off your shoulders. The technology designed to help business marketing is vaster than you might realize. The arrival of address verification technology is allowing businesses to address the 5% of USPS mail that ends up being undeliverable. By increasing deliveries, a company reaches more potential customers worldwide. Improvements to Branding Direct sales and revenue aren't the only things of value marketing technology may deliver. Advanced technology might support improvements to a company's branding. Branding refers to how the name recognition of a company stays cast in a positive light. A business owner must control several things to realize effective branding. One primary step involves controlling the messaging. You want to create perceptions about a business and not react to them. The communicative benefits certain technologies provide help with the cause. Outdated marketing tactics don't always work in the current business environment. Become quick to embrace marketing technology or risk falling dramatically behind. Looking to boost your brand? We have top-notch video and print services to help you out!  Search engine optimization (SEO) has seen a lot of changes in the last couple of years. For online marketers and business owners, SEO is absolutely essential for the continued growth of your business whether you own a brick and mortar store or your business is strictly online.
What's Local SEO and Why is it Vital to Local Businesses? For local businesses, onHaving reviews about products that a business sells will give customers an insight into how to tell if they want the product. According to Podium, consumers who used to rely on word-of-mouth recommendations now rely on online reviews. In fact, over 80% of consumers trust reviews as much as they trust recommendations from family and friends.line visibility is more important than you think. With more and more people using their mobile phones to find products and services near them, if you don't ensure that they can find your business online easily, you risk getting left behind. Local SEO offers an effective way to market yourself online. It helps local businesses promote their products and services to local customers exactly when they're seeking them. While local SEO involves boosting your website's rank on the search engines, it also involves using listings like Google My Business, Bing Places for Business, Yelp, and others. It also helps you understand the value of localized website content, online reviews, and more. The Five Best-Kept Secrets of Local SEO The subject of local SEO is an enormous topic with many different features and aspects. We've selected five of the most crucial local SEO factors that will improve the visibility of your business online and your search engine ranking. Knowing the most important local SEO factors to focus on will give your business an advantage over your competition. 1. Citations Citations are online listings or references to your business that will include the name, address, and phone number (NAP). Listings in business directories or review sites for your industry are both examples of citations sources. Consistency is crucial when dealing with citations. Take advantage of high-profile directories by listing your business with them. Don't waste your time on smaller or newer ones until they have a good rank and some authority. Just make certain that your NAP follows an identical format for each and every listing. If there are changes, make sure you have a list of each citation so that you can keep all of them updated and matching. 2. Google My Business Creating a Google My Business (GMB) listing is very important. Once you've created your listing, make sure your profile is optimized:
When we refer to linking, we mean the inbound links to your business website and the value assigned to each. Links to your business website are good, but not all links are equal. The following factors are taken into consideration by search engines when assigning links value:
Reviews matter. Online reviews are extremely important when it comes to local SEO. For one thing, they offer valuable feedback from customers that can be used to make improvements by wise business owners. On occasion, businesses can use reviews to reach out to unhappy customers and turn them into happy customers. Some of the major online review platforms you'll want to monitor:
5. On-Page SEO As they are in traditional SEO, on-page SEO techniques are vital in local SEO too. Your business website's content should provide value to your local audience and prospective clients. Ensure your content includes targeted keywords and long-tail keywords, but again, don't overdo it. The following page elements should be properly optimized to include relevant keywords.
Takeaway The five local SEO secrets above should give you a great place to get started on building or revamping your business's online marketing efforts. Remember to be patient because the benefits of SEO when done well take time. Finally, measure your results carefully so that you'll know which of your efforts are really paying off and which you shouldn't waste any more resources on.  If you find that your marketing team is turning out stale, un-creative ideas, then it might be time to rethink the way that you foster creativity. Below, you will find 4 ways that you can get more creativity out if your advertising team.
Rethink Your Brainstorming Sessions The first strategy for getting more creativity out of your advertising team is rethinking the way you brainstorm. Generally, teams gather in a room and throw ideas around until they land on a good idea. However, not every member of a team is built for this kind of public, sometimes stressful interaction. You might find that only one or two people are doing the brainstorming while others sit back and watch. Instead, try pairing your team together in smaller groups, including those who maybe don’t usually work together or teaming up the quieter team members so that they get heard better. Design Collaborative Workspaces Another way to get prompt creativity is to change the physical space your team operates in. Emerging research suggests that creativity is a principally collaborative enterprise. Taking this research at face value, team leaders can design workspaces that facilitate "collisions" or unplanned interactions, from which creative spontaneity and innovation can emerge. Forget about sectioning off your employees into lonely cubicles, and instead opt for open spaces and multi-purpose rooms that bring your team together. You never know what unplanned interactions can lead to the next great idea. Be Open to Different Ways of Working Not everyone learns or thinks in the same way, so why should force your marketing team to work in the same way? A traditional 9-5 workday may be hindering the creativity of your team. Instead, you can offer work from home opportunities or allow your team to work their preferred hours. Of course, a fair bit of accountability and supervision will be necessary, but you could find that new ideas flourish when your team is working in the way that works best for them. Avoid Micromanaging Last, the worst thing you can do to stifle creativity in your team is to constantly micromanage them. Hovering over your team, controlling every decision, and leading every discussion can make your advertising team feel as if their input and ideas aren't welcome or needed. The best strategy for fostering creativity is actually allowing your team to be creative, to make mistakes, and to work towards their best ideas. You can up your advertising team’s creativity by rethinking the way you brainstorm, designing workplaces that prompt collaboration, being open to new ways of working, and by taking a step back and letting your team get creative on their own. Need a website with a design that actually gets people’s attention? Hire us today!  With experience of running a business, one learns that the website is the face of its business, and is very important for the company's success and growth. It is the key platform where your business interacts with leads and clients. Your website design needs to work for you. You should probably ask these questions.
Design of your website is the main component of lead generation. Most of the successful business websites have the following four aspects in their website design: 1. Content of the website should be professionally written. Content writers can help to create quality content for your website with their unique talent of writing and expertise in marketing and selling services to buyers. If you want to have an increase in the leads generated from your website make sure it’s written by a professional content writer, otherwise you won’t be able to reach the targeted audience. Content writers use the following tactics to increase the lead:
2. Website design oriented towards lead generation. Every website should be designed for a specific purpose and have a clear "cal-to-action", in our case it is to generate quality leads. An experienced web developer understands the importance of the good website design. If your website is well designed it will lead the user to the contact section which will add conversions. Without a thoughtful web design, users may lose interest. Make sure you give importance to these issues while designing a professional website.
3. Websites need to be search engine optimized. Every business owner knows the importance of search engine optimization (SEO). It’s very helpful to succeed for a business by ranking it high on search engines. The design, content and key words linking with your service gives good results when we talk about lead generation. While launching a website, good use of key words, structure and solid back end is just not enough for ranking. Social marketing is also very important. 4. Superiority in Website Functionality. You won’t be able to get a lot of reach if your website is broken, not updated and slow. To get more leads your website needs to be fast, and should have a structure that is easy to understand. Some of the common mistakes can be:
 A good majority of small business websites are not up-to-date. Non-updated websites are very common. The main reason for this is that a website requires to be redesigned and updated often. As web developing is advancing day by day, it is required to regularly maintain and upgrade a website. The best way to update your website is by having a blog, where you can post updated information about events and happenings. Following are some questions that you should ask to check if your website is outdated or needs updates:
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