anoadmin - Old City Web Services

3 tips on advertising your business online

July 10, 2013 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Making room in your marketing mix for online advertising does not always have to burn a hole in your wallet. There are numerous inexpensive ways to advertise your business online that can have just as big of a return as some of the more costly ways. Below are 3 cost-effective tips on advertising your business online:

1. Get local

First, make sure your business is claimed on local listings such as Google Places, Yahoo Local and Bing Places for Business. Take advantage of these free tools that will increase your search result rankings for locals or visitors searching online in your area. Also, don't forget to utilize community sites that have a proven track record of high volume visitors. If you are a local shop, restaurant, B&B or other St. Augustine business that is not taking advantage of advertising on OldCity.com, you should seriously consider it! Advertising or having your business listed (and back-linked to your website) is the most cost-effectively way to get the word out about your business to a more targeted group. It's this simple: Our traffic becomes your traffic.

2.Try Facebook Ads

We've said it before and we'll say it again -- but this time with some stats! In 2010, the total Florida population was 18,732,783 and 42% or7,839,520 people were Facebook users!(www.internetworldstats.com). Furthermore, you can expect the number of Facebook users has nearly doubled in the last 3 years. Why choose Facebook? For the simple fact that it allows you to create several ads and target them based on location, demographics and interests. It's directed, effective and most importantly - affordable.

3. Publish Yourself

It's not nearly as difficult to get published these days as we see many more credible online publications forming. How does it work? Submit articles, PSA's, press releases, news releases, etc. to various reputable and local websites. In return for your content, many of these websites will offer back-links to your website providing you with potential traffic and leads for your business. This will also help you become established as an expert in your field or industry.

Want to start advertising your business online today, but would rather let an expert help? Contact Old City Web Services today! We'll take the stress off your shoulders by determining the online advertising outlet(s) that's best suited for your business needs. Give us a call: 904.829.2772 or email us: letusmarketyou@oldcity.com for more information.

What is RSS and is it still important?

June 26, 2013 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

What does RSS stand for? It stands for Really Simple Syndication. Now you're probably saying to yourself, "Okay, but what is it?" Here's our simple answer: RSS feeds gives readers a method to keep up with their favorite blogs, online news and any other favorite websites. Anyone can choose the sites they wish to subscribe to and then receive updates in one centralized location. In essence, RSS allows content to come to you. Pretty neat idea huh?

How can RSS feeds help your business? Simple-- If you're a website owner or blogger, RSS is a means to gain a loyal following of internet users. It helps grow your website by keeping you in the forefront of readers mind while they're browsing their feed. As a small business, you may not update your web content as often as you should or you may choose not maintain a blog, however RSS just gives you more of a reason to do just that. You can track how many users subscribe to your feeds and focus your messages on what they want to hear.

If you sell products online, RSS will allow consumers to stay up-to-date on your newest items and specials. Who knows--these subscribers may likely be your next in-store customer! If you are a travel blogger, RSS will allow people to subscribe to your posts and increase your number of readers. If you post upcoming events, news or press releases on your site, RSS feeds will allow subscribers to view this content every time you update it.

Users can sign-up for your feeds using multiple platforms such as Google Reader, My Yahoo and various mobile apps.

Need help setting up RSS feeds on your website or blog? Old City Web Services offers training services that will teach you how to set up your very own RSS feed system to best suit your business. Contact us today to help you get started! Give us a call: 904.829.2772 or email us: letusmarketyou@oldcity.com for more information.

Want to stay up-to-date on happenings around our Nation's Oldest City? Become a subscriber to our Calendar of Events that's updated daily! Click on the icon below to subscribe for free:

3 ways to enhance customer engagement

June 12, 2013 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Want to improve your level of customer engagement? Customer engagement is the emotional connection between a customer and a company or brand. Engaged customers are loyal to your brand, passionate about your brand and advocates for your brand. Below are 3 helpful tips you may want to consider:
1.) Video
If you spend any time on the internet, you'll find that it's almost impossible to avoid videos-videos of celebrity interviews, dogs doing tricks, commercials-- you name it, it's there! People like to put a face to a brand and with video, you can do just that. Here are two ways video will enhance your customer experience:

Videos convert people into paying customers- in the article, Astounding Online Video Statistics That Brands Can't Afford To Ignore , written by the Social Times, "customers that watch videos of products or services are 85% more likely to make a purchase."
Videos come up in search results-Google announced earlier this year that more than 1 billion unique visitors are on YouTube each month.

2.) Responsiveness

I'm sure you've found that there are multiple online forums and blogs that allow customers to express their opinion or write reviews about their experience with local businesses. For example: Trip Advisor, Urban Spoon and Open Table are a few for the food and beverage industry. According to TripAdvisor's 2013 Fact Sheet, more than 60 new contributions are posted every minute! Of course nobody likes to receive a negative review and it's nearly impossible to prevent them, but there are ways to maintain your valuable reputation by your level of responsiveness. It's important to respond to both the good and the not-so-good reviews. Just make sure you are open, honest and apologetic to the bad. This will reflect positively to other commentators and especially to the one that wrote the review. Maybe your responsiveness even convinced them to come back and give you another shot. If you aren't actively responding to these reviews, you can bet your competition is and their gaining brownie points for doing so.

3.) Social Interaction
I'm not talking about going to mixers or having dinner parties with your clients--I'm taking about social media responsiveness. Not only should you be posting, tweeting and pinning, but you should be commenting and re-tweeting also. Try to set aside a little time each day to engage with your customers and respond to what they're saying to you. If you're only putting content out there, customers may feel you're not listening to them. When you do this, you're adding a personalized touch that your customers appreciate and remember.

Want to learn more ways to enhance your level of customer engagement? Old City Web Services will help you become more responsive and increase your online presence. Contact us today by giving us a call: 904.829.2772 or emailing us: letusmarketyou@oldcity.com.

Out with the old…in with the New

June 6, 2013 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

How can you really tell if your marketing efforts are outdated? We've developed a simple check list to help you determine if how you're running your small (or big) business is in-line with the newest technology and innovative marketing trends. Note: If you answer "Yes" to any of these categories below, pick up the phone and contact us today--we're here to help!

You don't remember what your website looks like....if you can no longer remember the details of what your site looks like, then it is safe to say that you haven't visited your own website in a while--quite possibly a long while and I bet it could use some major updating! Ask yourself: What images are on my homepage? What pages are included in my navigation? Here are a few more key signs your site is outdated:

You have a starburst on your site
Your color palette includes fluorescents
There is not a functioning navigation
You have broken links
You cannot view your site from an iPhone or iPad

You lost rankings when Google Places was launched...Google launched a game-changing search process in 2011 called Google Places. In order to capture more of the lucrative local search audience, Google started to integrate places results with organic rankings (rather than simply showing a map with markers). What does this mean for your SEO? Google Places listings can dominate the entire first page of search results pushing the link to your company's website further down the list.

The administrator of your company Facebook page is no longer with the company...if you no longer remember the logins to your company's social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter or otherwise), you're officially outdated. Even if your Facebook page looks nice and people continue to interact with it, you're still missing the ball by not engaging with your consumers. Social media might not generate the same ROI as traditional direct response channels, but that doesn't mean there is no value.

Your search traffic directs to your homepage...if you are not using landing pages to create cohesive campaigns, you can guarantee users are bouncing off your site as fast as they arrive. You can do all the keyword research you want, but if you aren't using landing pages that are aligned with your keyword approach, you're not running an effective end-to-end paid search campaign. When paying for online ads or promotions, it's important to consider the path your users are taking to convert.

You're not taking advantage of online advertising...small businesses have a tremendous resource at their disposal: the internet. Without a doubt, the internet provides the best forum for small business advertising. Here are a few reasons why entrepreneurs should look toward the internet to advertise their business:

More and more consumers look to the internet for their purchasing-it's convenient, fast and online sales are generating billions of dollars each year.
The Internets scope is world-wide--businesses can expand their customer base across the globe and customers can make purchases anytime, anywhere 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
There is a wide variety of internet ad options-banner ads, promotional, newsletter, social media, audio/video...just to name a few!

Keeping a marketing plan fresh by adding or adjusting key ingredients is a constant and timely job and unfortunately it is not always made a top priority for many small businesses. Why not make the step in the right direction today by letting Old City Web Services and OldCity.com help turn your marketing efforts around? After all, we're a local, small business too! The difference is we specialize in web development, internet advertising and integrated marketing...and we love what we do! Contact us today by giving us a call: 904.829.2772 or emailing us: letusmarketyou@oldcity.com.

Logos 101: Professionalism is Key

May 29, 2013 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

People often create judgments based on first impressions. This same reality applies when it comes to how potential customers, suppliers and business partners form their initial impression of your company - they will make quick judgments whether or not to conduct business with you in-part on how professional you appear to them. Having a good logo will help you appear in a professional light at first glance! Furthermore, it'll allow you to build trust, stand apart from competition and maintain your loyal customers.

What makes a good logo, you ask? Here are some characteristics a professional logo will have:

Describable- you must be able to explain your logo to others in order for them to identify with your company's image

Memorable- a good logo will have a lasting impression on both existing and potential customers

Effective without color- the color is always secondary to the shape and form of your logo. It must be effective even when it appears in black and white

Scalable- (i.e. your logo must work even when it's an inch in size). This is essential for your office collateral such as pens, invoices, envelopes, etc.

Relevant- your logo must have relevance to your industry (this process takes in depth research to distinguish your unique characteristics)

Your logo should incorporate many of your company's aspects within one simple, unique image. You should be proud of your logo and make sure to use it regularly so that people will begin to identify it with the products or services you offer.

Let Old City Web Services help your company grow professionally by either designing a new or redesigning an existing logo for your business. Our professional graphic design team truly understands the importance of consistent, clean and professional branding and will give you the brand identity you crave. Give us a call today: 904-867-4112 or email us: letusmarketyou@oldcity.com to schedule your free one-hour consultation.

Importance of going mobile

May 23, 2013 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

First and foremost, it is important to understand the difference between a mobile site and a mobile responsive site. A mobile-responsive website is a website built on a special framework so that regardless of how you have the browser window sized, or which mobile phone or device you are using, the images and layout adjusts to fit the screen size, yet the content is still "tappy" (you can easily "tap" any hyperlinks). This will typically depend on how the developer originally programmed your website. If your site was designed more than three years ago, chances are your website isn't 100% responsive on all mobile devices.

A mobile website is a scaled down version of your actual site. Best practices for mobile websites call for selecting only the pages that are of the utmost importance for users that are on the go instead of adding all content (i.e. text, graphics, photos). A mobile website serves a different purpose than your actual site. Often times it is for customers to contact you fast and easy either by a simple contact form or telephone number. Some popular menu pages on a mobile site may include features like "click-to-call" or "get directions." Also, people are most likely going to spend more time on a mobile site, rather than one that is just responsive. A customized mobile site will allow you to get your message to your consumers anytime and anywhere. Investing in a mobile site is becoming more and more valuable to businesses as the world becomes consumed with the greatest and latest smartphones.

Think your clients don't fall under the category of smartphone users? Think again-- as of February 2012, nearly half (46%) of American adults were smartphone owners and it's estimated that 86% of the US population will own a smartphone by 2017! Teens, college students, soccer moms, businessmen, business owners, even grandparents are getting with the newest fad in technology...you name them, they got it!

Want to know if your site is mobile responsive or want to see if you're missing out on hundreds of leads due to not having a mobile site? Let Old City Web Services help you go mobile today! Contact us to schedule your free one-hour consultation by giving us a call: 904.829.2772 or emailing us: letusmarketyou@oldcity.com.

Feeling flustered over social media?

May 1, 2013 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Managing your own social media networking sites for your business is not a small fleet! Many business owners avoid social media marketing all together since it doesn't typically have an immediate monetary return, however if you're leaving this out of your marketing mix, you're turning down infinite potential leads and important consumer engagement.

Most likely your customers are already online searching and talking about you so join in on the conversation! According to Harry Menta, public affairs specialist for the U.S. Small Business Administration, "The more you embrace social media, the more opportunities open up for your particular business. Small-business owners have to realize that not all social media may be a fit for them, but they shouldn't just sit on the sidelines. They need to investigate the possibilities."With this being said, knowing what networks to join and who to connect with are important things to consider before signing up for every social media network out there. Additionally, it's key to remember that having a personal Facebook page is not the same thing as maintaining a professional Facebook Business Page.

Feeling overwhelmed yet? Not to fear, Old City is here! Our professional social media experts can take care of all your social media problems, no matter where you stand in the world of social networking. We can conduct preliminary research, set up your accounts (the right way) and train you and your staff on how to manage your accounts. We will give you tips, trends and time-saving resources that will help boost your social rankings and two-way communication with customers.

Start learning how to manage the day-to-day tasks of posting, tweeting, blogging, sharing, pinning and linking today! Give us a call: 904.829.2772 or email us: letusmarketyou@oldcity.com

to schedule your free one-hour consultation.

Do you own your domain name?

April 24, 2013 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Have you ever heard of Cybersquatting (also known as domain squatting)? Cybersquatting, according to the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, is "registering, trafficking in, or using a domain name with bad faith intent to profit from the goodwill of a trademark belonging to someone else." The cybersquatter then offers to sell the domain to the person or company who owns a trademark contained within the name at an inflated price. Whether it's big corporations or your average Joe trying to make an extra buck, it is important to always make sure you are listed as the registrant of your domain name. Just because you pay for it, doesn't mean you are necessarily the legal owner.

How do I know if I own my domain?

There are multiple websites that offer free domain name look-up such as Network Solutions and Whois.net. These sites allow you to search for your domain and see the registrants name, address, contact information and renewal dates as well as anyone else who may be listed on your account.

Can someone register my domain name for me?

Absolutely--just double check that your name is listed as the owner. We here at Old City Web Services register new domain names, renew existing ones and manage them so that they don't expire without our clients knowledge. Here's the key--We always list the client as the owner of the domain, meaning our clients have total control over their account information. We are only listed as a technical contact so that we can help our clients by reminding them when it's time to renew or if their contact info needs updating. Once we register a domain, we automatically lock it down; insuring that only authorized persons will be allowed to make changes. By having the domain locked it will also guarantee it is safe and will not be stolen. It is important to have a trusted web company manage your domain for ownership and security reasons.

Don't let someone blackmail you for your domain--Let Old City Web Services register and manage your domain so that you can have peace of mind and 100% assurance that your domain name is safe and in your control. Give us a call: 904.829.2772 or email us: letusmarketyou@oldcity.com for more information on your domain or how we can help!