anoadmin - Old City Web Services

Hurricane Preparedness for Businesses

June 8, 2017 by anoadmin

Hurricane season has officially started, and NOAA has predicted this season there is a 10% chance of above normal activity and 60% chance of a below-normal season.

Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook

Hurricane season is stressful for everyone in at-risk areas, but when you own a business, that stress is doubled. You're not only responsible for yourself, your family, and your home, but also your business and employees. With all of those moving parts, preparation is essential.

Having a plan and making decisions now can help prevent you from losing revenue due to building damage, inventory damage, and disruption of day-to-day business operations.

Putting a plan into place can be an overwhelming process, so we've put together some information to make preparation as easy as possible.

Hurricane Preparation

Evaluate your insurance - It's important to make sure you have the right insurance and to sign up for insurance you need as soon as possible. Specifically, to protect for severe weather, it is important to make sure you have property insurance, product liability insurance, business interruption insurance, and flood insurance.
Gather contact information for employees - Keep a log of emergency contact information for each employee. Know where everyone lives and where everyone is evacuating to.
Make an evacuation plan for each employee - Depending on where employees live and where the hurricane hits, your staff may be scattering in all different directions. It is essential to allow each employee to leave with more than enough time to reach their destination.
Photograph the inside and outside of your business - This is great to keep for your records for insurance purposes. It can also be used as a guide if anything gets displaced in a storm.
Make a list of your inventory and equipment - Take stock of everything in your business so you'll have a list when you evaluate everything after a storm.
Gather and make copies of important documents - In general, it's good to have copies of important documents, but it is especially vital during emergencies. Important documents are anything vital to the running and decision-making of your business.
Back up your records to an off-site location
Relocate valuables
Secure electronics
Turn off utilities

Recovery

Assess the damage - After you've gotten everything situated at home after a storm, you should then assess the damage of your business.
Check on employees - See how they're doing and let them know the state of the business and when you think you will be up and running again.
Recovery and restoration assistance - Many businesses need help to get back on their feet after a hurricane.
Get the word out about your recovery via social media and email blasts - Let your customers know how you're doing, if you need any help from the community, and when you plan on reopening. It's your job to be your own advocate. No one will know the state of your business unless you tell them.

Resources

Below you'll find more helpful resources for hurricane preparedness, both business-wise and personally. The NOAA Extreme Weather Information Sheet, Emergency Financial Preparedness Toolkit, and St. Augustine Hurricane Guide are great to share with your staff.

St. Johns County Emergency Management Hurricane Preparedness Guide
Ready Business - Emergency Response Plan
NOAA Extreme Weather Information Sheet
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation - Small Business Recovery Expanded Guide
PrepareMyBusiness.org - Hurricane Preparedness Checklist
PrepareMyBusiness.org - Crisis Communications Checklist
PrepareMyBusiness.org - Recovery Overview Checklist
State of Florida Department of Financial Services Emergency Financial Preparedness Toolkit
St. Augustine Hurricane Guide

What To Do If You’ve Been Hacked

May 25, 2017 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

As a business owner, you know that having a website is equally as important as having a brick and mortar store. In fact, some businesses rely solely on websites. The truth is, just as every building is susceptible to breaking and entering, so is every website. Just as technology is getting more advanced, so are hackers, and it's more important than ever to stay on top of website security and have a plan if a hacker does get into your site and cause trouble.

Ways to tell if your site has been hacked:

Unfortunately, every website is vulnerable to being attacked by hackers. You may think you're exempt if you have good security, but hackers love a good challenge. That's why it's so important to stay on top of things from your end. It starts with recognizing when your site may be hacked.

Something looks off - When you're looking through your website, do you see content that doesn't belong or doesn't sound like something you wrote? Does it contain weird links?
Performance issues - Was a page that originally took a couple of seconds to load taking an exponentially longer time? For example, is your checkout page experiencing major slowdown issues? This could be an indicator something is wrong.
Errors - Are you experiencing errors when your pages load or errors on your page? When hackers get into a website, it's possible for them to break the code causing errors.
Strange plugins - If you have a website, you're familiar with plugins. A hacker can put files on your website disguised as a plugin. If you notice any obscure plugins, it's important to take note and investigate further.
You've been blacklisted - One way hackers use a website is by using the website to spam other websites. If this occurs, you have the chance of being blacklisted by email lists and search engines.

How does your site get hacked?

There are many ways someone can hack into a website, some being more obvious than others. Knowing how people get into a website can help you stay on top of your game to protect your site.

Guessing your password - This is one of the easiest ways to break into a website. Creating easy-to-remember passwords might help you in the short-term but could lead to a big mess later on. It's important to remember to:
- Change passwords every 90 days.
- Use different password for each of your accounts
- Make sure password has a variation of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols
- Make your password lengthy. The more intricate the password, the more difficult it is to guess.
- Keep passwords stored in a safe place.
Use of malware to get passwords - Hackers can install malware on any computer. Malware can get on your computer by phishing scams, spam emails, and bad websites. Hackers can also put malware on your computer if it's not protected by a firewall.
Your software is outdated - This is why it's so important to keep your website updated and make sure you're using the most up-to-date software possible.
Getting into the server you share with other sites - If you're hosted on a shared server, it is important to make sure you have a legitimate hosting company to avoid this way of being hacked.

What to do if your site has been hacked:

Don't panic - As unfortunate as it is, website hacking is not an uncommon experience. And it can be fixed.
Call us - As soon as you notice something amiss, it's important to call in your technical support. The sooner you call, the sooner we can find out what is wrong and get the problem fixed.
Gather any information that would help and be sure to communicate effectively - The more information we have, the easier it is to find the problem.
- Preserve as much detail as possible about the suspected hack
  - screenshots of affected pages
  - Google notifications or other suspicious-site alerts
  - an estimate of when the problem started
Make sure you're doing everything you can to ensure your website's safety
- Keep your website up-to-date with plugins, themes, and software updates
- Choose strong passwords and change passwords regularly
- Avoid FTP logins to your site from public WiFi
- Ensure the security of your own PC against keyloggers and other malware by using a good antivirus software

How we can help:

At Old City Web Services, not only do we build and update websites for our clients, but we also provide technical support as well. Our clients' wellbeing is our top priority, and we are available 24/7 to help. Contact us to learn more about how we can help protect your website and keep your business running smoothly.

How to Prevent Getting Hacked

May 19, 2017 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Let's face it. A lot of our lives take place online these days. We can send a quick email instead of going to the post office. We can do our banking via our phone. We can build an online presence for our businesses people see before they ever set foot in our brick and mortar stores. While our dependence on technology isn't showing any signs of slowing down, it's important to stay safe online.

One of the biggest safety concerns with technology is protection against hackers and viruses. Everyone online is susceptible to safety threats. So, how can you prevent these threats and protect yourself?

Change your passwords regularly

Efficient and carefully constructed passwords help protect your accounts and private information. It's important to change your password at least every 90 days. It might seem inconvenient but could pay off big time.
Other important things to remember:
- Use different password for each of your accounts
- Make sure password has a variation of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols
- Make your password lengthy. The more intricate the password, the more difficult it is to guess.
- Keep passwords stored in a safe place.
For more information on password safety, read our blog: Are Your Passwords Safe?

Make sure your computer is protected

Security software is vital to the protection of your computer and the programs run on it. Not installing the proper security software is the equivalent of leaving your door unlocked. It leaves you vulnerable to thieves getting in and stealing what's important to you.

When the proper antivirus and antimalware software isn't installed, you become susceptible. Hackers create viruses and malware for different reasons. Through viruses, hackers have the ability to take control of your computer, steal information, and cripple your computer or network of computers. Malware tracks your actions such as what passwords you type, what credit card numbers you use and other sensitive information.

Just as it is important to have the right software, it's just as important to make sure that software is as up to date as possible.

Perform routine updates on your website

Like we stated in our last blog, Why Updating Your Site Matters, content management systems, such as WordPress, regularly send out updates. It is vital to your website's security that you keep up with these updates. Although your host’s servers may have tight security, a website that is behind on updates becomes vulnerable to security threats. It makes you more susceptible to hackers and viruses.

A big target of hackers is websites, such as e-commerce sites, that contain sensitive information such as credit card numbers. A website using old software has a much higher risk of being hacked.

Practical Tips to Protect Yourself

Be cautious if you receive emails from people you don't recognize
Don't click links in suspicious emails
Be cautious of emails that ask for sensitive information (personal information, credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, etc.). Reputable companies will never ask for that type of information via an email.
Don't store passwords or sensitive information on your computer. In the chance that your computer is hacked, this puts you at risk for having your information used against you.
When using public WiFi, don't allow file-sharing. A hacker can implant bad software on your computer through this avenue
Make sure your email and website are hosted on secure servers

How We Can Help

Our clients' safety is a top priority at Old City Web Services. We offer website and email hosting on our own secure servers for a minimal hosting fee that includes customer service. Our staff is always available if something goes wrong. We also perform website maintenance to protect against safety threats. If our customers ever do have a security issue, our staff is just a phone call away. Contact us for a free consultation to see how we can keep you and your business safe.

Updating Your Website – More Important Than You Might Think

May 12, 2017 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

As a business owner, you know that your website is important, but how often do you update your website? We're not just talking about making sure you have new photos and fresh content. We're talking about website updates for the back end of your website. While updates may seem like a hassle or just another thing taking time away from important projects, they're actually important and vital to the functionality and protection of your site.

Updates of any kind can seem like a hassle and waste of time when you could be doing other things. So, often times, we put updates off until later...and later...and later. We've all been there. A notification pops up on our computer or phone saying it needs to update to a new version of the software, and we think, "This software seems to work just fine." We ignore the notifications or click "Remind me later." But our devices and websites don't remind us just for fun. Technology companies don't come up with updates unless they're important.

So, why is updating your website so important?

Security

We cannot stress enough how important updating is for your website's security.

"With WordPress in particular, the majority of minor-version updates are to fix various security issues that have been discovered," said Jordan Hazen, technical system administrator at Old City Web Services. "WordPress can be configured to keep its core software updated automatically, and it's a good idea to have this enabled."

If you are looking to get your WordPress to update automatically, go to your Easy Updates Manager in WordPress and enable that setting. If you would like, WordPress can also send emails when a new update is available. To set up that service, go to WordPress settings and enable your Updates Notifier. It is important to note that if you do an automatic update, your site can break. If we do your site update and it breaks, we are there to fix it for you right when it happens.

Although your host's servers may have tight security, a website that is behind on updates becomes vulnerable to security threats. It makes you more susceptible to hackers and viruses. A big target of hackers is websites, such as e-commerce sites, that contain sensitive information such as credit card numbers. A website using old software has a much higher risk of being hacked. An old plugin might have stored credit card numbers in plain English while a new version would encrypt the numbers for safety. If your site got hacked, you could be subject to legal action from those whose credit cards were stolen. They could state that you did not store their information properly. So, not only is your site at risk but also the wellbeing of your company.

New Features

With new updates come new features. This is a good reminder that website updates really are there to help you and work in your favor, and they're an incentive to update to see what new cool features are available to make your work and website better overall. Each update comes out with new features unique to the update. One of the most recent updates is WordPress 4.7 which was released at the end of 2016 and presented a new default WordPress theme for 2017.

Here's a video introducing the new update:

The new features include immersive featured images, video headers, and subtle animations. The update was mainly focused on business websites. Some of the more technical features include the ability to edit shortcuts icons, the ability to add pages in your menu, the ability to add live custom CSS, and more.

Better performance

When you update your website, you will notice that your site's performance will improve overall. Updates often improve plugins, themes, and WordPress in general. WordPress releases updates when they know they can help things run more efficiently, so you're always working with the best tools. Think of it as car maintenance. If you have a car part that is older, it might be wearing down and not working as well as it once could. Once you put a new part in your car, you'll notice the difference in performance. Just as it is important to maintain your car along the way, it's important to make updates to your website along the way for optimum functionality.

Bug Fixes

Nothing is perfect and no website is ever done. WordPress is the most popular content management system in the world, not because they did everything perfectly the first time they released the program but because they are constantly working to improve their product. A common reason for updates is fixing something that was not working to its potential previously. These updates will also help with the functionality and speed of your website.

How we can help

As you can see, updating your website is crucial to its security and performance. It's important to maintain the best website you can for your business. We know that as a business owner, your to-do list is neverending. This is why we offer services to update clients' websites for them. Working with our knowledgeable team takes the guesswork out of the process and assures you that you are taking the best steps to protect and enhance your website.

If you are interested in our services, contact us to set up a free consultation and let us show you how we can help!

Designer by Day – Spartan by Night

May 2, 2017 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

It's no doubt that we have a talented team here at Old City Web Services, but one of our favorite things about each person on staff is that they all have passions and talents that make them awesome individuals. We're a family here, and when one of our family members achieves accomplishments, we want to tell the world how proud we are of them!

We're here to talk about our Art & Design Director, Bobby Jones. If you've ever come to our office or worked with us, you've probably met Bobby and seen his amazing work. He has the talent to take an idea and turn it into something better than you could imagine. But what you might not know about this skilled artist is that in his spare time, he's super passionate about fitness.

Bobby has been weight training since college and has continued to push himself since. His most recent accomplishment: Competing in a Spartan Race in Miami this past weekend. Yes, you read that correctly.

In between art projects, we caught up with Bobby to ask him about his love of fitness and his race experience:

What is your motivation to stay fit?

I like challenging myself. It's a feeling of accomplishment when you do something you haven't done before. It challenges you. It pushes you. Being pushed is a good thing - it spills into other parts of your life.

What motivated you to enter the Spartan Race?

Bobby and his sister Azizi pose with their medals after finishing the Spartan Race in Miami.

This was my first competition. I saw it on TV, and it was right up my alley. I was drawn to it because it's similar to Crossfit games - a combination of strength and endurance. I felt like I could do it, so 6 months ago, my sister, Azizi, and I committed to competing in the race.

How did you and your sister prepare for the race?

We came up with a plan to compete and finish the race. She took boot camp classes. I took boot camp classes once a week, weight trained 3 or 4 times a week, and ran. Leading up to the race, we felt pretty comfortable. We took the last couple of days off from any gym training to rest, avoid injury, and spend time with family.

Tell us about the race

My sister and I decided that we wanted to pace ourselves since it was our first race. The first part was more running than obstacles. Once we found our rhythm, we got comfortable and ran the distance. We knew the key to obstacles was to attack them instead of being timid. And any obstacles you failed, you got a 30 burpee penalty.

What were some of the obstacles?

Atlas ball carry (90 lb for men/70 lb for women)
Sand bag carry (90 lb for men/70 lb for women)
Hercules hoist
Rope climb
Rock climb wall with no feet support
Spear throw
Cargo nets
Rings
Rotating monkey bars

What was your favorite part of the race?

Competing with my sister. We're both into athletics and sports. We were able to encourage each other. It was a fun challenge together. It's a good feeling when you finish something like that. The medals we got when we finished are a symbol of accomplishment.

What would you tell someone thinking of competing?

Absolutely do it. I would suggest doing some training, especially upper body and weight training. But we saw people of all fitness levels out there. It's fun to do with someone. If you get groups of people, you can encourage each other.

We're so proud when our team members follow their passions and accomplish their goals. So, the next time you're in the office, ask Bobby about his race. Congratulations, Bobby!

Is It Time To Rebrand?

April 28, 2017 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Your company's name, logo, and brand identity define who you are and how the world perceives you. People associate these things with the quality of your products and services. As we said in our previous blog about the importance of branding your business: Your brand says who you are, what you stand for, why your business matters, and what you contribute to your industry.

Just as it takes time to build a brand identity, it takes time for your identity to be recognized in your industry and community. But as time goes by, companies evolve and change and many business owners feel their identity should change as well.

Companies choose to rebrand for many reasons. Whether it's their service, products, mission, or vision, any change to the core of a company can lead to a new look. If your company fits into any of the categories below, it might be time for a change.

When a company has outgrown its brand

Credit: LogoDesignLove.com

Growing a company is never a bad thing, but it is important to make sure your brand grows with your company. This doesn't mean you have to completely get rid of your logo and start over. Many of the most iconic brands have simply evolved over the years.

For example, Starbucks started out in 1971 in Seattle as just another coffee company. The infamous siren you know on today's Starbucks cups looks quite different if you trace their logos back to the beginning. Over the years, Starbucks has become the go-to coffee shop. As their company grew, business owners chose to stick with the iconic siren and eventually made the siren the entire logo, forgoing the name. They evolved as a company, built on their strengths, and now have one of the most well-known companies to date.

When the first logo was rushed

This is a common trap a lot of first-time business owners fall into. A lot of time and money gets invested in a business, and business owners find themselves rushing to have a logo, signage, and business cards made right before their grand opening. They think of it as more of a last step than an integral part of their business plan. While a quickly done logo may have worked for a while, it isn't a permanent solution. Brands are what a business is built upon. Well-done brands provide a strong foundation for everything else to be built. If you fall into this category, it may be time to consider a rebranding strategy, especially the more your business grows.

When a business wants to change their public perception

McDonald's started putting nutrition information on their packaging in 2006.

A big reason business owners consider a rebranding is when they notice their public perception has fallen in popularity.

For example, McDonald's, an American staple for decades, became a target of blame for America's obesity problem after the release of the documentary Super Size Me in 2004. The documentary came out right after two lawsuits had been filed against McDonald's for the potential health risks of Big Macs and Chicken McNuggets.

Due to the viral popularity of the documentary, McDonald's sales fell. So the owners of McDonald's took action. They not only got rid of "Super-Size" menu options but also added salads and more fruit, vegetable, and yogurt options to Happy Meals as a part of their "Eat Smart, Be Active" campaign. To this day, McDonald's has continued to focus on healthy meal options and transparency by making nutrition information visible on packaging as well as their website. McDonald's couldn't control the events leading to their negative public opinion, but they did a great job of taking action, which has helped their business monumentally."Eat Smart, Be Active" campaign. To this day, McDonald's has continued to focus on healthy meal options and transparency by making nutrition information visible on packaging as well as their website. McDonald's couldn't control the events leading to their negative public opinion, but they did a great job of taking action, which has helped their business monumentally.

When a business wants to attract a new audience

A screenshot from an Old Spice commercial featuring Isaiah Mustafa. / Photo credit: Old Spice

The audience your company is attracting has a lot to do with your branding and marketing. Think of any business out there. It's probably not hard to figure out the demographic they're after, is it? So, what happens when you have a product that could span across multiple demographics, but you're not attracting all of them? Many companies finding themselves stuck with the same audience over and over again look to a rebrand for help.

Take Old Spice for instance. Old Spice had long been perceived as a product line for older men. In 2010, Old Spice changed all that when they launched a campaign geared toward a younger audience. Old Spice released a series of comical commercials featuring athlete Isaiah Mustafa. The commercials were perfectly geared toward a younger age group. Old Spice also revamped their website which now features young men using their products and humorous content. Their rebrand worked like a charm making them a brand for all ages.

When a company isn't keeping up with the competition

Image from BusinessInsider.com

As a business owner, it's important to know who your competition is and how you compare. If two companies are selling the same products and services, it's going to come down to how you're presenting your company to the public. If you take a look at other's in your industry and see that you're not where you should be in comparison, it might be time to look into a rebrand.

Believe it or not, Apple had to rebrand for this exact reason. In 1997, Apple almost declared bankruptcy because it wasn't keeping up with IBM, Dell and HP. When Steve Jobs rejoined the board of Apple, changes were made. With the introduction of the iMac came the introduction of a new logo, the apple we know and love today. It started out as the multicolored apple and went along with a new campaign, "Think Different". They not only introduced new technology but made their technology about a lifestyle. It was a hit, and Apple is now one of the leading technology companies in the world.

How we can help

At Old City Web Services, we believe that branding a company is essential for its foundation. We understand that the needs of a company change over time. We have been involved with the branding and rebranding of many companies over the years.

One of our most recent rebranding clients is Rodbender Fishing Charters. St. Augustine fishing charters is a very competitive local industry and Rodbender was looking to not just keep up, but to exceed the competition. Owner Chuck Stearns sat with Old City Web Services to address updating both his logo and website. Our goal was to provide a branding that would position Rodbender Fishing Charters as a top-level charter that aligned with Chuck’s extensive experience. The logo has been well received, and the website is a much better tool in answering common customer questions with clear, easy-to-understand charter packages.

Whether you need to refresh your logo or want to start from scratch, we are here to help. Contact us today to set up a free consultation!

Marketing When Just Starting Out

April 21, 2017 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

So, you've started a great business. It's something you've worked hard on and can't wait to share with the world. This is where marketing comes in handy. Marketing is how you get the attention of your target audience, how you build a following, and how you make that audience listen to what you're saying and interact with you.

Strategic marketing can truly make or break the success of your business. A common mistake among first-time business owners is that they spend a lot of time and money on building their business, website, and brand, and then wait for people to find them. You could have the most innovative business in your industry, but without proper marketing, you could be hard to find.

Think of it this way: If someone doesn't know what they're looking for, how will they find you? How can someone find something they've never heard of?

It's your job to spread the word about your business and get people to know who you are.

How do you do that? Check out our list of 7 ways to start effectively marketing your business:

Define your audience

When marketing any business, it's vital to know your target audience. When thinking about who your target audience is, it helps to include factors like age group, location, and disposable income. Once you narrow down who your audience is, it will help you to figure out other things such as reasonable costs of your products and services. A 21-year-old college student is going to have different budgeting priorities than a middle-aged father of three. Not only are they in different life stages, but their priorities and what they are willing to spend will also be different.

Advertise in the right places

After you've distinguished who your audience is, think about their lifestyle and what will reach them.
How and where does your audience spend their time? Are they more prone to be watching tv, checking Instagram, or researching things online? Look at your competition - what are they doing successfully? How might you implement their techniques into your advertising strategy? Advertising is anything you do to get the public's attention for your business. It could be anything from social media or Google advertisements to rack cards, business cards, and signage. Keep in mind, it's best to spend money where you think you will get the best return on your investment.

Make sure your website is up-to-date with SEO

Having a website is essential for a business, but without proper Search Engine Optimization, a website might not reach its potential and could be detrimental to your business. Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the action of using relevant keywords and phrases with a high search volume in the content of your website to optimize the traffic coming to your site. Proper SEO leads to higher rankings and maximized user traffic. A website with well-done SEO is one of the best spokespeople you can have for your business. It does all of the work of bringing in online traffic and customers, which leads to more revenue for you.

Use social media to your advantage

Social media is a great (and free) tool to get your business' name out there. 7-in-10 Americans have social media accounts, a huge increase from the just 5 percent of social media users in 2005. People use social media not only to connect with people they already know but also to connect with people, organizations, and brands that share their passions. When it comes to social media, each platform is unique and appeals to a different audience. Once you research and find which platforms work for you, create accounts and start posting! Hashtags are popular ways to connect with people who are interested in a certain topic. It also helps to follow influencers and businesses in your industry. For inspiration, check out our blog post on local businesses getting it right on social media.

Set up your Google listing

The Google My Business tool is a great way to get your name out there. When people search for you, all of your essential information will appear. It also shows how many reviews you have and allows people to view them. You can also see where people are coming from, how they found you, and how they're interacting with you. Another helpful feature is the ability to go into your Google account and see how many people called you, looked up directions to your place of business, or went to your website strictly from your Google listing. And on top of all that, it's free.

Encourage customers to leave online reviews of your business

Reviews matter. Why? Because no matter how many times you say how awesome your business is, it still means more coming from a consumer. People trust other people's experiences. That's why online reviews are so key. Think about it: If you are looking for an Italian restaurant in town and look up the reviews, are you more likely to go to a 1-star or a 4-star restaurant? Positive customer reviews build trust, and the more positive reviews you have, the better off you'll be.

Make use of email marketing

Email marketing is one of the most effective types of marketing you can do. Why? Because the inbox is where your customers are. People may check social media for entertainment, but they check email for important information. When people sign up to receive your emails, they're doing so because they want to hear from you and keep up with what's going on with your business. With emails, you can send your customers important information, highlight services or products, feature a new blog, and much more. Also, read our blog post on 6 Ways to Make Your Email Marketing More Effective.

How we can help

Successful marketing strategies are unique to each business. No two strategies will be completely the same. Starting from scratch can be an overwhelming process.

That's why we at Old City Web Services offer marketing and SEO services.

Our team can help with:

Finding your target audience
Determining where/how to advertise
Search Engine Optimization
Social media management
Setting up your Google listing
Email marketing management

From content creation to design to social media management, our team can help you create a strategy that will help you and succeed. Contact us today for a free consultation and let us help you stand out from the competition!

The Importance of Branding Your Business

April 14, 2017 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

You've been preparing for months. You've spent countless hours applying for your business license, filling out and submitting all the legal paperwork, and planning out your budget and inventory.

You believe in your business and are ready to share it with the world. But before you do that, it's important to build your brand.

Branding is important. When you create a brand, you're creating a name, symbol, or design that is your visual identity. Your brand says who you are, what you stand for, why your business matters, and what you contribute to your industry. A well-done branding gives your company legitimacy, builds consumer trust, and allows you to compete with top businesses in your industry.

One mistake among startups is putting off branding until they get settled and get some momentum going. It makes sense - you've invested a significant amount of time and money and you want to see how your company does before investing more. You believe in your company, and other people will too, right? Well, not exactly.

You could have the best products or services on the market, but without the right branding, there's a good chance you could be overlooked.

Branding can seem like an overwhelming venture, so we've laid out some easy-to-follow steps to help you through the process.

Allow enough time to create a brand worthy of your business

A brand isn't made overnight. It's a process. Just as it takes time to build a business, it takes time to build a brand. As badly as you want to get this show on the road, it's important to allow enough time to get your brand just right. It's better to invest the time now and get it right than have something done quickly and have to redo it because you're dissatisfied. A brand is what everyone will associate with your business. Think about popular brands such as Target or Starbucks. Their iconic logos come to mind, right? You don't even have to see their name to know who they are. A well-done branding can mean the difference between blending in and standing out among the competition.

Define your business mission and vision

You may have already done this step, especially if you've written out a business plan. Regardless, the act of writing out what your business stands for and goals for the future will help you layout your core values and dreams, where you are, and where you want to go. Answering this question will help you define what you want your business to represent to others. What tone and message do you want to convey to your audience?

Work with a team who has your best interest at heart

Branding isn't a one-person job. Just as you are the expert on your business, there are design companies who are the experts at branding.

If you wing it and try to create your logo and visual identity, you risk spending an exorbitant amount of time and getting in over your head. The perks of working with a design team are far worth the investment. Creative teams design brands all the time. It's their job and specialty. They work with a spectrum of industries and demographics. They will be able to lead you through the process whether you have a general idea of how you want your business to be portrayed or if you're starting from scratch. A good design company's goal is to help you succeed and to create the best design for your market while keeping your company's integrity in mind.

At Old City Web Services, we believe in doing everything we can to help our clients succeed. We enjoy seeing a someone's vision come to life and are happy to be a part of that process. Take a look at the work we've done for our clients, and if you are interested in working with our experienced creative team to help build your brand, contact us today for a free consultation!

Avoiding Common Social Media Mistakes

April 3, 2017 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Social media is a great tool to promote your business and connect directly with your niche. It is an extension of your identity and is becoming an essential part of a business' online presence.

With competition among businesses at an all-time high, more and more business owners are seeing the importance of social media outlets and signing up for accounts. But all too often, even with a good amount of time and effort invested in posting content, some social media accounts still fall short. If your business is successful, your social media should automatically be, too, right? Not necessarily.

Here are 5 ways you could be missing the mark with your social media:

Using poor quality photos/videos

Social media is a highly visual platform, so it's important to make sure that the way you reach people visually is effective. People relate the quality of what you put on social media to the competency of your business as a whole. While quality photos and videos portray a sense of trust with your audience, subpar content could relay a feeling that your company isn't top-notch. So, take the time to invest your time into making sure what you're putting out there is worthy of your brand. Even if you're taking photos on your phone, there are some great editing apps out there to upgrade your images!

Using photos that aren't yours

This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make. Not only does it lack creativity, but it also isn't legal. Think about it: Taking someone's photo and calling it your own is the same thing as putting your name on an artist's painting. It's a form of stealing, it takes away legitimacy, and it also puts you at risk of being in hot water legally. So, be safe and create your own content. If someone has posted content on social media, there are safe ways to share. On Facebook, you have the option to "share" a post. On Twitter, you can "Retweet." On Instagram, there is a way to repost a photo giving credit to the original creator. For each outlet, it is best to read their rules for proper sharing.

Using the same message across all platforms

There are countless social media platforms out there, and they are all unique. Managing a company's social media presence can be a time-consuming task, so a common pitfall of social media managers is scheduling the same exact post to go out on every platform you use. While this saves time, it isn't effective in the long run. It's important to learn how each social media outlet works and treat it as the individual platform it is.

Posting at the wrong times/frequency

There's nothing more frustrating than putting time and effort into an awesome post and it get little to no traffic or interaction, right? When it comes to posting content, timing is everything, and the best times to post are unique to your audience. It's true that popular times people check their accounts are when they wake up, when they go to lunch, and in the afternoon or the end of the day. But other than that, it depends on who your audience is and their habits. A good way to learn your audience is to track the analytics of your posts. When do they interact and engage? When are they unresponsive? When you learn their patterns, you'll get an idea of the best times to put information out there. It's also just as important to know how often to post.

According to Buffer, you should post on:

Twitter - 3 times per day
Facebook - 2 times per day
LinkedIn - 1 time per day
Google+ - 3 times per day, at most
Pinterest - 5 times per day
Instagram - 1.5 times per day
Blog - 1-2 times per week

Not being relatable

Social media is all about connection. People crave community and relationships with others on social media. This applies to other people, businesses, nonprofits, bands, celebrities, etc. The cool thing about social media is that it gives people a look into the lives of others they wouldn't normally get to see. Social media followers crave authenticity. It's so important to show that your business has a personality. It gives your audience something to connect to and shows that you're more than a name, a logo, and the services you offer.

We know creating an effective social media presence takes work. That's why we offer social media marketing services. Contact us to see how we can increase your audience and online presence. And take a look at a previous blog post where we highlight local businesses using social media to their advantage.

The How and Why of Content Creation

March 30, 2017 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

In the world of social media, consumers are constantly being pulled in different directions. Content is being posted 24/7 which means 2 things:

It's easy to get overlooked.
It takes attention-grabbing content to stay relevant.

Content creation for social media can seem like a daunting task. Or like you have to be a seasoned marketing professional to create posts worthy of your brand and worthy of putting out there for all to see. But the truth is, with the rise of marketing and social media, creating content has never been more accessible or easy.

So, here's the first question:

What types of content are there?

Social media posts
Blogs
Infographics
Videos

Why do we create content?

When you create content, you are showing that you are a source of information. You are giving something new to people, whether it be information in the form of a blog or infographic or entertainment in the form of videos or pictures. Content creation doesn't have to be difficult or overwhelming. Content can be anything as simple as an Instagram post or as elaborate as a blog or vlog series.
It's a great way to keep your audience engaged. When you give your customers content and interesting information, it's a way to interact with them and form a relationship.
You can make your business relevant to what your customers care about. Does your business relate to a major event happening in the world or a popular story or trend in your industry? By looping your business in with a trend, you show that your business is relatable. If you work in the technology industry, you could always do reviews of the newest technology and give advice for your customers. This way, you're a trusted source of information, and you're helping out your customers.

What to keep in mind while creating content:

Create with your audience in mind. (Your content is for your audience, not for you.)
- It can be easy to think that creating content for your business should be 100 percent always about what your business is about, what services you provide, and why people should choose to work with you. Well, this isn't necessarily true. If all you're doing is selling, selling, selling, you'll probably lose interest fast. Nobody likes someone or a business who talks only about themselves. So instead of talking about why your company is great, try talking about your customer and ways you can help them in their life. For example: If you're a personal trainer, give your clients workouts they can do at home, fitness tips, and health advice. This not only shows your passion for your industry, but it also shows that you care about your clients beyond the gym.
Give your content a purpose. (Your content should have a purpose. Don't post just to post.)
- As with anything that has to do with your company, every piece of content you create should have a purpose. A few well thought out pieces will have a greater impact than pushing out as much content as you can. It's definitely quality over quantity in this case. It's important to ask yourself: What do my clients want? What could they use?
Switch it up. (Your content should have variety.)
- One way to keep people's attention either on your website or social media is by giving them a variety of content. People get burnt out when they receive the same content repeatedly. So, once you figure out what your audience is interested in, think of different categories of content that fit their interests. If they're more interested in reading and taking in information that way, give them blogs and infographics and plug in articles from other legitimate sources on topics they're interested in within your industry. If they're more visual, give them fun graphics and videos.

What tools can I use to create?

We recommend:

Canva - Canva has been around since 2007 and has revolutionized the way people think about social media marketing. Canva was created to make content creation a fun process, even for those who don't have a background in design. Canva allows marketers to add more intention and flair to social media without spending copious amounts of time doing so. They have templates for everything from social media posts, infographics, and Facebook cover photos to flyers and email headers.
Adobe Spark - Adobe Spark is another content creation portal. Adobe defines Adobe Spark as a "one-stop content shop for creating and sharing visual stories that will wow your audience on any device." This program focuses on social media posts and graphics, web stories, and animated videos.
HubSpot's Blog Topic Generator - If you're looking for inspiration for your blog, this is a useful tool. All you have to do is enter topics you're interested in, and the generator gives you interesting angles to write about featuring those topics.
Google Trends - Want to see what's trending on the internet? Google Trends is a fantastic tool for this. You can see what's been searched the most and if you could relate your content to that to increase your traffic.
Video editing software - As for video editing software, there are many options out there. This depends on personal preference and level of experience with editing.

We hope that our content creation guide has helped break down what can seem like an overwhelming process. It's true that content can be a job in itself. At Old City Web Services, we offer content creation services. Whether you need monthly social media posts or weekly blog posts, our team can help create the best content for your business and your audience. Contact us today for a free consultation.

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