Old City Web Services

The Evolution of Websites

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The evolution of websites has featured significant advancements since the creation of the world wide web in 1989. In fact, every few years there are enormous technological changes in the way they look and how we use them. While comparing the look of old websites to websites today can be a fun walk down memory lane, it also sheds a light on how quickly websites can go from ‘on trend’ to outdated. While we hope this blog is interesting, we also hope it highlights how important it is to keep up with the Joneses (and your competitor) by redesigning your website every few years!

Evolution of Websites from 1990 to 2000:

Having been created in 1989, the world wide web was just starting out when our timeline begins in 1990. In fact, was 1991 when the first website would be created and today, it is hardly recognizable as it only had a single column of text.

Once websites became more popular, they would make leaps and jumps in appearances. In fact, two noteworthy advancements between 1990 and 2000 include the creation of table-based sites and a new software called Flash. While table-based sites were substantial because they made it possible to create websites with multiple columns, Flash was equally as unique because it gave websites the ability to have videos, music, and graphics with animation. Both advancements significantly changed the appearance of websites as well as promoted better user-experience and content organization.

Websites from the ’90s: OldCity.com (1998), Nascar.com (1996), CountryLiving.com (1997).

Fun facts during this time:

  • Splash pages became a fad among designers. A splash page was a page that users hit before hitting the main website; designers added logos and moving graphics or text to catch the eye of the user.
  • Background images, animated text, scrolling text, and GIFs became popular across websites.
  • Website page builders became available to anyone with an internet connection and allowed them to build their own websites. Examples of these programs include Angel Fire and GeoCities.

Evolution of Websites from 2000 to 2010:

In the early 2000s, a programming language called CSS (cascading style sheets) became a widely popular way to build websites. At this time, CSS was used in conjunction with HTML which is another popular programming language. While only using HTML mandated creators to code each individual element on a website, the combination of CSS and HTML allowed creators to define elements across a website. Instead of writing out an entire website, creators could write the code for elements once (title sizes, colors, header images, etc.) and have it mimicked across the website.

JavaScript is another programming language that became popular at this time and is useful in a completely different way. In fact, its biggest superpower is that it can add animation to a website that doesn’t need to be read by a secondary program. Up until this time, Flash was pretty much exclusively used to add animation to a website. However, animations built with Flash could only be read with the program Flash Player and not every computer had it.

CSS and JavaScript gave creators more wiggle room and layout capabilities. As a result, the world wide web was seeing more websites using animated buttons and call-to-actions to interact with users as well as websites with uniformity, sleeker layouts, and more organized content.

Websites from 2005: OldCity.com, Nascar.com, and CountryLiving.com.

Fun facts during this time:

  • In 2003, Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 became the first web browser to support more than 99% of CSS websites with no glitches or loading errors.
  • In 2004, Facebook (formerly TheFacebook) launched for the first time.
  • The first version of Google’s popular website browser, Chrome, was created in 2008.

Evolution of Websites from 2010 to 2020:

Although internet access on a mobile phone was available prior to 2010, it was in the years after 2010 that mobile responsive design became a priority for websites. This resulted in progressively minimal websites. For example, instead of getting the attention of users with flashy designs, designers began to focus on layouts that were tall and skinny. This ideology helped the experience on a mobile phone be just as delightful as that on a desktop.

Furthermore, although it can be argued that websites have been optimized for search engines for decades, it wasn’t until the few years before 2010 that creators began to competitively add it to their marketing strategy. As a result, the content of a website became about SEO and therefore, design became about the layout of the content. This only further stressed the importance of a bare-minimum layout. Soon thereafter, more and more websites were redesigned to have reduced navigation of only the main areas of the website, images that shrink on smaller devices, as well as content that gets straight to the point of the website.

OldCity.com (2012), Nascar.com (2015), and CountryLiving.com (2015)

Fun facts during this time:

  • In 2016, the number of people browsing the internet on a smartphone surpassed the number of people browsing the internet on a desktop.
  • The programs Facebook, Mozilla, Google, Apple, and Microsoft have stopped supporting Flash Player because of its vulnerability.
  • There are 1,742,651,546 websites online as of January 15, 2020.
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Don’t get left behind, get a redesign!

Websites are changing faster than ever and it’s only a matter of time until newer trends like mobile responsiveness are old news. Additionally, people can tell if your website looks a decade, or even a half a decade old. So, don’t get left behind! Instead, let us give your website a facelift with a redesign. After all, the number of consumers that shop, plan, and research on the internet is only rising.

Press the button below or call us at 904-867-4112 to get started on a redesign that will make your business shine.

Have a redesign in mind?

Sources: EZ Marketing, HubSpot, Neil Patel, Pew Research, Search Engine Journal

Mission Statement

The mission at Old City Web Services is to navigate the world of web design, web development, and advertising for our clients so that they can focus on what they do best – running their business! Our business intentions go beyond the metrics of graphics, coding, and SEO. Located on Florida’s First Coast, we run a personable home front service and consider our relationship with our clients as a partnership in their success.

Please share and re-post this blog.  Disclaimer: Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on Old City Web Services Blog.

Free SEO Tools

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Image contains a sketch of two people carrying a body to an elevator. The elevator is labeled "Page 2 of search results."

Check out this list of free SEO tools that we’ve compiled. Among the tools are a simple checklist, a website grader, and a domain analyzer. Each tool will bring you a little closer to understanding where your website is on the SEO spectrum. Now, don’t worry – we know many people find this subject confusing. That’s why we’ve selected free SEO tools that are incredibly easy to use.

Keep in mind, these free SEO tools aren’t the single solution to an optimized website.

Now, you may be confused as to why you’re seeing this list of free SEO tools coming from us in the first place. In fact, we often encourage our clients to hire reputable professionals – like us – to optimize their websites for them. However, it never hurts to learn more about a topic that directly affects the success of your business! We can guarantee that the following tools aren’t the end-all-be-all to online marketing. But, by experiementing with them you will have a better understanding of SEO in general. That’s not such a bad thing since SEO is a topic that many people still find mystical.

As promised, here are easy-to-use, free SEO tools:

A good SEO strategy is the only way to succeed in the competitive online world.

But, just learning about optimization through the free SEO tools above isn’t enough. In fact, there’s still a lot of work to be done. The next step? Contact us and we’ll get started on an SEO strategy for you that is created by professional search engine optimizers. The sooner you get us working on your website’s optimization, the sooner we can get your website headed to the top of the search engine result pages (SERP).

Call us at 904-867-4112 or contact us by clicking the button below and filling out a form.

Press for Success

Mission Statement

The mission at Old City Web Services is to navigate the world of web design, web development, and advertising for our clients so that they can focus on what they do best – running their business! Our business intentions go beyond the metrics of graphics, coding, and SEO. Located on Florida’s First Coast, we run a personable home front service and consider our relationship with our clients as a partnership in their success.

Please share and re-post this blog.  Disclaimer: Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on Old City Web Services Blog.

The Importance of Email Marketing

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Email marketing is likely the right choice for your company…

But you may be thinking “Am I the right person to execute it?” While email marketing is very effective, it can be difficult to implement if you’re unfamiliar with the process.

Luckily, we’re here to help.

We know everything there is to know about the best email marketing platforms such as Constant Contact and MailChimp. For example, if you don’t utilize these platforms it’s possible your emails will be marked as spam and never reach the sender. Of course, we’re also here to help with the design of the email; you can count on us to create a structure that is mobile responsive, reflective of your brand, and includes at least one prominent call to action.

Let’s Grow Your Business

So, why email marketing?

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to keep the attention of your clients. In fact, an informative message sent to the inbox of your clients will likely lead to better revenue generation than that of other outlets. However, revenue generations aren’t the only perks of email marketing.

Image contains one dollar bills in a pile.
It won’t burn a hole in your pocket because it’s affordable!

Compared to advertising or having a website, email marketing is inexpensive to maintain. This is because it allows companies to reach a large pool of clients with a low cost per message. Particularly for small businesses, this is a way more feasible route than advertising on a billboard, TV, radio, and even through direct mail. Additionally, there will be no word counting or shortening of your message since you don’t have to stick to the parameters of your advertisement contract!

An animated girl sitting in front of a laptop with social media logos on it crying.

(Source: McKinsey)

It’s more effective than social media. Hint: no algorithms.

This headline is self-explanatory but let us break it down for you. Social media is not the end-all-be-all of marketing. Although purchasing ads is a great way to advertise, it’s important to remember that the algorithms are in charge on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and platforms alike. On the other hand, YOU are in charge when you use email marketing.

Did you know: Email is almost 40 times more effective than Facebook and Twitter combined in acquiring new customers.

people-connected-lines

(Source: Campaign Monitor)

You’ll reach more clients on their mobile phone.

Let’s face it, we’re all glued to our phones and while this may not be good for our mental health it is great for email marketing. Unlike other methods, email marketing gets your message right in the mailbox of a phone which is in the hand of your client!

Did you know: Mobile opens accounted for 46% of all email opens in 2018. (Source: Litmus.com). [And] 23% of users who open an email on a mobile device open it again later.

Image contains one dollar bills in a pile.

(Source: MarketingSherpa)

It’s a great way to communicate with clients.

Emailing your client is like knocking on their door and saying “Hi, we’re still here and we’re still the great company that you enjoy doing business with.” By emailing them and putting that thought in their head, you are one step closer to a sale! In fact, “91% of U.S. adults like to receive promotional emails from companies they do business with.”

Mission Statement

Our mission at Old City Web Services is to navigate the world of web design, web development, and advertising for our clients so that they can focus on what they do best – running their business! Our business intentions go beyond the metrics of graphics, coding, and SEO. Located on Florida’s First Coast, we run a personable homefront service and consider our relationship with our clients as a partnership in their success.

Please share and re-post this blog. Disclaimer: Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on Old City Web Services Blog.

Taking Inventory of Marketing Materials

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Taking inventory of your marketing materials is a two-step process.

The first step in taking inventory of your marketing materials is to pinpoint your marketing budget. Consider last year’s budget. Then answer this question: Was this enough to make your marketing strategy successful?

Step two is assessing how valuable your marketing materials are by determining which of them have proven successful and which have not. Specifically, consider your website, text on your website, social media outlets, print materials, and online ads.

1: Pinpoint your marketing budget.

Download and print our Marketing Budget Quiz to easily determine if you should increase your budget or keep it the same.

Marketing Budget Quiz

Marketing budgets vary from company to company depending on different variables. For example, if you own an older company you may have older marketing materials and will have to account for that in your budget. On the other hand, if your company has been in business for over five years, you are likely to have a lower budget than a newer company because you have established brand recognition.

In fact, marketing firms often encourage older companies to spend 6 to 12 percent of last year’s gross revenue on marketing. In the same respect, if you have been in business for fewer than five years, you should spend anywhere from 12 to 20 percent.
(Source: Entrepreneur)

Step 2: Assess the value of your materials.

Download and print our Marketing Materials Checklist to easily determine which of your marketing materials need to be updated.

Marketing Materials Checklist

So, what should you look for when assessing your materials? That’s easy! The goal is to determine which materials accurately represent your business, generate leads, and answer the FAQ questions of your customers. Additionally, each material should have a clear way to contact you.

marketing-graphic

Taking Inventory of Your Marketing Materials

Now that you know your budget and have assessed your materials, you’re ready to to take inventory of your marketing materials.

Create two lists. Title your first list “Inventory” and your second list “Needs to be Updated”. Next, sort your materials into either list.

  • Needs to be Updated: Marketing materials that have met two or fewer requirements on our Marketing Materials Checklist.
  • Inventory: Marketing materials that have met at least three requirements. These items are ready to add to your marketing strategy.

Congratulations, you’ve completed taking inventory of your marketing materials!

Don’t worry if you have a long list of materials that need to be updated. That’s what we’re here for! We can help you get your inventory stocked up and ready to use. The best part is that the process is quick and stress-free! Contact us at (904) 829-2272 or by clicking the button below.

We Want to Hear From You

Mission Statement

Our mission at Old City Web Services is to navigate the world of web design, web development, and advertising for our clients so that they can focus on what they do best – running their business! Our business intentions go beyond the metrics of graphics, coding, and SEO. Located on Florida’s First Coast, we run a personable homefront service and consider our relationship with our clients as a partnership in their success.

Please share and re-post this blog. Disclaimer: Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information on Old City Web Services Blog.

Your Easy Season Business Checklist

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Easy Season Guy

St. Augustine locals have little secret, can you guess what it is? That’s right, it’s Easy Season. Years ago, Easy Season didn’t exist. But as the number of tourists who visit the City rises each year, many businesses are relieved at the thought of easy living. A time when visitors go home for a few months and locals get to enjoy the endeavors and nuances of the city they adore! Don’t get us wrong, we love visitors and sharing our beautiful city with them. But, while visitors are on vacation the hotels, bed and breakfasts, attractions, boutiques, gift shops, museums, galleries, coffee shops, restaurants, bars, and other local services are hard at work making sure these visitors have the best vacation of their lives.

Now, you can choose to plan your staycation during Easy Season and take advantage of the quaint St. George Street and that school is back in session. In fact, if you’re a St. Johns County resident you can even visit many of the area’s best attractions free of charge. While this may be greatly needed after the hustle and bustle of the Summer months, we have a more productive idea.

We challenge you to take advantage of Easy Season in a different way. Prepare for St. Augustine’s next busy season, the holidays - better known as Nights of Lights. To make your Easy Season productive, we've conducted a list of things to review before the holidays.

Hurricane PreparationsAtlantic Hurricane Season Outlook

  • The good news is, the 2018 Atlantic Hurricane Season Prediction claims there to be only a 10% chance of above normal activity and 60% chance of a below-normal season. However, preparation is at the forefront of any good business’ checklist. Don't worry, we've got you covered with our Hurricane Preparedness Guide.

Re-identify your Ideal Customer

  • This shouldn't come as a surprise. In fact, it's likely you know who your ideal customer is. But, do you think the ideal customers you interacted with in the Summer are the same ideal customers you’ll interact with during Nights of Lights? It’s possible, but just in case, take the few minutes it takes to re-identify your holiday season ideal customer.

Reassess Your Marketing Materials

  • Before you can advertise to your ideal customer, you must narrow down the marketing materials you’ll need. Consider freshening up your print media. If you don’t have any, you’ll need to create a budget and purchase business cards, pamphlets, or flyers. Don't forget about your website! Freshen up its look with new content on the Home Page, new products, and be sure to ditch these seven site characteristics.

Advertise to Your Ideal Customer

a photo of tourists

  • Now that you have your marketing materials squared away, start planning your advertising strategy. If they are living in the area, send them direct mail. If they are living out of state, advertise on a trustworthy St. Augustine travel website. If they are signed up to receive emails from you, plan an email campaign. Need more ideas? Check out this blog.

Prepare to Launch Deals and Sales

  • During the Nights of Lights and holiday season, many businesses in the area host sales, discounted services, or room packages to entice tourists to do business with them. Start planning the deals and sales you’ll carry out during the holiday season. Tell your employees, friends, and family to spread the word and don’t forget to push it out on social media! Additionally, consider when the best time to launch your big news is. We suggest Light Up! Night.

Holiday Hours, Extended Hours

  • Sure, maybe the locals know your bizarre holiday schedule. But, it's important that it's clear to visitors as well. Be sure to update your holiday hours or extended hours on each of your listings: Facebook, Google Business Listing, and especially your website. This way, there will be no confusion.

Did you know, according to a 2017 report from National Retail Foundation, more than half of consumers begin research in September and October or earlier? It is just as important to create a well-thought-out holiday season strategy during these months. Take the lull in business during Easy Season to get ahead.

Tips for Success - Plan Ahead

Aligned with this blog is the idea that the early bird gets the worm. From your advertising strategy to your marketing materials, it is never too early to start planning. In fact, most times you’ll find the earlier you put things in action, the more success you have.

Not only does planning help you check things off your to-do list, it also allows room for change and creativity. For example, if you plan out your marketing materials now, you’ll have extra time to distribute your print media and announce the launch of your new or updated site.

Mission Statement

Our mission at Old City Web Services is to navigate the world of web design, web development, and advertising for our clients so that they can focus on what they do best – running their business! Our business intentions go beyond the metrics of graphics, coding, and SEO. Located on Florida’s First Coast, we run a personable home front service and consider our relationship with our clients as a partnership in their success. If you are looking to increase your business’ visibility give us a call at 904-867-4112 or contact us today.

Sharing and re-posting this blog is encouraged. Please credit Old City Web Services when sharing. Disclaimer: Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information on Old City Web Services Blog. Hurricane Season Outlook Graph: NOAA.

4 Ways to Prepare Businesses for the Holidays

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Prepare your business for the holidays

Fall is just a few days away, and that means the holidays will be here before you know it. While it seems like we’re still in the midst of summer, people start prepping for the holidays months in advance. According to the National Retail Foundation, more than half of consumers begin research in September and October or earlier.

If you haven’t already done so, now is a great time to prepare your business for the biggest shopping days of the year. Small adjustments now could make a big impact when it comes to your overall holiday sales. Just as the number of people shopping will increase drastically, so will your competition. So, how do you stand out?

Plan out your holiday advertising.

Now is the time to plan out how you are going to spend your holiday advertising budget. Take a look at where your current customer base is coming from. What is the most effective way to reach them? There are a multitude of ways you can advertise including print publications, online advertisements such as Google Ads, advertising through websites such as OldCity.com, social media marketing campaigns, and more.

 

Take advantage of the biggest shopping days.

Shopping

It goes without saying that there are a few days in the holiday season that seem to have become a holiday of their own. We’re talking about Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday. What makes these days so popular? Fantastic deals and the appeal of getting most, if not all, of your holiday shopping done in a matter of hours. It’s all about convenience these days.

So, how do you compete?

  • Know which days you want to target. You don’t have to participate in each of the four days. Choose which of the four match up with your company. For example, if you have a local boutique, Small Business Saturday would be perfect for you. And if you have an online shopping website, you could also participate in Black Friday or Cyber Monday.
  • Decide ahead of time which deals you will be offering. Making decisions months in advance allows you the opportunity to make sure you have plenty of inventory in stock.
  • Advertise this through your website, social media accounts, and emails. The only way your customers or potential customers will know about your sales is if you tell them, so spread the word.

Invest in SEO now to be found later.

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We can’t stress this enough. Investing in Search Engine Optimization is key to being found online. You could have the best website, but, without SEO, it’s likely not too many people will see it. By incorporating SEO now, you’re giving your website time to build ranking among search engines – the better the ranking, the better chance your audience has of finding you.

 

Make sure your website is efficient and up-to-date.

The holiday season is a time to put your best foot forward and make sure your website is in order. Last year, 44 percent of shopping during Thanksgiving weekend took place online. Your website says just as much about you as your brick and mortar store does. It’s often the first impression you make to potential customers, so it’s best to make sure it reflects your business well.

Check to make sure you have the following:

  • Responsiveness
    • Is your site easy to navigate? Does it work well on all devices?
  • An efficient checkout process
    • Make sure your checkout process is quick and simple. A slow or complicated check out could lose a sale and a customer.
  • Current design
    • When was the last time you updated your website or logo? Does your website reflect your business? It is important for all aspects of your business to be cohesive, and since more people will be looking at your website during the holiday season, there's never been a better time to consider upgrading your look.
  • Good quality photos
    • When people are shopping online, they equate the quality of the photo to the quality of the product. It's really all they have to go on, so it has to be well-done.
  • Relevant, well-written content
    • When was the last time you updated your content? Take a few minutes to read through your website. Could it use some refreshing? Well-written content not only paints a picture for your customers but also helps you with your ranking online. The organic use of relevant keywords helps boost your rankings with search engines.
  • Current on updates and maintenance
    • Is your site working to its potential? If not, now is the best time to perform updates and maintenance on your site.

We can help.

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Planning for the holidays while trying to run a business can be overwhelming. Let us help you! Whether you need an updated website, photos for your products or services, help with SEO, or a strategic marketing campaign, our team is here to help with any project you may have. Contact us today for a free consultation to help you get prepared for the holiday season!

Balance on Social Media

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tips-success-Natalie

Social media accounts - they're not just a way to stay connected in our personal lives, but also in our professional lives. All too often I see companies who are missing out on opportunities because they don't invest enough time building their social media presence. Social media isn't just some extra task to hand off to an intern. It requires time, effort, and strategy to get it right.
Tips for effective social media management:
  • Define your audience.
  • Determine which platforms will effectively reach your audience.
    • You don't have to be on every platform.
  • Come up with a content creation strategy.
    • What types of content to post
    • What times are best to post
  • Don't post just to post. Quality is more important than quantity. Post with a purpose. Each post should benefit your audience.
  • Post original content. It shows you are a source of information.
  • Don't post the work of others without giving credit. This is the same thing as stealing and can have legal repercussions. Give credit where credit is due!
  • Have fun and show personality! Social media is all about community and genuine connection. Your audience wants to see the real you.
If your social media presence could use some improvement, contact us to see how we can help!
Check back with us soon for more professional input!

Marketing When Just Starting Out

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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

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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

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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.

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We are Old City Web Services. We make it easy for small businesses to thrive online. Whether you need a professional website, help attracting more customers, or a fresh new look for your brand, we’ve got you covered. With over 20 years of experience, we specialize in simple, affordable solutions that work for businesses like yours. Let us handle the tech so you can focus on what you do best—running your business.

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