Old City Web Services

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.

Free Tools for Content Writing

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Wait a minute… What is content?

Content is the text, images, video, graphics, as well as every additional element that isn’t part of a design. So, if you have a website, brochure, business card, social media platform, etc., then content writing should be important to you. After all, websites, pamphlets, and other marketing materials tend to have more written content than the other types of content.

We offer content writing services and can help you cross off tasks on your to-do list by creating your social media posts, weekly blogs, marketing emails, or the content for your site. Don’t hesitate to ask us if you have questions about our content writing services or the free tools for content writing below! Schedule a free consultation by clicking the button below or call us at 904-867-4112.

Schedule A Free Consultation

Free Tools for Content Writing on A Budget

We understand that small businesses have a long list of expenses. While one year, written content might be at the forefront of your mind, the next year your budget may not permit it. Therefore, we’ve comprised a list of free tools for content writing. This way your content won’t suffer if you can’t hire a professional just yet.

content-writing

You really should hire a professional.

The whole idea of marketing materials is to persuade a consumer to do business with your company. So, your content should be persuasive and convey a message. The best way to guarantee this is to hire a firm like Old City Web Services to create your website, social media posts, online blogs, etc.

A content writer ensures your content speaks to your business’ audience. The writer will make sure your content is purposeful, relevant, and structurally sound so that your reader easily flows through the text. You know how your business functions and may just not be able to put it into words.

When we design websites we encourage our clients to hire us for content writing as well. The last thing we want is for our clients to be stressed about misspellings or if their writing sounds good. In fact, sometimes when clients write their own content it delays the launch of their website because they don’t have enough time to write it or they have a difficult time putting the words on paper. Since we want our clients to have a stress-free experience with their new website, we figure it’s easier for us to write their content for them! After all, we’re sure you’d rather be running your business and doing what you love than writing content.

You really should hire a professional.

If you aren’t ready to hire a content writer, the tools above will help you write your best content yet! But when you are ready, we can help you! We use tools like these and others to write and format content for our clients. You can get in touch with us by clicking the button below or calling us at 904-867-4112.

Schedule A Free Consultation

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.

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.

Use Listings and Online Reviews to Boost Your SEO

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Why Do Listings & Reviews Boost My SEO?

More times than not, people research a business before making a purchase. A huge part of that research is checking their listings and online reviews. In fact, online reviews have been proven to affect 67.5% of purchasing decisions. Furthermore, search engines understand that consumers take online reviews seriously and therefore consider it when deciding where your website should end up in the search engine result pages. As a result, having business listings on multiple sites should be part of your SEO strategy.

So how can you optimize where you end up in the search engine results with your listings and reviews? That's easy! Use the following websites to set up your business listing: Google, Angie’s List, Yelp, Yellow Pages, White Pages, and Super Pages. After all, having your listing on multiple sites is similar to having multiple trustworthy people recommend your business. Additionally, listings on these sites are usually free of charge and are helpful with SEO in two ways. The first is that Google trusts sites with reviews; the second is that it's another way to backlink to your site.

But, it's important that your listings and reviews are helping your SEO and not hurting it. Don't know where to start? Don't worry, we've got you covered.

Online Sales

Tips on Getting the Most Out of Your Listings and Reviews

  • First things first, add your business listing to multiple outlets. The sites listed above are a great place to start. Remember, more business listings means more backlinks to credible sites, resulting in more effective search engine optimization.
  • Secondly, be sure that your business listings display the same information across the board. For example, if you write out the word street on your Google listing, be sure to write it out on every listing instead of the abbreviation.
  • It's extremely important to reply to every review whether it be with a thank you or an apology for a bad experience.
  • Encourage your repeat and ideal customers to write online reviews about your business.
  • Not all your reviews need to be five-stars. In fact, too many five-star reviews may lead customers to think the reviews are fake, causing them to become skeptical of your business.
  • You'll need five five-star reviews to counteract what a one-star review does to your overall rating average. So, although a one-star review isn't the end of the world, it should be taken seriously.
  • Google and other search engines alike know the difference between organic reviews and paid for reviews. Be sure that your reviews are organic and NEVER pay for reviews.

If you have questions about business listings, how to respond to reviews or your SEO strategy, don't hesitate to contact us!

Our 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.

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

Preparing Your Business For the New Year

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Preparing Your Business for the New Year

The New Year often prompts businesses to reflect on the past fiscal year. On the other hand, it’s also an opportune time to prepare for the months to come. Use January to realign your marketing, security, and customer service strategies. Below is a general outline of questions to ask yourself in order to succeed in preparing your business for the New Year!

Online MarketingImage contains a man pointing at papers and a laptop.

Online Advertising

What does every business have in common? That's right, advertising. Consider your online advertising strategy for the previous year. Are you happy with the results? If you aren’t, it may be time to switch up your method.

  • Where and how did you advertise? Have you met your goals?
  • Did you overspend or underspend?
  • Was the outlet you chose to advertise through the best option for your business?

If you're looking for a new outlet to advertise through, you may want to consider advertising on OldCity.com.

Website Maintenance

Don’t forget, your website is a form of online advertising too; it serves as your online storefront. Your website should be clean, welcoming, and up to date - just like your physical storefront.

  • Does it need a redesign? Is it responsive and easy to navigate?
  • Is the content (text, images, videos) up to date and accurate?
  • How old is your website and its content? Since technology and SEO requirements are always evolving, content and websites should never go longer than two or three years without being tweaked.

Print Materials

Now, review your print materials! This includes business cards, brochures, letterheads, billboards, rack cards, and all printed materials.

  • Did you rebrand last year? If so, your print materials must be modified to reflect your new brand.
  • Did your business move locations or expand to an additional location? Do your print materials have accurate business information such as addresses, phone numbers, and emails?
  • Do you have an overabundance or very few print materials left? If so, perhaps your print materials weren’t persuasive or distributed effectively.

Cyber SecurityImage contains a white keyboard.

Backup your Files

Every business should routinely backup their files. If you don’t backup files to an offline outlet, your information is susceptible to hackers, viruses, weather, and even the old age of your device. What better time than the new year to put a plan in motion or reevaluate your current strategy?

  • Are your business emails backed up?
  • Is the important information relevant to your business backed up? This can be employee information, client records, tax data, and sensitive files.
  • Is your website backed up?

The best way to protect your website and email files are by hosting them on a secure server. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to hire a huge corporation to stay secure. Our servers are in a secure facility, have backups, and can survive a category five hurricane.

Phishing Emails

In 2018, we saw a huge leap in the number of phishing emails going out. Currently, 135 million phishing emails are sent per day. It’s important that you and your staff are educated on how to avoid being tricked by a phishing email.

  • Do both you and your employees know to never click on suspicious URLs?
  • Are you aware to check for poor grammar and illegitimate email domains?
  • Do you know what to do if you come across a phishing email?
  • Are your email files on a secure server?

Read more about how to prevent being hacked and what to do if you were hacked.

Send us an email to get started on securing your email and website files.

Customer ServiceImage contains two arms shaking hands

Listen to Feedback

The best way to grow and nurture your business is by listening to feedback from both potential and repeat customers. Check your online reviews, social media engagements, reread customer emails, and ask your employees if they’ve received feedback from customers.

  • Overall, is the feedback positive or negative?
  • Are customers responding to products, prices, or staff?
  • Have you taken the steps to correct negative feedback and reinforce positive feedback?

Check Your Mission Statement

Businesses often evolve by growing, changing their line of products or services, or in the methods of which they conduct business. Therefore, the beginning of the year is a perfect time to reevaluate your mission statement and make changes that reflect the evolution of your business.

  • Does your mission reflect your business’ goal? Would your clients agree?
  • Have you changed the way you conduct business?
  • Is your client base different?
  • What is the “why” behind your business? Have your underlying philosophies changed?

To Sum it All Up

In conclusion, consider your business' successes and failures from the previous year. With the list above in mind, are there any changes you need to make to your business plan? Remember, preparing your business for the New Year can only help you prosper. Don't worry if you don't know where to start, we've got you covered and can help you solve any of the issues presented above.

Take the first step in preparing your business for the New Year and send us an email.

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. Photo credits: OldCityWebServices, Canva. Disclaimer: Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information on Old City Web Services Blog.

Local Social Media Campaigns

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There are three overall reasons to conduct an online campaign. In the text below, we’ll explain each scenario for you. Then, we'll give you an example of a successful local campaign that you can follow when it comes time for your business to launch a campaign of its own.

Note: Social media is only one of the methods you can use to promote your product, brand, or launch. A few other methods include optimizing your website and content, SEO, and pay per click ads on Google and other search engines.

Monetization Campaign

Chick-fil-A Instagram

Chick-fil-A fans may not know it, but this is a method of word-of-mouth advertising.

A monetization campaign’s intent is to get your customers to generate sales from existing customers or fans. The best way to do this is by encouraging your ideal customers to promote and advocate for your business.

Chick-fil-A

If you haven’t heard by now, cows around the world want you to eat more chicken, or so says Chick-fil-A. On Cow Appreciation Day, Chick-fil-A promised a free entree to any customer dressed like a cow. Hundreds of people witnessed posts of diners dressed up on social media as did hundreds of people witness their costumes in public. The core of a monetization campaign is to generate revenue from existing leads. Although Chick-fil-A may have lost money on that day by giving away free entrees, customers along with people who noticed their customers dressed as cows, are likely to come back and spend money at the restaurant.

Fun Fact: In 2017, 1.8 million people participated in Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-A.

Engagement Campaign

An engagement campaign’s purpose is to create brand advocates and get people involved with your brand. The key component in this is to gain excitement that will become profit.

St. Augustine Police Department

St. Augustine Police Department Facebook Post

St. Augustine Police Department's #lipsyncchallenege Facebook post. Photo credit: St. Augustine Police Department.Recently, the St. Augustine Police Department launched a campaign with the hopes that they would gain a larger audience. On July 10, 2018, the SAPD posted on Facebook that their department would compete in the #lipsyncingchallenge. However, they also told followers that the only way they would compete was if their Facebook Page reached 9,000 following and likes. In only a few days, their page (which had roughly 7,000 follows and likes to begin with) gained the 2,000 follows and likes they wanted. They engaged followers with the Facebook challenge and reached their goal of 9,000 follows and likes.

If you follow them, chances are you’ve witnessed another one of their social media campaigns in action, the #9PMRoutine. Although this is more of a monetization campaign (because it generates revenue - or in this case safety), it gets a lot of engagement on Facebook – which results in more locked cars and crime-free nights.

Watch the St. Augustine Police Department's #lipsyncingchallenge here.

Acquisition Campaign

The Hyppo Coffee Bar

The lounge area of newly renovated The Hyppo Coffee Bar.

The purpose of an acquisition campaign is to acquire new prospects and customers. The key elements needed to execute this are awareness and converting old customers into new customers.

The Hyppo Coffee Bar

Although The Hyppo Cafe (located on 312) has always sold coffee, in May they decided to put an emphasis on coffee beverages and rename the restaurant The Hyppo Coffee Bar. This satisfies the conversion element of their campaign; we can assume the emphasis on coffee beverages was to acquire new prospects from old customers.

On May 4, The Hyppo announced on Facebook and Instagram, that they were closing for renovations and rebranding. They followed up with educational content provided in another post. Additionally, they let the community know why they were making these changes and how important our support is to them. Finally, a week later they teased followers with a photo of a recently painted mural inside the new cafe.

This is great information, but my company doesn’t market online.

We agree some of the best advertising methods include print material like pamphlets, brochures, billboards, and direct mail. But, online presence is increasing every year. In fact, according to Pew Research, 77% of Americans go online every day; additionally, 8% of that group goes online only once a day; in the last three years, “constant” online activity in the US has increased by 5%. So, although we promote the old-fashioned offline marketing, it is just as important to reach your ideal customers online.

(Source.)

Tip For Success

While website platforms like WIX and Squarespace seem worthwhile at first, there are serious risks associated with them. For example, did you know that these platforms use template designs? This means that the versatility and functionality of your site is extremely limited. Additionally, the software they use is “proprietary” meaning that the brand (like WIX or Squarespace) fundamentally own the abilities of your site. So, if years down the road you’d like to add an e-commerce function, you’d not only have to move your site elsewhere (because they don’t have e-commerce capabilities) but you’d also have to start from scratch. Starting off, the initial costs of these platforms won’t burn a hole in your pocket, but they will cost you more in the long run.

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. Photo Credits: Old City Web Services, St. Augustine Police Department, Instagram

Find Your Ideal Customer in 3 Easy Steps

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a photo of ideal customer in a cafe

Identify Your Ideal Customer in 3 Steps

Targeting too broad of an audience is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when planning a marketing strategy. The narrative is “all business is good business”. However, targeting your ideal customer is significantly more profitable. As a result, you can develop products and services based on the demands of your most profitable customers; build successful campaigns and marketing strategies; and ensure the growth of your business. Finding your ideal customer can be executed in three easy steps. Once they are identified, building a marketing strategy around them is a piece of cake!

Who are your best customers?

Identifying your best customers is the first and most important step to pinpointing your ideal customer. Your best customers are dependable and frequent buyers. If you work firsthand with customers, you can likely identify your best customers without much fuss. Consider the type of customer that frequents your establishment.

Another way to identify your best customers is by analyzing a year or two of old invoices and receipts. Look for customers who visit your establishment regularly and spend the most. Additionally, if customers can purchase your product or service online, you have access to their order information and can use this to analyze who your best customer is. However, if you don't keep a comprehensive record of customer information, this may be harder to execute. We suggest you begin tracking purchases immediately.

Which customers go the extra mile?

Now that you know who your best customers are, find out which of your best customers are going the extra mile and are truly passionate about your company. These are the people that refer your business to a friend; after visiting your establishment they write a good Yelp or Google review; they interact with you on social media or post about your business on their social media.

A photo of PEW Social Media Demographic Chart to guide you to your ideal customer

This social media demographic chart is by PEW, from a survey conducted in January of 2018.

What is the common denominator?

Next, look for patterns within your best customers who go the extra mile. Ask yourself the following questions:

  • What do they have in common? Are there personal, physical, or economical traits that these customers have in common? Look for similarities in their age, family size, gender, or career paths.
  • What value do you bring them? The answer to this question can vary from a specific product only found in your business, to the location of your establishment, to your hours of operation, or your great customer service. Take another look at your establishment’s online reviews, social media interactions, and posts that followers have tagged your establishment in.

The importance of pinpointing your ideal customer is to create a marketing strategy based on their experience with your products or service. As a result, you ensure that your efforts and growth are on track with your most valuable customers!

Now that you know who your Ideal Customer is, contact our team. We would be happy to talk with you about ways we can help improve your advertising method, marketing materials, and online presence.

Tip for Success

Because businesses are always growing to keep up with technological changes, the life expectancy of a website is typically 3-5 years. Just a few years ago, websites were built with a fixed width for desktop and laptop computers. Now, websites are built with many devices in mind such as smartphones and tablets. However, this doesn’t mean you have to get a new website every 3-5 years! Simple updates and fixes can optimize your site until you absolutely need a redesign. Having an expert (like us) at hand definitely helps stretch that lifespan, even if it's just for a phone call or a free consultation - in case you have any questions.

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 – manage 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.

We encourage you to share and repost this blog. 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.
Photo credits: pewinternet.org

OldCity Web Services – Highlights of 2017

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Check out a few highlights from our year in 2017.
From website and print designs to new content services, SEO efforts, and pro bono projects – we’ve been busy!

Advertorials

Advertising and Content

In 2017 we implemented a new type of advertising on OldCity.com, called advertorials. We now offer a 300-word blog, made-to-order for our clients. Advertisers can use advertorials to spread the word on sales, services, general awareness and more. Our first client was the franchisee of the local chain, Dunkin’ Donuts. Check it out.

Content Writing

St. Augustine Historic Inns

In other content news, the St. Augustine Historic Inns requested we create intriguing blogs for their customers, which are then published on the bottom of their Home Page. The blogs vary in topic, but all pertain to things-to-do, holidays, and events in St. Augustine. Now, when potential customers navigate to the Inn’s website, they are greeted with material that is persuasive, making them more inclined to book a trip to exciting St. Augustine!

Print Design

Bluewater Adventure

Bluewater Adventure Rack Card Design

Front and back of rack card designed for Bluewater Adventure.

Bluewater Adventure’s made a big move from the waters of South Carolina to the Old City that prompted them to redesign their rack card, which was no longer accurate. Our team decided the only way to fully capture their quality tours was by taking on the Intercoastal Waterway ourselves! We set up a Bluewater Adventure photo shoot and scored photos of the catamarans in action along with phenomenal photos of The Great Cross and Castillo de San Marcos. Now, on the front of the rack card is a proper representation of the sightseeing opportunities you have when sailing with Bluewater Adventure.

Magazine Advertisement Design

Gator Door East Inc.

Gator Door East used this advertisement for their big debut in St. Johns County Parade of Homes magazine! After learning they’d be a featured business, Gator Door sat down with our team to create an influential and compelling ad to catch the attention of shoppers! Don’t you just a-door this ad?

Business Card and Site Design

Jack Ward Fire

Jack Ward Fire, recently under new ownership, desired a brand with a haute look, reflecting their field of work. Working through fire and flames, we presented them with what is now their company’s business card. They were so pleased with the fire-hot cards, that our design team is currently working with them on a smokin’ hot site.

E-commerce Solutions

Minorcan Datil

After facing multiple issues with X-Cart commerce solutions, Minorcan owner decided to upgrade to a more modern system, WordPress. Our development team knew that WordPress’s, user-friendly, Woo-commerce theme would satisfy her desire to add new products, edit old products, and raise her customer satisfactory level. Now, Minorcan can concentrate on managing customers and products without the hassle of learning how to navigate a difficult system.

Site and Logo Redesign

Rodbender Fishing Charters

The fishing charter industry in Northeast Florida can be compared to a shark tank, it’s a competitive field and standing out in the crowd can be difficult. After a consultation, it was clear to Chuck Stearns, owner, that Rodbender Fishing Charters needed a fresh logo and easy-to-navigate site. The design team created a few mockups and Chuck decided on this creative logo and simple site. Now, the Homepage of his site subtly answers frequently asked questions and has three call-to-action charter packages. As for the logo, if you can think of a better design, let minnow.

Site Design and Launch

R.V. Cooper Construction

R.V. Cooper Construction is a local construction company servicing St. Augustine and surrounding areas. Remarkably, since 1998, the company has relied on word of mouth to reach new clients; their quality workmanship and attentiveness in guiding customers was their business strategy. However, the competitive nature of the construction field prompted them to make their web presence concrete. Ricky Cooper, the owner, desired a platform that would showcase the construction process, to ease the customer experience. Our team raised the roof by creating Cooper’s beautiful new site; straightforward, simple and user-friendly.

Search Engine Optimization

Ranking Efforts

Search engine optimization (SEO), is imperative for every business to incorporate into their business plan. In 2017, our SEO team worked with nearly a dozen local businesses, developing key-terms and strategies to gain a higher ranking in their search engine results.

Multipurpose Online Designs

St. Joseph Academy

Old City Web Services also did a few pro-bono projects in 2017. One of our favorites was creating a series of 14 athletic-banners for St. Joseph Academy’s sports teams, the Flashes. It was important that the banners could be transferred and size-well whether they were added to newsletters, emails, print media, or their site. Our team sparked the Flashes interest with a lightning bolt and bold imagery. Go team!

Logo Design

The Ponce Hotel

Upon branching out from under the franchise, Magnuson Hotels, The Ponce Hotel needed a fresh look and logo. Our design team worked with the new interior designer at the Ponce on matching the color scheme used inside the hotel. In conclusion, they decided on the simple yet elegant logo.

Love what you see? Call us for a consultation.

Check out other work we've done for clients.

Two things clients can do to push security efforts is to never trust embedded URLs or unsolicited mail. This may seem obvious, but you wouldn’t believe the number of times a client is hacked because they thought they recognized the “From:” address in a spam mail. Also, be on guard for shady apps requesting unusual permission’s – especially mobile ones!

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.
Photo credits: Old City Web Services

Website Trends for 2018

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In 2017 several website trends caught traction which will remain popular throughout 2018. In the past year, we have noticed a major evolution in the design of small business sites. Cluttered pages, a lack of direction, and M.I.A. contact forms are a thing of the past. The message has been conveyed; business owners are realizing that strong photos, clear messages, and prompt customer service is what makes a positive user experience. A positive experience results in potential customers to stay on a site for longer. Therefore, websites are being designed with a specific goal to convey a clear message and make it as easy as possible for the user. More sites are sticking to a clean site format, incorporating a call to action (CTAs) and chatbots.

Clean Sites and Good Photo Quality

Old City Web Services designs a site that is clear and focused.

This is an example of a site that Old City Web Services redesigned not too long ago. Notice the simple color scheme, clear text, and simplicity of the site.Above all else, a clean and focused website is a top priority for businesses. A cluttered site can be distracting and push potential customers out of your cyber-door. Since sites only have a few seconds to grab the attention of a user, distracting elements like blurry photos, a mismatched color-scheme, and too short or too long of content, is damaging.

Call to Action (CTA)

St. Augustine Record CTA

In this CTA, the St. Augustine Record advertises a local attorneys office.The purpose of a CTA is to prompt the user to take a specific action while on your site. A CTA usually takes the form of a button, link, or pop-up and requests the user to “sign up”, make a purchase, download a coupon, or read more information.

Every site should have a CTA, especially e-commerce sites. They provide a direction for users, measure the success of a site, and let’s not forget they increase conversion. The proof is in the pudding. Nearly every large corporation site has several CTAs and small businesses are following suit in 2018.

CTA’s are for you if you have an e-commerce site, use email as a form of marketing, host events or sales, or provide coupons.

If you are interested in adding a CTA or expanding your current site into an ecommerce site, call us to schedule a free consultation.

Screenshot: Chat automation by thinkingchat

Screenshot: Chat automation by thinkingchat.com. An example of what chat automation can look like for your business' site.

Chatbots

Customer service will be more complex than ever in 2018. In the past, customers with an inquiry resorted to dialing a number for a resolution, but in 2018 they will resort to clicking; chatbots are the key to high customer satisfaction.

Consumers are interested in what is most convenient for them and phone calls have become inconvenient. Since users often use the internet and social media pages, such as Facebook, to find information, connecting with them online is more important than ever. Consequently, chatbots are taking the place of phone calls. As you may have noticed on some Facebook Business Pages, it is no longer necessary to dial a number for an answer. Chatbots make it convenient to answer frequently asked questions such as the price of items, event times, locations, and the purchase of tickets. While large enterprises have a customer support person on the other side of their chat box to answer questions, small businesses may not have the manpower to answer individual questions. However, small businesses can rely on chat automation, which provides pre-written responses to FAQ. Chatbots is beneficial for more than just the consumer. In fact, small businesses profit as well because customers are satisfied and better customer data is collected.

The technology behind chatbots is sophisticated but surprisingly inexpensive. Interested in knowing if chatbots are the way to the hearts of your customers? We can help 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 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.
Photo credits: Old City Web Services, Thinkingchat.com, Rodbender Fishing Charters.

5 Small Business Tools To Use In 2018

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New Year’s Eve is a little over two weeks away, prompting small businesses to take a look at their business strategy. This year, make a New Year resolution for your business that is accomplishable and important! Commit to planning ahead with these small business tools.

Sale and Promotion Tools

In a city like St. Augustine, small businesses don’t necessarily need to create sales or promotions because of the large number of tourists, snowbirds, and travelers constantly passing through. However, who doesn't aim to enhance their business each year? Hypothesis: If a (small) business has few promotions and sales, then a customer will shop where there are more promotions and sales (corporation.)

Promotions and sales are important, but so are promoting your sales and promotions. Use these small business tools to plan your future promotions.

  1. Use a Customer Information Sheet. Gathering customer information is crucial. Currently, email marketing is a huge part of many business strategies. In fact, here are 10 eye-opening statistics by Constant Contact to back that up. One shocking statistic is that 61 percent of consumers enjoy receiving promotional emails weekly. However, text messaging (SMS) marketing is becoming increasingly popular as well, because it is easy, fast, and reliable. Download and print our PDF file, Customer Information Sheet, located at the beginning of this paragraph. Place it by your register and have employees ask customers for their information.
  2. Canva is a free graphic design tool that is used by professional designers and everyday people. They have numerous easy-to-use templates including a Sale Flyer template. Use Canva to create compelling flyers, coupons, and point of purchase material.

Social Media Tools

A few of St. Augustine’s small businesses have a strong social media presence like The St. Augustine Distillery, The Surf Station, The Hyppo, and Old City Web Services very own OldCity. Social media is a fickle thing, but the St. Augustine community is loyal to their small businesses. Therefore, with a little dedication and extra planning, you too can benefit from utilizing social media platforms.

  1. HootSuite is a social media management tool. They offer a free plan which allows you to schedule up to 30 posts in advance and manage up to three social media accounts.
  2. Trends Map is free and tells you what is trending on Twitter, in a specific area at that moment.
  3. Google Trends will give you insight into what is trending in your area and nationwide. Type in your topic of choice, and Google will tell you how many times that phrase or word was entered into the search engine. Use the most popular search-terms in planning your social media posts. Google Trends is free to use.

Check out these unbelievable social media facts.

Google Trends

In the photo above, Google compares the search terms "Jacksonville" and "Orlando." Google scales the terms based on the highest amount of times they were ever searched. For example, if during Biketoberfest people searched the word Orlando more times than ever before, that is what the results for search term Orlando will be compared to.

Big Box Stores vs. Small Businesses

Luckily, St. Augustine’s community of residents and visitors are predominantly loyal to small businesses. However, with many more large companies moving into St. Augustine in 2018 and the years to come, will loyalty bring home the bacon? Let’s not find out.

A major difference between the marketing strategy of a large corporation and that of a small business is that corporations have entire teams dedicated to each segment of their business plan. Behind the scenes of a corporation are crews focused on enhancing sales and promotions and a social media strategy. But with the small business tools we share in this article, you won't need dozens of teams to beat out the large corporations.

Old City Web ServicesSocial media can scale businesses of all sizes. Therefore, it is important you put in effort towards learning how to manipulate your platforms for your business. Although each outlet has essentially the same purpose, different people (depending on their age, hobby, income, sex) use different platforms. Achieve a better social media presence by altering your strategy for each outlet.

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.

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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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