The post Using Your Marketing Budget appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.
]]>Iceberg Web Design can help with all your digital marketing needs. So don’t let your marketing budget go unused.
With the hits many businesses have taken throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies have cut their marketing budgets to curb spending. Data from research firm Gartner CMO Strategic Priorities Survey 2020-2021 reveals that the proportion of revenue allocated to marketing was cut almost in half, from an average of 11% in 2020 to just 6% in 2021—the lowest proportion allocated to marketing in the history of the survey.
You can make the most of your marketing dollars by choosing wisely where those dollars should be allocated. Of course, the best place to start is with your website. That’s because your website is a continuing source of marketing.
It is versatile and evergreen. It is essential as a calling card, but it is also more than just a calling card. You can add features that not only help in your marketing efforts but can also streamline your business.
It is essential to have clear messaging, the right tone, and precision branding to reach your target audience. This will make the most of your marketing budget by allowing your advertising arrows to hit their bullseyes.
Good content extends to your social media marketing, blogs, vlogs, podcasts, Tik-Toks, and special campaigns. Everything must have brand consistency and a clear plan.
It’s essential to evaluate what you do well in the marketing sphere and your target audience. For example, it is far better to focus on two social media channels and use them well than to use all the channels only halfway and often the wrong way.
Use your Marketing Budget by the end of the year, or they may be cut from your budget next year.
Iceberg Web Design has SEO Content Writers, Digital Marketing Specialists, and incredible Designers and Developers. We can help with all your digital marketing needs. So don’t let your marketing budget go unused. Contact us today!
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]]>The post On-Page SEO: Why Good Content is King appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.
]]>It is even more than just likable. It stands out from the crowd as having what other content on the same topic is missing. It might be a unique perspective, an expert voice, a deeper dive, or a fresh way of explaining the topic. Whatever your content has, it makes it irresistibly readable, shareable, and something that people want.
Your content can be the most enticing information in the world, but if you can’t link to it, search engines won’t like it and won’t rank it. Examples of this kind of content include slide shows and content that you can only access after logging in (and even then, it can’t be shared).
When you are trying to decide what keywords to focus on in your content, do your research. You will want keywords that are a natural part of the content. Don’t over-use them. This is called keyword stuffing. Search engines don’t like it, and they will punish websites that employ such tactics. The keywords you choose should be in demand enough that people are looking for the topic, but not so in-demand that your content will never make it to the top of the pile. It often takes a little trial and error to find your sweet spot, but you will soon get the hang of keyword research.
Don’t allow your site to sit stagnant for too long. It sends the message to site users and Google that your content isn’t fresh or relevant anymore. Instead, update your content regularly by adding to your blog, updating an event calendar, refreshing a page’s content, etc. This will send the message that you are paying attention to your content, and that means it is more trustworthy than stale content that hasn’t been changed in two months.
Iceberg Web Design offers professional SEO content writing services for custom websites, subscription sites, and SEO services. If you would like to take your business to the next level, we have the solution for you. Contact us today!
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]]>The post Why Keeping Your Blog is Important appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.
]]>Content marketers know their business. That’s why when 86% of them are doing this as part of their content strategy. It pays to consider that ‘it’ worth doing. What are they doing? Blogging! “Businesses with a consistent content or blog strategy receive twice as much email traffic as those without. Plus, more than 55 percent of marketers say they’ve gained new customers just by blogging.” [1]
Content can be anywhere from 500 to 1200 words on average, depending on your audience and what kind of marketing you are doing. The average blog post takes nearly four hours to complete. What goes into that time?
It can be time-consuming, but it is worth it. A professionally written blog can bring in business and increase name recognition across the web.
If you include SEO services with your online content, you are doubling down on a marketing masterpiece. With SEO services, your blog can be posted to social media and Google My Business in front of the right audiences at the correct times to increase traffic to your site even more.
YES! If you get rid of your existing blog, Google’s algorithms will see a sudden elimination of content from your site. Your site’s SEO will drop like a rock and won’t recover for a long time.
If you are unhappy with your blog, the best thing you can do is hire an SEO professional to manage it. They can slowly change each post to a new, improved version, keeping the URL intact. That is important since Google likes changes to content (not URLs), but it wants these to be slow changes.
Then, you can outsource your blog writing to a professional blogger so you can work on your business while they work on your blog. Companies who blog get 97% more links to their websites.[2] Why give that up? At Iceberg Web Design, we produce professionally written SEO content every day for our customers. Contact us today to find out how we can help you. Read our reviews!
[1] Lin, Ying. “10 Blogging Statistics You Need to Know in 2021 [Infographic].” Oberlo, Oberlo, 26 Feb. 2021, www.oberlo.com/blog/blogging-statistics.
[2] Ouellette, Coral, et al. “Ultimate List of Blogging Statistics and Facts (Updated for 2021).” OptinMonster, 6 Jan. 2021, optinmonster.com/blogging-statistics/.
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]]>The post Keeping Holiday Traditions in 2020 | Iceberg Web Design appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.
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Everyone knows 2020 has been challenging. This year, more than any, it is so important that we hold tight to the little things that bring us moments of joy. Here at Iceberg, we decided to share some of the holiday traditions that we are keeping alive for ourselves and our families on our company slack. We hope everyone is finding ways to celebrate as we close out the year!
Hey Iceberg Penguins, I would like to finish the month with a small discussion. What holiday traditions are you keeping alive even through the struggles of 2020?
I’ve been keeping the magic of the season alive for the kids – though the lack of snow does make that a bit more difficult this year. A new tradition, which I expect to carry on each year now, is hanging cheerful lights outside on the house. Also, at my house in December, elves visit in the night and leave trinkets in little bags for the kids. It’s usually a small ornament, a gadget, or a treat. And while I haven’t talked with him personally, I’m sure that Santa will be making an appearance on Christmas morning.
We have certain cookies that we make every single year. Today we are going to try to get them done. One is called come drop peppernuts. It’s a German recipe for teeny tiny little cookies. The other is for the most wonderful cookie in the world. It doesn’t really have a name, I like to call it peanut butter patties. You just take two Ritz crackers and smear some peanut butter between them. Then, you dip the little peanut butter sandwich into chocolate or chocolate almond bark. Then you set the coated cookie on wax paper until it hardens. Finally, you try not to eat all of them at once.
Day drinking?
Seriously though, when we chatted about Christmas and what our traditions are, neither of us had anything big we could think of.
I have to admit that this year, it was a little harder to put up the Christmas decorations and want to do some of the normal holiday traditions, it just didn’t feel like the holidays. I’m glad that I did, and we did take time to wrap gifts and have them sent to our families. We have also frosted cookies and we are going to try a new activity and tye die some onesies for our baby and a couple of shirts for us on Christmas. Here is a picture of some of the cookies we decorated:
Even though I struggled with putting up my indoor decorations ( just kind of seemed like there was no point in it, although, I did manage to do it) I always, always decorate outside! Even this year, I did not hesitate even a little bit! I love to send joy to passersby, by decorating the house and yard.
Last-minute Christmas shopping, we put up a real tree and are having Christmas on Christmas Eve with one side of the family and Christmas Day with the other side although mostly virtual this year.
Usually, we light advent candles starting on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and adding one candle each week. We also have a song we sing and we add on one verse to it each week. It is my favorite family tradition. I measure how many family dinners we have in the month by how small the candles get. This year we have been in a time warp. Every day is the same and time is moving in super speed so it is very hard to figure out what day or month it is. With everything going on we didn’t get the Christmas decorations out until the fourth Sunday had actually passed, but I’ve decided that since this is a favorite tradition we are going to have one nice meal where we do a speeded-up version of the candle lighting and song. It seems fitting for this crazy year.
That was a great idea! And it was so fun to hear everyone’s traditions. I might have to join Mariann’s family for Christmas. Day drinking lol! Seriously, all of them were so heartwarming.
LOL yeah Alex’s god mom makes the best mimosas with Tequila and Champagne!
great holiday traditions all around!
Our passion is to solve your business problems with unique web application development. Whether your goal is increasing leads or helping internal operations we want to work with you. We don’t stop with your website. In addition to custom website development and design, we offer a range of search engine optimization, content marketing, branding, and related services.
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]]>The post Blogs- To Comment or Not to Comment appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.
]]>If you have time and love interacting with your audience, perhaps having comments on your blog is the way you want to go. Many people advocate for keeping them. Here are a few reasons why:
While 90% of your readers will never comment on a blog, 90% of your comments will come from 1% of your readers.[1] That is a disproportionate representation of your audience in your comment section, which could skew the way you see your audience and write for them. Those aren’t the only reasons to cut the comment section.
Neil Patel has a great article on whether comments help your blog’s SEO. Here are some options:
The best social proof is a high-quality review. Reputation Management Services from Iceberg Web Design can gather all of the web reviews into one place. You can use these reviews on your website and respond (which you should always do when someone reviews your business or product). To learn more, give us a call or fill out our convenient contact form.
[1] Neidlinger, Julie. “10 Reasons You Should Be Using Blog Comments.” CoSchedule Blog, 26 Jan. 2017, coschedule.com/blog/blog-comments/.
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]]>The post How to Create Your Content Plan for 2020 appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.
]]>Your post should always have a strong link to the product, service, or idea that you are selling. This is part of your branding. It allows your website to present a consistent message to the people reading it. Rather than just publishing something because it is due, your content should be an integral contribution to your business goals. This might mean:
This doesn’t mean that every post has to instantly convert your readers to customers. Some may do that, but the goal of a lot of your content is to offer readers something of value in exchange for the time they spend reading it. It can educate, entertain, inspire through humor or touching stories. Every post you write is an opportunity to build trust with your readers and customers.
What kind of consistent commitment can you make to your readers? More frequent posting will keep your brand and your message in front of readers, but consistency is the key. This will determine how many ideas you will need to come up with for your content plan.
Frequency | # of Posts |
---|---|
Monthly | 12 |
Every 2 weeks | 24-26 |
Weekly | 52 |
Twice a week | 96-104 |
Brainstorm a list of topics for your content calendar. Get input from business partners, employees, and others who care about your business succeeding and who understand your goals. Once you’ve decided what your main topics will be, think about subtopics that fall into those categories. This is where you can start to consider ideas for specific blog posts.
Every business pays attention to what time of year it is and how it affects their customers. It’s why we get pumpkin spice…everything…in October and iced tea in July. Grocers focus on festive savory and sweet foods around the holidays, but in January it is all about healthy eating. The seasons bring with them special promotions and sales, and times of the year when certain subjects are searched more often. For example, this post is being published as we ring in the New Year, so readers can start the year out right with a solid content plan.
Look at your list of topics and decide where they will fit into your content plan. Do some seem more relevant at certain times than others? Will you have a special feature that runs monthly? Once you have all of the spots filled in, you are ready to start writing.
If all of this seems a little overwhelming, and you would like some help creating a content plan that propels you toward your goals, send us a message. The professionals at Iceberg Web Design would be happy to help.
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]]>The post 10 Statistics That Prove it’s Time to Add a Blog to Your Law Firm Website appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.
]]>You have a law firm website that you’re proud of—the design is fresh and responsive, and the copy is current and compelling. But no one is finding your site. With little traffic comes minimal leads.
One way to turn this around is to add a blog to your law firm website. If you have heard this before, but have not yet committed to blogging, perhaps these statistics will convince you otherwise:
Along with increased traffic and leads, blogging helps build trust in your brand. In fact, according to Hubspot, “blogs have been rated as the 5th most trusted source for accurate online information.” The result: 81% of U.S. online consumers trust information and advice from blogs. And 60% of customers say they feel more positive about a company after reading custom content on the company’s site.
The persuasive statistics cited above should lead you to one conclusion: it is time to get started on your law firm blog. Before you dive in, take into account these tips that will help bring your blogs increased engagement in the form of traffic to your website and social shares across Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media channels:
The only thing blogging requires of you is your time. But if you schedule your time accordingly, you will be able to maintain a consistent publication of posts that will have readers coming back for more.
If you do not have time, then consider working with a digital marketing company that can host your blog and produce content on your behalf. Contact our company to learn more.
Sources: Ad Pushup, 10 Blogging Statistics You Probably Didn’t Know But Should; Writtent, Top Blogging Statistics: 45 Reasons to Blog; Hubspot, 6 Stats You Should Know About Business Blogging in 2015; Forbes, 35 Content Marketing Statistics You Need To Know In 2016; Business2Community, Small Business Blogging Statistics For The Skeptics [Infographic]
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]]>The post Blog Topic Ideas for Small Business appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.
]]>Finding a topic for your small business to blog about can be tricky. It seems like it’s always the times you set aside to write that writer’s block kicks in. Here are some tips for helping you choose blog content, as well as a list of some great blog topics for various industries to get you started!
One of the most recent Hubspot How-To Videos is about the same topic as this article. Hubspot is an amazing digital marketing resource that is worth keeping up with for various sides of your business. Give the video a watch when you have 5 minutes to spare – it details many different ways to look at the same topic, and gives a nod to Hubspot’s own blog topic generator. Speaking of blog topic generators, we recommend Build Your Own Blog’s version as well!
One of our favorite tips when asking yourself “What Should I Blog About?” is scoping out a competitor’s blog. What are they writing about? Can you give it a unique perspective? And perhaps more importantly… what questions go unanswered in the comments section of each blog post? These opportunities are golden. Think of it this way: if you can answer a question a customer is proactively seeking out, you become a resource they may start to rely on. Furthermore, in terms of search, “how to” is the most popular beginning to a query. If you find the right queries to model your blog post on (using questions in comments as inspiration), you can improve your search rankings AND write an awesome blog post.
Another popular tip is to take a stance on an issue. Don’t stir up controversy for the sake of it, but understand that getting people excited about an issue is a great way to write a blog post with passion and the ability to be shared by many. To avoid controversy, but still take advantage of potential virility, stay on top of industry news and try to be among the first to “break” big stories.
Now that you’ve have a few different ways to think of topics on a broad scale, let’s break it down into more specific industries. Here are some sample blog topics:
Retail Businesses
Some great example blog topics for Retail Businesses include:
“Business to Consumer” businesses
Business to Consumer (B2C) businesses are those that provide services directly to consumers, or the general public. Landscaping companies, home remodelers, and family law attorneys are just a few examples of B2C businesses. Here are some example blog posts that these types of business could write:
“Business to Business” (B2B)
Business to Business companies are those that provide products and services to other businesses. Business attorneys, website developers, content writers, printing companies, and accountants are examples of these types of businesses. Here are a few blog topics that you could consider when writing for your B2B company:
Now that you’ve answered the question of “What Should I Blog About?”, you’re going to need an awesome blog design to host it. Contact Iceberg Web Design to learn more about what we have to offer!
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]]>The post 7 Simple SEO Tips for Small Businesses appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.
]]>Our team at Iceberg Web Design works with small businesses right across the country that want to make sense of it all.
Thankfully, we have put together seven simple SEO tips for small businesses in this post.
No “geek speak” here – just simple, straightforward strategies you can use to improve your SEO.
They’re quick, they’re easy, and they will help more people find your content on Google, Bing and Yahoo.
If you’re already publishing new blog posts each month, why not produce one extra post and offer it to a blogger in a similar niche? Offer the post at no charge, but ask the receiving blogger to add a link to your website. These are referred to as a “backlinks” and Google prefers websites with plenty of them.
Whether it is an audio recording, a video recording, or a written questionnaire, ask an expert in your industry to answer five to seven questions. Post the results of the interview to your website or blog. He or she will appreciate the exposure, and may even link to your content.
Before writing a new blog post, use a keyword research tool to identify a relevant phrase that people actually search for online. Include this phrase in your blog post title, in the opening paragraph, in a subheading, and as the alt tag for your featured image. Just make sure you use a different keyword on every page and post! A complete Keyword Research Report will also help you choose the right words for your post.
Whether it is updating the copy on your homepage, adding a new image, or publishing a new blog post, search engines love to see fresh content. Find excuses to add new material to your website – just keep it clean and clutter-free!
Google favors websites that load quickly. Fast load times are indicative of a positive user experience, which is what SEO is really all about. You can do this by shrinking or compressing images. If you use WordPress, you can also do this by caching content through a plugin.
Make a list of a dozen or so blogs in your niche and make a point to comment on one of their posts every week or so. When leaving a comment on a blog, you will generally be permitted to enter your website URL. Although this is considered a “nofollow” link – meaning it is not recognized by search engines – it will get the attention of the blog owner. He or she may visit your blog and share your content, thus resulting in boosted social signals.
Bounce rate refers to the percentage of people that visit your website and then click ‘back’ in their browser – or close the window – without visiting a second page. Aside from your menu or sidebar, be sure to link to additional relevant content from your website on every post or page. This may include linking to your services, contact page, or testimonials.
It is okay if the worlds of SEO and search engine marketing (SEM) are a little out of your element. After all, your job is to run your business.
Why not leave the more complicated stuff to the professionals?
At Iceberg Web Design, we pride ourselves in not only building really great websites… but also in helping small business owners to boost their search engine visibility.
Why don’t we have a chat to discuss your particular objectives?
Contact our web design company for a free consultation, or call 763-350-8762 to get started. We also have a contact form you can use.
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]]>The post The Incredible Importance Of Blogging For Business appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.
]]>Creating a website for your business provides аn online platform from which to tо sell tо оr otherwise engage people. While a professionally developed website is absolutely essential for your brand, simply having an online presence for your customers to view is not enough any more. In today’s world of digital marketing, creating a website without a blog is putting in 80% of the work and investment (setting up your website), and only utilizing 20% of the value. You’re missing out on a large audience by not taking advantage of the ability to easliy add content and attract more business.
Our Minneapolis Web Design Company Can Help You Build Engaging Websites
Maintaining a website without fresh content іѕ lіkе running a соffее ѕhор in the basement of a shopping mall without any advertising оr signs for people to find you. It’ѕ thеrе, it mау bе a grеаt service, but nо оnе іѕ еvеr gоіng tо fіnd or use іt. This is what regular blogging on your website асhіеvеs:
Increased traction – hоw often hаvе you been tо a wеbѕіtе, gоt thе іnfоrmаtіоn уоu nееdеd, but ѕtауеd bесаuѕе уоu ѕаw something else оf interest? Publishing information on your website helps get people in the door. Once they are there, they will continue to look around.
Buіldѕ truѕt – people whо visit a wеbѕіtе rеgulаrlу fоr information аnd content, by dеfіnіtіоn, hаvе some lеvеl оf trust іn thе соntеnt рrоvіdеrѕ. Thіѕ саn trаnѕlаtе іntо revenue dоwn thе lіnе.
Showcase knowledge & еxреrtіѕе – you dоn’t hаvе to give away trade secrets, but реорlе bеnеfіtіng frоm уоur blоg саn often dесіdе that уоu аrе thе gо-tо person іf thеу ever nееd X. Whеrе X іѕ whаtеvеr it is уоu dо.
Increase trаffіс frоm ѕеаrсh еngіnеѕ – Gооglе аnd оthеr ѕеаrсh еngіnеѕ love nеw content. Thеу’ll vіѕіt уоur site mоrе often іf they know thеrе is something nеw tо іndеx. You’ll hаvе more chance оf арреаrіng in ѕеаrсh results the mоrе уоu build uр a rеѕеrvоіr of content.
Bеttеr іntеgrаtіоn – a blog can hеlр to integrate you іntо the fаbrіс of thе Wеb, bу аllоwіng people to follow уоu vіа RSS, Twitter, Faebook аnd other mеdіumѕ. Thіѕ hеlрѕ to bооѕt your visibility vіа ѕосіаl mеаnѕ.
Enhanced SEO – bу іnсrеаѕіng your rеаdеrѕhір іt is possible to іnсrеаѕе уоur Pаgе Rank bесаuѕе реорlе саn start lеаvіng comments (mоrе content) аnd linking bасk to уоu (рurе gold).
Gеnеrаtе аddіtіоnаl rеvеnuе – іf уоur blog does become рорulаr thеrе’ѕ nо reason you саn’t begin to trеаt іt аѕ іtѕ оwn ѕоurсе оf revenue.
Thе lіѕt gоеѕ on – but thаt ѕhоuld bе enough tо convince you to gеt gоіng. I knоw thаt lоtѕ of реорlе аrе hеѕіtаnt оr рut оff bу thе idea bесаuѕе thеу are wоrrіеd thаt thеу don’t knоw enough аbоut writing wеb еnhаnсеd, SEO fосuѕеd content. Don’t wоrrу. Write аbоut tорісѕ rеlаtеd to уоur wеbѕіtе іn a clear and соnсіѕе wау and the mаgіс wіll hарреn аll by itself.
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