online-marketing – Iceberg Web Design https://www.icebergwebdesign.com Wed, 15 Dec 2021 17:43:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8.3 https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-iceberg-favicon-32x32.jpg online-marketing – Iceberg Web Design https://www.icebergwebdesign.com 32 32 What’s on Your Website Wish List? https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2021/12/whats-on-your-website-wish-list/ Mon, 06 Dec 2021 21:11:58 +0000 https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=16692 What’s on Your Website Wish List? Having an extensive website wish list isn’t a problem if your budget is limitless. But for most businesses, it’s important to keep the reins pulled in. When business owners ask us to build a new website, they usually come with a wish list. Of course, they will want the […]

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What’s on Your Website Wish List?

Having an extensive website wish list isn’t a problem if your budget is limitless. But for most businesses, it’s important to keep the reins pulled in.

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When business owners ask us to build a new website, they usually come with a wish list. Of course, they will want the usual pages and often features like a blog, search capabilities (sometimes sortable), galleries, integrations, e-commerce features, etc. The list can get long if you let it.

Consider Features that Make Doing Business Easier

Often people only think of websites as benefiting their marketing efforts. And they do increase your marketing prowess. But there are many other ways to use your website.

You can improve customer satisfaction through better communication and employee satisfaction by enhancing internal efficiencies with features like:

  •         Optimized Sales Funnels for better leads
  •         Careers Pages with applications for hiring
  •         Member or Employee Portals
  •         Scheduling Integrations
  •         Fillable Online Forms
  •         Document Library
  •         Education information accessed by users via a password
  •         Location Maps for your projects or business locations 
  •         And more!

When You Want Too Much of a Good Thing

Having an extensive wish list isn’t a problem if your budget is limitless, but for most businesses, it’s important to keep the reigns pulled in.

Another reason we recommend breaking up extensive website wish lists into smaller ones is none of these features will help your business until your website is live. To give you everything on the list would take a lot longer than you want to wait to have the initial site built. So instead, we create the site with the most important features first, and then we immediately begin working on the remaining features. This allows you to use the site as soon as possible.

So, it is often a good idea to build a website that meets your needs and then add on the other features you want later. We often call this planning out your website into phases.

We may also recommend building a website in phases if your business is in a period of growth. You might anticipate the need for a particular feature during that time, but you aren’t quite sure how it will fit into your business plan yet.

How to Choose from Your Website Wish List

The first step is to meet with our salesperson, Shane Bader. Shane will talk about your business goals and what you want to get out of your website and digital marketing. He can help you sort through what features are essential now and which ones can wait until you are ready to add them later. Our goal at Iceberg Web Design is to serve your business in the way that will best help you grow now and in the future.

Contact us today to see how we can help fulfill your website Wish List!

 

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Let Facebook Messenger Automation Work for You https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2021/08/facebook-messenger-automation/ Tue, 31 Aug 2021 20:30:17 +0000 https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=16444 Facebook Messenger Automation offers a lot of benefits to business owners who wish to use it. Best of all, it is easy to set up. Check out this quick tutorial!

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Facebook Automation

Automated messaging offers a lot of benefits to business owners who wish to use it. Best of all, it is easy to set up. While you can integrate this functionality into your website by embedding Messenger into your site using a plugin or through Facebook’s integration, this article will only focus on automation through Facebook Messenger.

Getting Started

  • To automate your Messenger, you must have admin access to your Facebook business page.
  • On the left-hand side of the page is a column of options. You will want to click on “Business Suite.”
  • Now you will be looking at your inbox.
  • From your Inbox, you will be able to see your messages from both your Facebook and Instagram accounts.
  • Just below the Facebook and Instagram links on the left-hand column, you will see “Automated Responses.”

Instant Reply

There are several things we can do within this feature. Let’s start with “Instant Reply.” Instant Reply will pop up when someone first attempts to message you.  It can do anything from alleviating the frustration that customers often feel waiting for you to respond to steering your visitors in the right direction. For example, if you primarily use email rather than Messenger, you can let them know that with a link to your email address.

Personalized Response

There are some great features built into Instant Reply. For example, you can personalize the message by having their name automatically inserted in your response. Messenger pulls this directly from their account. It will instantly add warmth and humanity to your automation.

Embedded Links

Then, you can write whatever reply you would like to go out to the people who message you. You can embed links, including your website. Note that you can only link to your main website, not particular pages. These links will not look like links as you create them on the backend, but when you send them in Messenger, they will show up correctly. You should always do a test run to check it out to be sure everything looks right.

Away Message

Many businesses like to have an after-hours message letting their visitors know that their business is closed for the day. Often these messages include business hours and the assurance that they will return and reply and when to expect the reply.

Frequently Asked Questions

This is another place that business often post their hours. You can also add service costs, how to schedule an appointment, Covid policies, or anything else people may have questions about. It is ideal to have questions to answer with a link to a page on your website. This will be efficient for the customer and will improve your web page’s ranking over time. Keep in mind that you can only use four FAQs in a conversation, so choose your four best questions.

Contact Information & Location

Thankfully, you do not need to include “Where are you located?” in your Frequently Asked Questions. Messenger knows this is such a common question that they have added it as an automatic option. If you choose to turn this on, it can give directions to the person needing your location.

Contact Information is another option. With that, you could link right to your Contact Us page on your website or have your phone or email address.

Schedule Appointments

If you schedule appointments through Facebook’s appointment scheduler, you can add this feature to your automatic messaging.

Finally, save your answers, and you are all set!

Need More Answers to Your Marketing Questions?

Iceberg Web Design has them. We specialize in website-based solutions to your business needs. We build custom websites, turn-key websites and have a host of services that can improve your ability to communicate your message. Contact us online today or call 763-350-8762 to learn more!

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Why You Need a Mission Statement https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2020/10/why-you-need-a-mission-statement/ Mon, 26 Oct 2020 13:48:13 +0000 http://dev2020.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=15405 A mission statement defines your goals as an individual or those of your organization or company. Sharing your mission with the world and explaining what the future holds for you or your brand will help you forge more meaningful connections with your prospective and current customers. It lets them know what you are about when […]

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A mission statement defines your goals as an individual or those of your organization or company. Sharing your mission with the world and explaining what the future holds for you or your brand will help you forge more meaningful connections with your prospective and current customers. It lets them know what you are about when you strip away all the marketing bells and whistles.

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If you haven’t written a mission statement, a blog post is a great way to begin. It shares with your around why you started your business. Once you have crafted your mission statement, you can also include it in your About page on your website.

At Iceberg Web design, we recently wrote our mission statement.

“Expanding our knowledge and breaking barriers to provide digital solutions to companies that want to grow while slowly working towards becoming the first website development agency on Mars.”

For some inspiration, let’s look at a few mission statements from some well-known companies and organizations

Some are pretty deep.

“Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life.”

~Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

“Our credo stems from a belief that consumers, employees, and the community are all equally important.” 

~Johnson & Johnson

Your mission statement can also be short and sweet.

 “To entertain the world.” 

~Netflix, Inc.

 “to be our customers’ favorite place and way to eat and drink.” 

~ McDonald’s

“To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”

~Tesla

What is your mission statement?

If you haven’t written one yet, Big Commerce has a great article on crafting one that fits your company’s goals and style. Talk it over with your team to ensure it is something you can all get behind. Then, start talking about your mission, along with your core values as the goal of everything you do. If something doesn’t line up with them, should you be investing your time, energy, and finances in it?

Do you have a website on which to share your mission?

Iceberg Web Design can help you bring your website to the next level, implementing digital solutions to the problems that may be inhibiting your company’s growth. We’d love to help you! Drop us a line by using our contact form or give us a call. We are web developers that answer the phone.

 

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Which Social Media Platform is Right for Your Business? https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2019/11/which-social-media-platform-is-right-for-your-business/ Fri, 08 Nov 2019 14:00:50 +0000 http://dev2020.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=14488 No matter how great the product or service a business offers is, there is no chance of it selling if no one knows about it. This inescapable reality is the driving force behind all marketing methods as businesses push and compete to be seen by consumers. From taking ads out in newspapers and magazines to […]

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No matter how great the product or service a business offers is, there is no chance of it selling if no one knows about it. This inescapable reality is the driving force behind all marketing methods as businesses push and compete to be seen by consumers. From taking ads out in newspapers and magazines to posters, billboards, car decals, and even T-shirts, businesses have always come up with new and innovative ways to spread the word about what they offer.

In today’s world, where 77% of Americans own a smartphone as well as 76% of people in 18 developed countries, it just makes sense that the race to reach consumers would lead online. For any business serious about expanding their reach, they must have an online presence, which includes being active on social media.

Nonetheless, not all social media platforms work well with every business, and not choosing the right one can even do more harm than good. So, here are a few things to keep in mind for some of the most popular social media platforms to help in determining which one will be the right fit for your business.

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Facebook

Facebook is, by far, is the largest social media outlet with 2.23 billion monthly active users. With that many people, it can easily be the ideal place to grab the interest of customers, spread your branding, and the overall messaging of your company. It also has a large variety of advertising options such as event ads, lead generation forms, video ads, Instagram-specific ads, and more, which allows for a range in budgeting when creating marketing materials.

However, its greatest benefit is also its biggest obstacle. Since there are many people on Facebook, it is easy to get lost in the crowd. Facebook does provide efficient data and the ability to target your ideal customer. But, unless you have a pretty hefty marketing budget behind your content, it’s difficult to gain any real traction with new customers.

For smaller businesses that don’t have a large media budget, it might be better to utilize smaller social media outlets to reach new customers, although Facebook is excellent for keeping up with existing consumers.

YouTube

The next largest social media outlet behind Facebook is YouTube, with 1.9 billion monthly active users. If you are not familiar with YouTube, it is a video sharing platform. Not only is it the largest video sharing site on the web, but it is 2nd behind Google in internet searches.

Of course, the best thing about YouTube is that it revolves around videos. Videos are a more effective delivery system in terms of content because they’re easier for people to digest, remember, and connect with as opposed to reading text. When you include this with YouTube’s sharing-friendly interface, videos can not only more easily reach customers but even go viral.

The downside is that some services, as opposed to products, don’t always lend themselves to videos. For example, if you are a website design company or freelancer, you will have to pull out your creative thinking cap to repeatedly create engaging content that ties back into promoting your business.

Also, any kind of video won’t do. You need to create short, high-quality, interesting videos to capture the easily distracted attention span of viewers. Anything less than high-quality can even reflect negatively on your business. However, if you can overcome these hurdles, investing in a YouTube channel would be beneficial.

Instagram

Another prominent social media outlet behind a few messaging apps like WhatsApp is Instagram. Instagram has a monthly active user count of 1 billion. It is different from Facebook and YouTube in that it is purely a video and photo-sharing site that can only be updated by a mobile device.

As explained with YouTube, visuals are always better when it comes to capturing the attention of viewers. Creating visuals can sometimes be much faster and easier than writing content, although you do need a mixture of both.

The challenge of utilizing Instagram is the demand to create a mixture of high-quality videos and photos, which again is easier for businesses that are selling physical products instead of services. Those businesses that face a bit of a challenge with videos can have an even harder time with photos. Videos allow for movement, explanations, and demonstrations, pictures don’t. And unless you have a highly visual business, Instagram might be more of a challenge than its worth.

Also, Instagram’s demographics are much different from Facebook and YouTube’s. While Facebook and YouTube appeal to a wide range of audiences, Instagram is primarily used by people between the ages of 18-29. So, if that’s not your target audience, Instagram may not be a good fit for your business.

Twitter

Twitter, which is further down the list in terms of popularity, has over 335 monthly active users. It is more similar to Facebook in terms of the platform, except it’s known more as a source for real-time information on a plethora of categories (which helps you narrow down your audience), and there is character cap on posts/tweets.

However, like Facebook, they allow a variety of ad options from pushing a promoted tweet to posting images and videos, which again allows for flexibility with content creation.

The drawback is that because it is real-time, users expect quick responses, which means constant monitoring of your Twitter account. Also, because there is a continuous stream of real-time information, your ad or content can easily be missed.

This faster pace may even prove to be difficult when it comes to growing your customer base even with paid ads, which is one of the highest costs among social media sites. Like Facebook, unless you have a flexible budget for ads, you can struggle to see any real results.

If you’d prefer a slower pace and demand for social media on your time, Twitter is likely not the best option for your business.

Need Help?

There are many other social media platforms not mentioned here that may be worth exploring for your business, such as Tumblr, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and even the WhatsApp business app. All of them allow you to set up an account for free, but maintaining a presence on them requires a commitment of time, a steady stream of fresh ideas, and a media budget.

Many business owners simply don’t have the time to research sites, let alone decide which ones would be the most lucrative for them. If you could use the help of trusted professionals to take this “new age” extra work off your hands, contact us today. We can help you build your social media presence, improve your SEO, and handle your paid digital advertising.

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Ramp Up Your Online Marketing in the New Year https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2019/01/ramp-up-your-online-marketing-in-the-new-year/ Wed, 02 Jan 2019 15:00:37 +0000 http://dev2020.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=11935 If you are a business owner, you have probably heard about Google Ads and PPC advertising. However, the question of how beneficial Google Ads really is for business remains for many. Before diving into the benefits, it’s best to understand the company of Google as a whole. Google is the top search engine across the […]

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If you are a business owner, you have probably heard about Google Ads and PPC advertising. However, the question of how beneficial Google Ads really is for business remains for many. Before diving into the benefits, it’s best to understand the company of Google as a whole. Google is the top search engine across the globe. They are constantly updating and improving their technologies and provide unmatched employment opportunities. Further, out of all the search engines, Google has proven to be the most useful for providing the best sources when individuals are searching for information, products and/or services.

All in all, a huge portion of business’ marketing efforts are moving online meaning its best to take advantage of Google’s services sooner rather than later to stay competitive.  

Easily Measure Your Online Marketing Efforts

One of the hardest parts about marketing is measuring what efforts are working and what is not. For example, it is difficult to measure how successful a television ad was without physically asking each customer, “did you find out about our product/service from our TV ad?” Even social media renders some difficulties when measuring conversions and ROI. On the other hand, Google Ads is extremely transparent when it comes to measuring your PPC efforts. They offer a variety of metrics that allow you to break down each effort on a fine level, which ultimately allows you to see what is draining or increasing ROI.

Reach Your Ideal Market

If you have done any sort of advertising online, you are probably familiar with demographic targeting, location targeting, exclusions, etc. These metrics are all great when trying to reach a specific audience but imagine being able to narrow those metrics even further. Depending on your ideal client, Google allows you to target individuals based on the time of day, the type of device they are using, their exact location and even their income. Further, you can utilize remarketing which allows you to target people who have already visited your website. This uses cookies and will show your ads to people whenever they are surfing a website that partners with Google. Seeing your ad will keep your brand on the top of their mind and could possibly result in a phone call, purchase or any other conversion you deem important.  

Your Competitors Are Using Google Ads

According to Google, the Display Network reaches over 90% of the internet. That translates into 2 million websites that your ads could be displayed on! Therefore, it’s safe to assume most companies, including your competitors, know this and is using Google ads. Initially, Google Ads can seem intimidating but broken down, it’s actually pretty simple. All you need is a stellar landing page, high-quality ads and a great bidding strategy! Monitor closely and adjust metrics during the first few weeks of the campaign but after that, just let the ads take their course and expect results.

Want to See Results Using Google Ads?

Iceberg Web Design is proud to be providing Google Ads Management Services now! Adding three new employees in the past year, we are fully equipped to help increase conversions and website traffic with our online marketing services. Call today for a free consultation!

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Optimizing Your Website to Convert Your Visitors Into Qualified Phone Calls https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2017/07/optimizing-website-convert-visitors-qualified-phone-calls/ Fri, 14 Jul 2017 20:50:11 +0000 http://dev2020.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=9972 Many businesses face the same struggle with their marketing.  How do I generate a high number of qualified phone calls?  This post focuses on some best practices to increase qualified phone calls to sales and customer service representatives. Make it easy for your visitors to find your digits May seem pretty obvious, but many websites […]

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Many businesses face the same struggle with their marketing.  How do I generate a high number of qualified phone calls?  This post focuses on some best practices to increase qualified phone calls to sales and customer service representatives.

Make it easy for your visitors to find your digits

May seem pretty obvious, but many websites make it difficult to find your companies phone number.   We recommend having the phone number at the top, bottom, and contact drop down of your website.  Another good technique is to have the phone number listed below a well-written call to action on the home page or squeeze page.

Make it a click to call

Another common mistake is simply listing your business number on your website.  Take it a step further and make it a hyperlink.  This way if your potential customer wants to call all they have to do is click the number on their mobile device.  Make it easy and remove as many barriers as you can for your customers.

Business directories generate too

Don’t overlook your business directories like Facebook, Google My Business, Bing Places for Business and any pertinent directory that generates good exposure.   Make sure the correct phone number is listed on these profiles and they match up.  Adding a location?  Having a unique phone number for that location is essential to generating local business as many customers want to work with businesses in their community.

Maximize opportunities by collecting phone numbers after hours

Most business aren’t answering calls 24/7, but are getting calls afterhours.  Make sure you are letting your customers know that you will get back to them in a timely manner.  A good voice message can also give them a warm fuzzy feeling that your staff will be taking care of them during regular business hours.  Giving good information and following through with what you say will let them know you are a well-oiled machine that cares about customer service.  Letting these opportunities slip through cracks only opens the door to your competition.

Engaging content gives your visitors the information they need to take action

It is very important not to skimp on the quality of content on your website, particularly the home page.  Potential customers are searching for the product or service that fits them.  Keeping this in mind make sure that your content is simple and gets to the point of why your business is the right fit for them.  This coupled with a strong or tempting Call-to-Action is a good formula to generate calls of interest.

Don’t forget to stay in touch after the sale

It’s no secret that a customer that has already bought your goods or services is likely to make another purchase.  Listing your number on thank you pages, newsletters, and email drip campaigns is another way to make it easy for your customers to be repeat buyers.  It is just as important if to nurture your current client base as it is to generate new customers.

Track your progress!

It is nearly impossible to know what marketing avenues are working and what are not unless you know where the calls are coming from.  There is a myriad of ways that people will find your phone number and making sure that you are tracking all your campaigns will help you decide where to invest and where not to.  Whether you opt to use a full-service company software like dialog tech or opt to set up your tracking numbers it is important that good systems are in place to track incoming calls.  Inbound calls lead to business and not knowing where they are coming from can lead to an inefficient marketing budget.

 

 

 

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Does Your Law Firm Website Answer These 3 Pressing Questions? https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2016/04/law-firm-website-answer-3-pressing-questions/ Thu, 28 Apr 2016 15:57:13 +0000 http://dev2020.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=6852 Prospective clients visit your website to learn three simple things: Are you located near me? Do you handle cases like mine? Can you resolve my legal issue? You want to ensure that your law firm website speaks to each of these questions clearly and succinctly. Here’s how to make that happen. Local SEO & Client […]

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Prospective clients visit your website to learn three simple things:

  1. Are you located near me?
  2. Do you handle cases like mine?
  3. Can you resolve my legal issue?

You want to ensure that your law firm website speaks to each of these questions clearly and succinctly. Here’s how to make that happen.

Is your website answering the questions your customers have?

Local SEO & Client Conversion

67% of smartphone users want ads customized via city and ZIP code, and 61% want ads customized to their immediate surroundings.

What this statistic tells us is that localization matters to consumers. This is especially true in the legal field, as prospective clients want to work with an attorney that located near their homes or offices. They will purposely search for a lawyer in their area (e.g., “Minneapolis family law attorney).

This means your website must clearly state where you are located and what geographic areas you serve. For instance, if you work out of Maple Grove, but service clients throughout the west metro, then say as much.

You also need to make sure that prospects can find you even if they don’t know you exist yet. Here are three important items that help boost your local SEO rankings on search engine result pages:

  • Google reviews: According to Google, 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they trust in-person recommendations. The more reviews you have on your Google page, then, the better off you are.
  • NAP consistency: NAP stands for Name, Address and Phone number. To do well with local search, you need to make sure that your NAP information is consistent across all your online materials, from your website and social media profiles to your directory listings.
  • Link building: Nothing tells Google that you are as good as you say you are better than links going back to your site from trustworthy resources.

Practice Area Descriptions

Dedicate pages on your website to the specific types of cases you handle or want to handle. Dig deeper than saying “family law” or “criminal defense” by breaking each general practice area down to specific cases, such as “divorce” or “drunk driving.” Failure to list the types of cases you want could mean failure to convert a prospective into a paying client.

Another great way to show prospective clients the types of claims you handle is to have a representative cases page and/or testimonials page on your website. A great way to handle these pages is to categorize your cases and testimonials by type of claim.

Client and Case Management

Prospective clients like to get to know who you are as a practitioner before they pick up the phone or step into your office. It is necessary, then, to spend a little bit of time describing how it is you do what you do. For instance, consider addressing these questions:

  • How do you interact with your clients?
  • What steps do you take to help them?
  • What do you mean when you define “customer service”?
  • What do you do to walk your clients through the legal process?
  • How do you alleviate their concerns along the way?

The more you can give your prospective clients a preview of who you are and what your firm is like, the more likely they are to feel a connection with you before you speak with them.

Sound Like a Lot of Work?

That’s because it is. Marketing yourself clearly on your website takes time and focused effort. If you do not have the time to do this well, consider working with a Minneapolis website design and SEO company who can help you get to where you want to be online.

 

Source: Search Engine Land, 6 Local SEO Stats Every Online Marketer Needs To Know

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How Valuable is a Professionally Built Website to Small Business Owners? https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2016/04/valuable-professionally-built-website/ Tue, 26 Apr 2016 15:55:23 +0000 http://dev2020.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=6848 Do you know how valuable a welcome mat is to your small business? We’re not talking just the welcome mat in front of your office or storefront. Your small business welcome mat extends well into your small business, as your team of customer service professionals warmly greet each customer that walks through the door. Think […]

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Do you know how valuable a welcome mat is to your small business? We’re not talking just the welcome mat in front of your office or storefront. Your small business welcome mat extends well into your small business, as your team of customer service professionals warmly greet each customer that walks through the door.

Think of a small business website as your online welcome mat.

Your website is your business's online welcome mat.

SmallBizTrends recently released a statistic that states nearly 50% of small business owners don’t use social media marketing for their small businesses. The small business monitoring website also mentioned that many of the small business owners that don’t promote via social media also don’t have professionally built websites.

Let’s cut to the chase: Responsive web design provides small businesses with several benefits. After reading the benefits, you should come away with an idea about how valuable a professionally built website is to small business owners.

Creates an Additional Sales Channel

Small businesses historically generated sales through two channels: Phone orders and in-store purchases. A professionally built website gives you a potent sales channel that not only expedites sales, but also guides customers throughout the buying process. From powerful calls to action to answering customer questions, you create a viable sales channel that increases revenue. The Yellow Pages no longer play an important role in attracting customers. Word of mouth advertising now derives mostly from testimonials and positive feedback left on a professionally built website.

Builds Credibility that Prompts Action

How valuable is a professionally built website for small business owners? Think of how you build the level of trust required for prospective customers to take action. A strong small business website includes professionally written content that educates customers about your products and services. Instead of reading a brochure or walking through your store, consumers now go online to learn about small businesses. Product and service pages, as well as “How to…” videos, increase your credibility. All of the information customers need to make informed purchasing decisions sits on your small business website.

Website Development Gets You Noticed in Search Engine Rankings

A professionally built website for small business owners invariably includes content that search engines love to see. Our Minneapolis web design team includes search engine optimization experts that know the search keywords customers use to find your small business online. By writing search engine optimized content and creating links that search engines reward, you move to the top of the search engine ranking lists. Without a professionally built website, your small business languishes in cyberspace.

The High Value of an E-mail List

Visitors to your professionally built small business website that opt-in to an email list provide a fertile base of customers. You can offer a complimentary eBook, monthly educational newsletter, and/or give away products and services to everyone that signs up for your email list. Email lists put “target” back into target marketing, as you learn what motivates customers to buy from you. Small business owners that include professional website photography within emails get a leg up on the competition.

Open for Business 24/7

Your doors close around the same time every day. If you fail to build a professionally looking website, the sales end when you close your office or storefront. With a powerful website that keeps visitors engaged, you have a small business that remains open 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Customers purchase your products and services, while you enjoy a restful night of sleep or take in a movie after storefront hours.

Nothing determines how valuable a professionally built website is to small business owners more than operating a business that remains open all of the time!

Let’s Get Started

Your website is your most important marketing tool. If your website has not been updated in the last 1-2 years, your business deserves the investment to make improvements. Contact our Minneapolis website development firm today to schedule a free phone or in-person consultation to discuss your website or online marketing needs.

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Blog Topic Ideas for Small Business https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2015/11/blog-topic-ideas-for-small-business/ Thu, 12 Nov 2015 19:08:02 +0000 http://dev2020.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=4723 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 […]

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Blog

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!

What Should I Blog About?

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!

What is the competition writing about?

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.

Got an opinion? Write about it!

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.

Example Blog Topic

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:

  • The Top 10 Summer Clothing Trends (According to Recent Sales)
  • What You Need to Throw the Best Fourth of July Party
  • Stop By For __% Discount This Week!
  • Must-Haves for the Holiday Dinner Table

“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:

  • The Best Lawns on the Block – Customers Share Success Stories
  • What Tools You Need to Maintain a Beautiful Garden
  • Spring Cleaning: 10 jobs to tackle first
  • DIY posts – How to Fix a Leaky Pipe, How to Program Your Thermostat, etc.
  • The Seven Pieces of Furniture That Will Transform Your Home
  • From Barely-Usable to Beautiful: Bathroom Transformations
  • The First Three Questions You Should Ask Your Divorce Attorney

“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:

  • Freshbooks or Quickbooks? An In-Depth Analysis of Online Accounting Tools
  • SOX Sucks: How to Stay Compliant in an Ever-Changing World
  • How Can An Attorney Get You the Best Settlement?
  • Business Law: What You Need to Know to Start a Business
  • What Promotional Pieces Make the Biggest Impact?
  • How Can a Mobile-Friendly Website Get You More Sales?
  • What does an E-Commerce Website Need to Get the Most Sales Possible?

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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How Often Should You Post to Social Media? https://www.icebergwebdesign.com/2015/08/how-often-should-you-post-to-social-media/ Tue, 11 Aug 2015 11:47:03 +0000 http://dev2020.icebergwebdesign.com/?p=4691 If you own a business, you are constantly looking for ways to attract and engage with clients. And one of the most cost-effective ways to do so is through social media. You might be wondering how often should you post to social media – after all, you want to maximize your exposure without annoying your […]

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Social-Media-Icons-800x800If you own a business, you are constantly looking for ways to attract and engage with clients. And one of the most cost-effective ways to do so is through social media.

You might be wondering how often should you post to social media – after all, you want to maximize your exposure without annoying your followers.

In this short guide, we will show you exactly how many daily posts are recommended on each social network.

How Often Should You Post to Social Media’s Most Popular Platforms?

Earlier this year, SumAll and Buffer teamed up to compile data to answer this very question.

Before diving into the results, it’s worth taking a peek at this quote from Gary Vaynerchuk:

“One is better than zero.”

– Gary Vaynerchuk

Something is always better than nothing.

In other words, please do not interpret these numbers as absolute directives. For example, if you only have the resources available to post to Facebook once a day, do not think of it as a waste of time.

Similarly, if your business only has the resources to manage one or two social media accounts – go for it! Every business starts somewhere, and you can always add more platforms as you go.

Facebook [2x Daily]

Post at least twice per day to Facebook. Although you are welcome to post more often, engagement tends to be highest on the first two posts.

Twitter [3x Daily]

Twitter users are a little more forgiving than their counterparts on Facebook. Engagement is not statistically likely to decrease until your fourth tweet of the day.

Google+ [3x Daily]

To maximize your average engagement per post, you would be wise to post to Google+ at least three times daily.

What’s interesting about this platform is that consistency counts for more than sheer volume. In other words, even if you intend to post to Google+ just twice daily, make sure those two posts happen consistently and around the same time.

Instagram [2x Daily]

Instagram is one of the few platforms on which more is better. Post as often as you can! Just work to keep it consistent. Two posts each day is a good guideline to start.

Pinterest [5x Daily]

I hope you like Pinterest, because studies show that the brands that post the most often get the most followers and engagement. If you want to get in the game, aim for at least five posts a day to start.

LinkedIn [1x Daily]

What’s great about LinkedIn is that 60% of your audience – whether followers or connections – are likely to see your new posts. Largely for that reason, one post every weekday is plenty.

“I Just Don’t Have Time to Post to Social Media Every Day!”

How often should you post to social media may be a secondary consideration at the moment – especially if you’re swamped! After all, business owners should focus on what they do best, which is running their business.

If you find yourself wanting to explore social media further, or simply needing help to make it happen each day, Iceberg Web Design is here for you.

We offer a number of different social media solutions designed to serve the needs of your business.

Email samarah [at] icebergwebdesign [dot] com, call 763-350-8762, or contact us to get started.

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