Does Your Website Design Need an Upgrade?

Website Design by Higher Images

If you have an HTML-based website, you may be well aware of the difficulty involved in updating content, images, or the general look and feel of your site. For most non-technical people, this is something that is best left to the pros.

In recent years, a new type of website has taken over the spotlight, it’s known as a CMS website – or Content Management System. A CMS website is database-driven, meaning that is “dynamic”. In other words, information pertaining to your site is stored in a database, and retrieved when a user looks for that information, in real time.

On the flip side, a static website design has all information hard-coded onto the webpage itself. Therefore, when the need arises for changes – even as minor as punctuation – the entire webpage needs to be modified and re-published to your server through some sort of FTP upload program. This difficulty often results in site owners choosing to not update their website with fresh content, photos or links, and therefore allows the site to become stagnant. Search Engines do not like stagnant websites, by the way.

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Handling Customer Reviews

How Are You Handling Your Customer Reviews Online?

Lately, we have been receiving calls here at Higher Images, from clients about the customer reviews online, regarding their business.

Sites such as Google, Yelp, CitySearch and more allow customers to post reviews about companies they do business with. From pizza joints to dental offices, customers are posting their experiences – both good and bad.

Many customers who have found negative reviews often call us, asking how they can get them removed. Before we get into those details, however, we want to explain why you shouldn’t remove them. You see, customers can have bad experiences anywhere. Perhaps it was just a bad day, a new employee, your business was short-staffed, or you have a disgruntled ex-employee. Regardless of the reason, business owners must look at their reviews as an opportunity to learn and grow their business.

Typically, when a customer has a bad experience with a business, they are more intent on publishing negative reviews in more than one location – especially if the customer attempted resolve the issue with the company, with no luck.

Not only only is scouring the internet and deleting bad reviews for your business a bad idea – it’s bad business. If a customer has taken a significant amount of time to ensure others are reading the negative reviews, as a business owner, you should immediately address them.

If you feel that the negative review is inappropriate or inaccurate, the best way to handle it is to rebut it. Address the customer directly on the review site, with your description of events, and why you feel that you have done the right thing in your business practice.

If the negative review is warranted, it is imperative you show your good will towards valued customers, by either asking the customer to contact you directly via the review site or tracking down the customer through your business records. Deleting reviews will only further upset the customer, and give them the feeling that it doesn’t matter to you whether customers are satisfied or not.

In order to respond to a review, you most likely will need to claim your business via the specific site. Most sites will require some sort of verification on your end – such as a phone call or postcard – in order to ensure that you are the owner or representative of your business. Once the verification process is complete, you will then be able to address the review.

While we can’t stop you from deleting a review, we certainly won’t encourage it (unless it is warranted). Competition is fierce in the business world, and while none of us want to see anything negative about our businesses, we would be better off addressing the issue, and utilizing it to better our business (and business practices) for future customers.

No business is perfect, but addressing negative comments will take you much farther with potential customers than sweeping it under the rug. 9 out of 10 times, the review will reappear and cause irreparable damage to your reputation.

The following list – while not all inclusive – are some of the most common sites that business owners will find reviews posts. Again, there are many, many sites out there that allow users to post their experiences with businesses, but the below are the most common:

Google Reviews

Simply go to Google and type in your business name, followed by the word reviews.

If your business has any reviews on Google, you should easily be able to find them in this way. Click on the review link, and it should take you to your business’ Google Place/Local page. Lower down, on the right hand side of the page, you should see “Is This Your Business?” with a “Manage This Page” link. Follow the instructions, in order to claim your listing, and have the ability to post responses to reviews.

If you want the review removed, you can request Google do that for you, by going here.

Yelp

Yelp was once thought of as a “social” review site, containing reviews and write-ups about bars, restaurants, clubs and other “socially” centered businesses.

However, Yelp has evolved into a well-rounded review site that allows users to post reviews about any type of business they frequent. Because Yelp is a site centered around user reviews, that is the main reason people visit the site. If your business has a negative review on Yelp, realize that it could be found (and relied on) by many, many potential customers.

To claim your business on Yelp, simply go to the site, and search for your business in the search bar. In the results, select your business. You should see “Edit Business Details” and “Work Here? Unlock This Page”. In either case, Yelp will require verification that you are the business owner, or an authorized representative of the business before you can edit your business details or reply to/address a review.

City Search

Just like Yelp, simply go to the website and do a search for your business.

Once your business is located, you can then click on the link towards the upper right hand side of the page that says, “Own This Business?”. The verification is a quick and automated process, and will allow you to update any/all business information, as well as the ability to address reviews.

There are upgrades/paid options available that will allow for advertising, call tracking and more.

Also, if you are a Search Magnet Local customer, you have the ability to rebut or address any negative reviews that you may encounter, simply by logging in to your Web Marketing Console account. If you have any questions on how to do this, don’t hesitate to contact us at 412.203.1996.

Social Media and Facebook Changes

Social Media is Changing. Again.

We are all aware of the importance of interacting with your current and potential customers through social media. But, there are also downsides. As you probably know, Facebook has implemented the “Timeline” look for fan

Running 851 pixels wide by 315 pixels high, it is undoubtedly your first – and easiest – opportunity to make an impression on visitors; use it wisely. The most noticeable change is the cover photo – you know, the giant picture that is the first thing you see when you land on a fan page. It’s a huge piece of real estate, and the most important piece of real estate in in your Facebook and social media efforts.

Also, Facebook has now shared the “rules” for the cover photo, and they seemingly negate all that is good about owning the valuable piece of real estate on your page:

No information about purchasing.
No contact information. At all. No phone numbers, no website information, no email addresses.
No types of Facebook action requests. No more arrows pointing to the “Like Us” button. No “Like Us” to learn more.

In other words, you may include how many calls to action? None. Zero. All Facebook Action Requests and Calls to Action in general are banned.

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Social Media 2012

Social Media is Changing

Happy New Year from the team at Higher Images! With each New Year comes change, and 2012 is no exception! This week, we will be discussing the major changes in progress, and on the way, on the Social Media front – specifically Facebook. Some changes are good, and some are a bit confusing…

The first major change many of you may notice on your social media Facebook profile (not fan pages – yet), is the implementation of the “timeline” layout. Some of us here at Higher Images love it, some not so much (several of us have been testing it out for weeks). The pros and cons, as we see them, are:

Pros

Easy navigation
A snapshot view of a profile
The ability to easily get to old posts and photos
The option to hide photos and/or posts from profile viewers, without deleting them permanently

Cons

Perfect for stalkers – want to see what someone was doing four years ago? Click on any given year, and you can see it all
Yet another major change that users have no control over
No announcement that this change was coming, unless you knew where to look
The expectation that once users get accustomed to using the new layout, the Facebook powers-that-be will do another complete revamp, and throw us all for a loop once again
Finding that perfect “landscape” layout photo to use as your cover photo isn’t as easy as it seems. While you can reposition the picture within the frame, too small of a photo becomes blurry and distorted, while too large of a photo won’t fit within the “confines” of the frame.

As it stands now, Facebook is keeping quiet as to whether or not Fan Pages will also have the timeline layout, but it seems that it would be inevitable. It would seem, based on the features available for profile users, the timeline (or something similar) would be a benefit to fan page users.

Another social media change that will be completed by February is the elimination of FBML (landing) pages on fan pages. This is particularly important to business owners who utilize FBML pages as the default landing page for those who do not yet “like” the page. While Facebook isn’t eliminating these pages entirely, they will soon be “hidden away” within a community tab on the side bar. In other words, if you want your visitors to see the page, they have to go and look for it.

The decline of the “Like” impact is something that Facebook has been hinting about for some time. In the past, a brand’s success on Facebook was determined by the number of “Likes” or fans.

However, there is a shift in this, as Facebook wants to focus more on quality, instead of quantity. In other words, simply having fans isn’t going to get your brand out there. Engaging content, shares and “buzz” about your business is what’s more important.

As of this time, we are researching alternate methods of promoting businesses and brands across social spaces, including Google+ pages. As we learn more about these changes, available alternatives and ways we are able to better your brand visibility, we will share with you!

If you have any questions about your current social media efforts, and how your social media marketing may change, please contact Higher Images at 412-203-1996.

Happy Holidays from Higher Images!

Does Your Business Have a Strong Online Presence?

Here at Higher Images, we wanted to take a moment to thank our clients and partners for a fantastic 2011. As we look forward to 2012, we would like you to do the same. In developing your business marketing efforts for the New Year, consider the following:

Oftentimes, even with the best efforts, businesses find that they aren’t seeing the traffic that they should. This can be attributed to many factors, but the most common include:

A Poorly Designed Website

If your site looks dated, is difficult to navigate, or seems “thrown together”, you may be driving away potential customers and sales. Don’t forget to check your site for grammatical errors as well – typos and poor grammar can indicate a lack of professionalism and pride in your business.

Ensuring that your site is clean, fresh and maintained regularly will encourage visitors to return and spend more time learning about your business and products.

Lack of Fresh, Relevant Content

There is nothing worse, for visitors or search engines, than stagnant website content. If you have nothing new and exciting to say about your products, services or business, visitors will have no reason to continue visiting your site – or worse yet, no reason to share your site with anyone else.

Difficulty Making Purchases

If you offer a product or service available for purchase on your website, the purchase process should be seamless, secure and give the customer a sense of satisfaction and completion, at the time of purchase.

Utilizing a thank you page, followed by an email will ensure that the customer knows the sale is complete, and has been submitted for processing.

Ignoring Multiple Marketing Channels

Sure, you need a website to get your message and products “out there” for customers to see. But are you also implementing the social aspect of your business? Social spaces, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Google+ allow you to update current and potential customers on the fly, while also inviting them to engage with you and your business.

When planning for 2012, consider the above. Take a look at what is currently working for you, and what isn’t – and how you have the ability to change that. If you have any questions about implementing your 2012 marketing plan, give us a call at 412-203-1996, and we can discuss the many options available to you.

Again, Higher Images thanks each and every one of our clients for a fantastic 2011, and we are looking forward to working with you in 2012. Happy Holidays!

Leveraging the Power of Social Media

Does Social Media Really Work?

Many business owners wonder whether or not social media marketing can actually have a positive impact on their business. While social media marketing does take some effort, the payoff can be extraordinary. The key to effective social media is to attract, engage and retain. Below are some interesting facts regarding social media marketing, and how businesses have leveraged its power.

Facebook

There are approximately 750 million Facebook users
In the first half of 2011, the price of Facebook ads increased by 70%
52% of Facebook users access the site daily
70% of small business owners use Facebook for marketing, compared to the 66% who choose to use Google
11% of Facebook users say that they would purchase something available only to Facebook fans

Twitter

In June of 2010, there were 86.5 million impressions for Coca-Cola’s promoted trend
During American Airlines’ “Tweet to Win 30K Miles” campaign, there were 18,000 clicks
In January of 2011, there were 35,000 Tweets with the #LS11 hashtag for IBM’s “Lotusphere” conference

YouTube

There were 22 million views in one week for Old Spice’s video “Mano a Mano el Bano”
There are over 10,000 YouTube brand partners
The iPad video “Will it Blend” had more than 12 million views in four months

Location-Based Services

There was a 33% increase in check-ins during McDonald’s one-day campaign that randomly awarded $5 and $10 gift cards as check-in bait
During Buffalo Wild Wings three month “SCVNGR” campaign, there were 184,000 players
There are more than 500,000 merchants on Foursquare
In 2010, there were 381,576,305 Foursquare check-ins
Starbucks tops the list of Facebook check-ins, with 2,554,602 as of August, with McDonalds in second place at 1,212,773

Businesses are finding creative incentives to get followers to engage with a brand through Facebook Likes, check-ins, video replies and more. The ability to participate in new and innovative ways encourages brand loyalty and word of mouth referrals.

Higher Images can work with you to create custom Facebook and Twitter pages, contests, sweepstakes giveaways and more. If you have questions about social media for your company, contact Allie at Higher Images, at 412-203-1996.

Protecting Your Domain Name

Your domain name can be your most valuable online asset. Many website owners routinely receive communications from their domain name registrars. Whether it is to inform a domain name owner of an upcoming expiration or special offers or incentives, it is likely that domain owners will receive communications at some point.

However, domain name owners need to keep a careful eye on any and all communications received, to ensure they do not fall victim to the practice of domain name hijacking.

Domain name hijacking, in its simplest form, is the theft or coercing of a domain name owner into transferring his or her registered domains from a current registrar to an unscrupulous one. This can happen in one of several ways.

Oftentimes, a domain name owner will receive a notice though postal mail or email, appearing to be on behalf of the current domain registrar, stating that it’s time to renew the domain registration. This type of misleading communication is often referred to as “Domain Slamming”, and it is something domain name holders need to be aware of.

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Category Archives: Website Marketing