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W. Scott Cain

I am the co-founder of Integrated IT Solutions and have over 15 years of experience in digital marketing.
22Dec

Why I Hired My Kids To Do QA On Websites

December 22, 2022 W. Scott Cain Fun 31

I am always looking for ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of my company. So when I realized that I needed to add some additional quality assurance resources to my team, I knew exactly where to turn: my own children.

I decided to hire my kids for a number of reasons. I wanted to give them valuable work experience that would help them develop their skills and build a strong work ethic. I also wanted to provide them with an opportunity to contribute to the success of the business, and to feel a sense of accomplishment and ownership in the work they were doing.

Hiring my kids wasn’t without its challenges. We had to work together to establish clear expectations and goals, and to provide them with the necessary training and resources to be successful in their roles. But overall, the experience was a great success. My kids rose to the challenge, and their hard work and dedication helped to improve the quality of our products and services.

In the end, hiring my kids to do quality assurance tasks was a rewarding and fulfilling experience for all of us. If you’re a business owner looking to add some fresh perspectives and new talent to your team, I highly recommend considering hiring your own children. It’s a great way to give them valuable work experience, and to help them develop important skills that will serve them well in their future careers.

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29Nov

How Shopify Makes It Super Easy To Start an Online Store

November 29, 2022 W. Scott Cain Ecommerce, Shopify 33

Starting an online store is fun and exciting, but at times it can also be a bit overwhelming. With so many things to do and think about, it’s nice to work with an e-commerce platform that makes the process a little easier. Shopify is that type of platform and here’s how they make it super easy for you to start an online store.

Shopify Is Easy to Use

When setting up your store, you don’t want to struggle through a bunch of technical stuff that you don’t know or understand. The first thing you’ll notice as you use this platform is that you don’t need any tech or coding skills to get started. This makes it possible for anyone to go online and open a store.

Tools and Apps Are Available

As you design your store, there will be different tools and apps you’ll want to use to help operate your business. This includes tools for selling, marketing and managing your store. You’ll also find apps to help you with tasks such as email marketing, payment transactions and inventory.

While all these things are great, as your vision for your business continues to grow, you should consider hiring a Shopify Web Developer such as Integrated IT Solutions. They will be able to expand the function and design of your platform so that it can operate and generate revenue the way that you want it to.

Learning Resources Are Helpful

There’s always something new to learn as you develop as an entrepreneur. To help you thrive and flourish as a leader, there are numerous learning resources on the platform available for you. They include guides, podcasts and business courses. These resources are designed to help you reach your goals faster and continue to grow.

Find Out More About Shopify Web Development

Shopify offers a quick and easy way for you to start your business. Its ease of use, apps and tools, along with great learning resources make it a great platform to use for starting your online store. To find out more about Shopify web development and how it can help your business, contact us today and we can assist you.

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29Nov

How To Integrate SEO Into Custom Web Design

November 29, 2022 W. Scott Cain SEO, Web Design, Wordpress 25

For small and medium-sized businesses, effective web design can mean the difference between stagnant growth and major profits. Websites that are slow to load and difficult to navigate rank lower in Google search results, and that ranking ultimately ends up hurting a business’s bottom line. But a technically superior website will perform better when it comes to SEO, and here’s how.

SEO and Web Design Are Connected

When it concerns SEO, Google cares about the entire user experience, which is why the way a website is designed has an impact on search rankings. SEO isn’t just about content and keyword saturation.

Google’s algorithms are constantly updating to take into account how long each user spends on a website, how many visits to various pages in the directory, and more. A clean, modern website with a seamless design will help any business move up the SEO ranks.

Loading Speed and Mobile-Friendly Design Matter

Two elements that cannot be overlooked when creating or updating a website are loading speed and mobile-friendly design. Google places a high value on mobile-first web design because the majority of web traffic begins on mobile devices.

Not only do websites need to load beautifully on mobile devices, but they also must have minimal lag time. A web page that takes more than two seconds to load will see users moving on to their next best option.

An Effective Site Map Can Make a Difference

For new businesses, integrating an effective site map as part of an overall design strategy can make a difference in SEO rankings. This is because new websites rarely have enough external links that connect back to relevant pages. A site map can help Google’s systems crawl from one page to the next through clear links and connections.

Embracing Custom Web Design Gets Results

SEO rankings can be improved with masterful and effective web design. If you’re ready to embrace custom design elements that fit your business needs and improve your SEO, contact Integrated IT Solutions today.

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28Nov

Why Website Speed & Content Are Important To SEO

November 28, 2022 W. Scott Cain Uncategorized 21

Optimizing your website for search engine optimization, or SEO, is an important step in making sure that your website is visible to search engines like Google. By following a few simple best practices, you can help improve your website’s ranking and drive more organic traffic to your site.

One of the most important things you can do to optimize your website for SEO is to make sure that your website is fast and easy to use. This means using a fast and reliable web hosting provider, and making sure that your website is optimized for mobile devices.

In addition to making sure your website is fast and easy to use, you should also make sure that your website is easy for search engines to understand. This means using clear and descriptive page titles and meta descriptions, and using header tags to help organize your content.

Another important aspect of SEO is the use of keywords. These are the words and phrases that people are most likely to use when searching for information on the internet. By including these keywords in your website’s content, you can help improve your website’s ranking and make it more visible to search engines.

Finally, it’s important to regularly update your website with fresh, high-quality content. This will help keep your website relevant and interesting to both search engines and your target audience.

By following these best practices, you can help improve your website’s ranking and drive more organic traffic to your site. With a little effort and some careful planning, you can optimize your website for SEO and help ensure that your website is visible to search engines and your target audience.

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08Nov

WordPress Is Still A Great Platform For Websites & SEO

November 8, 2022 W. Scott Cain SEO 26

WordPress is a popular and powerful content management system (CMS) that is used by millions of websites around the world. It is known for its ease of use and flexibility, and it is a great platform for building websites and optimizing them for search engine optimization (SEO).

SEO Friendly & Easy To Use

One of the reasons why WordPress is a great platform for websites and SEO is that it is user-friendly and easy to use. WordPress has a simple and intuitive interface that allows even non-technical users to easily create and manage their website’s content. This makes it a great option for businesses and individuals who want to create a professional-looking website without having to hire a web developer or learn complex coding languages.

WordPress is highly customizable, which means that users can easily add and modify the features and functionality of their website. There are thousands of themes and plugins available for WordPress, which allow users to quickly and easily add new features and functionality to their website. This makes it easy to create a unique and engaging website that stands out from the competition.

Clean & Valid Code

Another reason why WordPress is a great platform for websites and SEO is that it is optimized for search engines. WordPress websites are built using clean, valid code and are structured in a way that is easy for search engines to understand. This makes it easier for search engines to crawl and index a WordPress website’s content, which can improve its ranking in search results.

SEO Plugins & Tools

WordPress includes built-in tools and features that make it easy to optimize a website for SEO. For example, WordPress allows users to easily create and manage custom permalinks, which are the URLs that are used to access each page on a website. This allows users to create short, descriptive, and keyword-rich URLs that can help improve a website’s ranking in search results.

Automatic Sitemap Generation

WordPress includes built-in support for creating and managing a sitemap, which is a file that lists all of the pages on a website and provides information about their relevance and importance. This can help search engines more effectively crawl and index a website’s content, which can improve its ranking in search results.

WordPress is a great platform for websites and SEO because it is user-friendly, customizable, and optimized for search engines. Its built-in tools and features make it easy to create and manage a professional-looking website, and to optimize it for search engine ranking. Whether you are a business owner, blogger, or online marketer, WordPress is a great platform to consider for your website.

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08Nov

Tips for Using Adwords To Save Money on Growing Your Startup’s Website

November 8, 2022 W. Scott Cain Digital Marketing, PPC 28

When growing a business, you can pour dollar after dollar into having the best and latest tools and features, including your website. However, an attractive domain is useless if no one can find it. Follow a few crucial tips for using Google Adwords to grow your startup without breaking the bank.

How To Use Google Adwords the Right Way

If used correctly, Google Ads can be a powerful tool for business growth. Select keywords that target customers with the best likelihood of conversion. Location targeting ensures you only reach the people you can serve. As you become more adept, refine your targets and focus on more specific keywords.

Negative keywords are essential for your strategy. You don’t want your ad to show up for words or phrases from people not in your target audience. For example, if you sell women’s clothing, add “men” as a negative keyword to ensure your ad won’t appear when men search for apparel.

Stick to a reasonable budget and increase it gradually. The key to success lies in continual testing. As you examine the results of various keywords, ad copy and landing pages, you’ll discover what works best for your business.

Who To Ask for Help Fine-Tuning Your Google Adwords Strategy

Marketing is an essential part of your budget, and you need an intelligent strategy using Google Adwords to complement your website. Look to Integrated IT Solutions for comprehensive solutions for SEO, web development and web design to get your startup off the ground and into the stratosphere.

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04Nov

Is SEO Dying? We think it might be.

November 4, 2022 W. Scott Cain Local SEO, SEO 29

As Google continually refines its algorithms, old-fashioned methods of SEO will inevitably fall away. While the “death” of SEO may sound exaggerated, the changes underway in search will make SEO as we know it a thing of the past.

Why Is Traditional SEO Inadequate?

The localizing of search is one of the biggest factors making stodgy old keyword-stuffed SEO blasé, and a central part of that is Google’s Local Pack. This “pack” comprises the section at the top of a search results page that displays the three most popular local results for a user’s query, including their locations on the map. Assuming name, location and contact information is all the searcher needs, many users will feel they don’t have to scroll any further. The ever-increasing focus on local results makes localizing search engine optimization a necessity.

What Is Replacing SEO?

If traditional SEO won’t give your small business the visibility you need any more, what should you be doing instead? Basic strategies include completing your Google My Business Profile and embedding Google Maps on your site’s contact page. Making sure your company is listed in reputable local directories is another way to help Google see you as a trusted local business. While Google makes embedding Maps easy, you may need expert advice to maximize your business profile. Details matter when it comes to establishing both your relevance and reputation. Speaking of details, customer reviews play a role in boosting your local cred, so managing and responding to them is part of local SEO as well.

As a Scottsdale small business owner, you can’t afford not to adjust to the new age of search engine optimization. If you need expert help knowing where to start, contact Integrated IT Solutions.

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01Nov

3 Web Design Predictions for 2023

November 1, 2022 W. Scott Cain Web Design 26

The web design industry is an ever-changing landscape rife with shifting trends and innovations. Sometimes, you can predict those trends, while other times, it might seem impossible. However, when it comes to 2023’s design trends, there are a few things you can look out for.

Innovative Web Design Elements

Interaction is the key to a successful website. Innovations and interactive elements will abound in 2023, giving designers new tools for web design. Virtual and augmented reality, increased animations, and video backgrounds will all work to engage and interest your user.

Increased AI Use

Artificial Intelligence design tools have been a boon to the design industry. For example, AI art generators have given designers a tool that creates high-quality, unique graphics. In addition, machine learning tools help designers craft a site that predicts user needs to nail your SEO.

Rule-Breaking

A new trend breaking onto the design scene involves content that shatters standard design rules. As a result, users will see a rise in bright colors, loud fonts, and disjointed layouts that draw the client’s eye without scaring them off.

Ready To Learn More About Web Design?

Our designers are excited to take on your most challenging projects, no matter how big or small. If you’re ready to begin revamping your company’s website, contact us for a web design consultation.

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26Oct

3 Ways Digital Marketing Helps a Business During an Economic Slowdown

October 26, 2022 W. Scott Cain Digital Marketing 34

Worry about the economy may have you seriously considering switching strategies. Digital marketing can catch the attention of people who are spending more time online. There are various reasons why focusing on online marketing can get the word out about your product or service.

1. Digital Marketing Focuses Less on In-Person Interactions

When people are trying to save money in an economic slowdown, they are more likely to avoid traveling or spending money on luxury trips. This means that they may spend more time at home, likely searching the internet to relax.

2. Consumers Want More Quick Information

Many businesses that sold primarily to customers in-person have switched or included more ways to make online sales. During times when people are trying to save money, being able to compare prices online makes it easier for them to commit to buying something. Making this information easily available can encourage more sales.

3.  Websites Can Easily Change and Adapt

In a quickly changing economy, choosing what you say and how you say it when crafting a digital marketing plan is important. When you start to notice new trends or come up with new ideas, you can change your marketing far faster than you could with printed advertisements.

Digital Marketing Shares Your Business With the World

How and where you market can help your customer base grow. Contact Integrated IT Solutions if you are interested in learning more about digital marketing.

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26Oct

Optimizing Your Digital Marketing Strategy Mid-Recession

October 26, 2022 W. Scott Cain Digital Marketing 24

Digital marketing during a recession can be tricky. More often than not, the marketing budget is the first place that funding gets cut, which can be detrimental to your company’s success. If you want to optimize your marketing mid-recession, here are three helpful tips.

Focus on Existing Customers

The first way you can recession-proof your digital marketing strategy is by focusing on existing customers. For many businesses, repeat clients make up a good portion of incoming revenue. Rather than blowing your budget on risky new campaigns, ensure your current customers are happy and satisfied.

Enact Multiple Strategies

Second, enact multiple strategies in your marketing department. Don’t just trust SEO to boost your revenue; use email marketing, PPC, and social media to bring in new clients. By using multiple marketing strategies, you can avoid losing too much money if one doesn’t pay out.

Use Your Budget Wisely

Finally, you need to use your digital marketing budget wisely. Because recessions tighten the proverbial belt company-wide, it’s vital to spend every cent in a productive way. If the risk of an investment is too high, avoid it and save your funds for something more guaranteed.

Get Some Help

If you need help setting up a digital marketing strategy, contact us at Integrated IT Solutions. We have experience with everything from web design to SEO marketing, so we can help you elevate your business.

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08Oct

What Is The Purpose Of A Robots.txt File?

October 8, 2022 W. Scott Cain SEO 21

The purpose of a robots.txt file is to provide instructions to web robots, also known as crawlers or spiders, about which pages or files on a website should not be crawled or indexed. This is done by using a specific syntax and formatting that the robots can understand and follow.

For example, a robots.txt file might be used to prevent a search engine from indexing pages that are not relevant or useful, such as duplicate pages or pages that contain sensitive or confidential information. This can help improve the accuracy and relevancy of search results, and it can also protect the privacy and security of a website’s content.

In addition, a robots.txt file can be used to specify the location of a website’s sitemap, which is a file that lists all of the pages on a website and provides information about their relevance and importance. This can help search engines more effectively crawl and index a website’s content, which can improve its ranking in search results.

Overall, the purpose of a robots.txt file is to provide instructions to web robots about which pages or files on a website should not be crawled or indexed, and to help search engines more effectively crawl and index a website’s content. By using a robots.txt file, businesses and website owners can improve the accuracy and relevancy of search results, and protect the privacy and security of their website’s content.

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13Sep

Mobile Device Use Continues Driving Web Design Trends

September 13, 2022 W. Scott Cain Web Design 24

Business owners need to stay up-to-date with emerging web traffic trends. Traffic from people using mobile devices is continuing to account for a considerable share of most people’s online activity. Making mobile formatting a major web design priority will help companies maximize traffic and make a positive impression on their site’s visitors.

Screen Time

The time that people spend on their phones can average several hours a day. Naturally, web designers need to make sites accessible to people on the devices that they use most often.

Online Search Habits

When consumers are looking for a product or service, their first step may be consulting their phone’s search assistant or opening their phone’s web browser. Web design elements that maximize mobile site visibility and harness SEO strategies can effectively enhance a business’ online presence.

Links

Websites need to be ready to receive visitors who access their site from links on their phones. Social media platforms and mobile apps are among the most common resources that people use for link sharing.

In order to optimize a site’s performance and visibility, a great mobile layout is a must. Reach out to Integrated IT Solutions for professional assistance with web design. Our team can help you create or redesign a mobile format that optimizes usability and performance.

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13Sep

 Why Load Time Matters for SEO

September 13, 2022 W. Scott Cain SEO 21

Load time is now one of the most important ranking factors for SEO. This means that if your website is too slow, you could be losing out on potential revenue. Here’s what you need to know about how load time affects your rankings and what you can do about it now.

Why Does Site Speed Matter?

Google wants to provide its users with the best possible experience by delivering quickly. A site that doesn’t give visitors the information they’re looking for promptly results in their returning to the search engine results page (SERP). If people are bouncing off your site quickly, that signals to Google that your result wasn’t relevant to what they were looking for. As a result, you could see your rankings drop.

How Can You Improve Your Site’s SEO?

1. Choose and Host Wisely

Make sure that youR hosting provider can support the amount of traffic that you expect to receive.

2. Minimize Redirects

A redirect is when a server sends a user to a different page than the one they requested. Make sure that you’re minimizing redirects and keeping clicks to one click per session.

3. Remove Unnecessary Elements

Removing unnecessary elements, such as scripts and widgets that you don’t need will help your visitors load your site quickly and will make your website run more efficiently.

Site speed is vital to staying ahead in today’s market. Contact Integrated IT Solutions today to rank higher and increase revenue.

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15Aug

The Importance of Google Ads in Your Digital Marketing Strategy

August 15, 2022 W. Scott Cain Digital Marketing 27

The internet marketing world is constantly evolving. New strategies turn up every day, and businesses must adapt quickly to stay ahead of their competitors. Here’s what you need to know about why Google AdWords is vital to your digital marketing strategy.

Audience

This advertising program allows businesses to choose the audience they want to target. With other ad services, you’re often at the mercy of the advertisers who are bidding on your space. With AdWords, you choose the audience you want to reach.

Tracking

AdWords tracks where each click comes from and which of your ads receive the click. This information allows you to track your campaign’s performance and identify which of your ads are bringing in the most clicks.

Flexibility

It’s a very flexible system. You can set a daily budget and adjust your bids at any time. This gives you complete control over how much you spend on your campaign.

Reach

AdWords has the potential to reach a large number of people. Google is the most popular search engine in the world, so your ads have the chance to be seen by a huge audience.

These are just a few of the reasons why Google AdWords is essential to your promotional strategy. If you want to stay ahead of your competition, you need to be using this service. Contact Integrated IT Solutions today to get started!

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11Jul

3 Digital Marketing Trends to Finish 2022 Strong

July 11, 2022 W. Scott Cain Digital Marketing 29

You want to make the most of your company’s digital marketing budget. The problem is this industry is constantly evolving, and keeping up with trends that give you actual results is challenging.

Top 3 Digital Marketing Trends for 2022

Here are the top three trends to follow in the second half of 2022 to finish the year strong.

1. Place Ads on TikTok

TikTok usage has grown phenomenally over the last year and is no longer just for kids. It now has over 1 billion users who spend an average of 850 hours monthly on the app. Placing your company’s ads on TikTok sends your message to those users.

2. Scale Back on Facebook and Instagram Ads

The popularity of TikTok is causing many companies to abandon Facebook and Instagram advertisements due to poor performance.

3. Embrace Google Local Service Ads

Consumers are interested in buying products and services from local companies to support commerce in their communities. Google Local Service ads connect you with customers who search for your services, and you only pay if a customer contacts you through the advertisement.

Integrated IT Solutions keeps up with the best digital marketing trends. Contact us today to learn how we can help your company increase sales and drive the right traffic to your site!

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08Jul

How long SEO takes to see a return on investment?

July 8, 2022 W. Scott Cain SEO 18

Search Engine Optimization is the process of improving the ranking of a website on search engines like Google. It involves a combination of on-page and off-page strategies designed to increase the visibility and credibility of a website. While the ultimate goal of SEO is to drive more organic traffic to a website, it can take some time before you start seeing a return on your investment.

One of the biggest misconceptions about SEO is that it provides instant results. In reality, it takes time for search engines to crawl and index a website, and even more time for those changes to affect its ranking. Depending on the competitiveness of your industry and the effectiveness of your SEO strategy, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months before you start seeing significant improvements in your search engine rankings.

Another factor that affects the timeline for SEO results is the amount of effort and resources you are willing to put into it. SEO is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and adjustments to stay ahead of the competition. If you only invest a small amount of time and effort into SEO, you are unlikely to see significant results. On the other hand, if you are willing to commit the necessary resources and work closely with an SEO expert, you can expect to see a return on your investment within a few months.

One of the best ways to accelerate the timeline for SEO results is to focus on the most effective tactics. This includes optimizing your website for keywords that are relevant to your business and have a high search volume, improving the user experience of your website, and building high-quality backlinks from other reputable websites. By focusing on these key areas, you can improve your search engine rankings and start seeing a return on your investment in a shorter amount of time.

In conclusion, while SEO can take some time before you start seeing a return on your investment, it is well worth the effort. By investing in a comprehensive and effective SEO strategy, you can improve your search engine rankings and drive more organic traffic to your website. This can lead to increased visibility for your brand, more qualified leads, and ultimately, more revenue for your business.

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09Jun

4 Reasons Responsive Web Design Is So Important Today

June 9, 2022 W. Scott Cain Uncategorized 27

More people are using mobile devices to access the Internet than ever before. This means your website needs to be mobile-friendly to keep up with this trend. You can accomplish this by using a responsive web design. To help you understand the importance of this, here are four reasons why using a responsive web design is so essential today.

1. User Experience

Keeping customers happy is good business, so customer experience should be at the top of your list. A responsive web design can help you do this by providing your customers with the content they are looking for in a format that’s easy to access and view.

2. SEO Ranking

To stay in the game these days, your content must be mobile-friendly. With the increase in online activity, search engines tend to be more favorable to websites that are considered mobile-friendly.

3. Cost

It’s more cost-efficient to build one responsive website than it is to manage two different ones. With the money you save by doing this, you may be able to invest in other tools to help you increase your online presence.

4. Flexibility

Changing a responsive website is easier because it automatically updates your desktop and mobile content at the same time. This also helps you to save time and simplify your workflow.

If you need help switching your website to a responsive web design, contact us today. At Integrated IT Solutions, we can answer your questions and help you get started.

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19May

Making the Most of Your Google My Business Listing

May 19, 2022 W. Scott Cain Uncategorized 25

Getting customers into your business is a top priority. After all, you can’t keep the doors open if you don’t make sales. That’s why marketing is so important. To get the best results, make sure you’re taking advantage of local search options.

Increase Your Exposure

When you invest in local search, you increase the chances that people close to your business will find you. By using the Google My Business platform, people can easily see you. When they are seeking out a service or product near them, your listing shows that you’re a company nearby that can fulfill their needs. And being higher in more people’s search results drives traffic.

Connect With Local Customers

Another benefit to using a Google My Business listing is the ability to quickly build connections. You can list important contact information like your address, phone number and website. You can also include hours of operation so people know you can solve their needs now. By sharing all the relevant information about your business that customers could need right from the search engine, you increase the chances of winning their attention.

If you need help working local search into your marketing plan, get a team experienced in getting great results for businesses just like yours. Connect with Integrated IT Solutions today and get on a path to growth.

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13Apr

Importance of Digital Marketing for Small Businesses

April 13, 2022 W. Scott Cain Digital Marketing 39

As a small business, you know that successful marketing is essential to your profits. If your marketing team doesn’t succeed, you won’t be able to draw in more clients and boost your revenue. At Integrated IT Solutions, we aim to help small businesses like yours build effective marketing strategies.

Better Connection With Customers

The first thing that digital marketing can do for you is give you a better connection with your customers. When you do a majority of your marketing online through outlets such as social media, you can speak to clients directly through comments or direct messages. Having this connection will help your customers feel more welcomed, which in turn will make them return to your business repeatedly.

More Consistent Reach

Another benefit of digital marketing is a more consistent reach. When you advertise your small business over Google or Youtube ads, you can take advantage of regular viewers who frequent those pages daily. This reach guarantees your ads will be seen by more people on a daily basis, which gives you the opportunity for more revenue. If you want to make your reach consistent and reliable, start marketing your small business online.

Access To Quality Analytics

Finally, employing digital marketing strategies gives you access to quality analytics. When you create a brand social media account, you automatically gain access to the analytics that power the site. You’ll be able to see how many people view your page, what posts people are clicking on, and how long viewers tend to stay. These analytics allow you to adjust your marketing strategies as your company grows, which in turn will continue to bring in more business. By allowing your marketing to evolve with your client base, you can consistently bring in more customers and continue growing your small business.

If you want to begin using digital marketing to advertise your small business, contact us at Integrated IT Solutions to get started. We can offer expert advice to get you on your feet and making money.

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14Dec

The ultimate checklist for choosing an SEO agency: 10 things they must do

December 14, 2021 W. Scott Cain SEO 15

An SEO agency is a professional service that helps businesses improve their search engine rankings and drive more organic traffic to their websites. SEO agencies can provide a range of services, from keyword research and on-page optimization to link building and content marketing.

Here are ten things that every SEO agency should do to provide effective and comprehensive services to their clients:

  1. Conduct thorough keyword research to identify the most relevant and valuable keywords for a client’s business. This can involve using tools like Google’s Keyword Planner and analyzing competitors’ keywords to identify opportunities for improvement.
  2. Perform a comprehensive audit of a client’s website to identify technical issues, such as broken links, slow loading times, and duplicate content, that may be hindering their search engine rankings.
  3. Implement on-page optimization strategies to improve the relevance and value of a client’s website for their target keywords. This can include optimizing meta titles and descriptions, improving the structure and organization of the website’s content, and increasing the use of keywords in the body text.
  4. Develop a link building strategy to improve the authority and credibility of a client’s website in the eyes of search engines. This can involve building high-quality backlinks from reputable websites, creating engaging content that is likely to be shared and linked to, and participating in relevant online communities and forums.
  5. Create and implement a content marketing plan to help a client’s website rank for their target keywords and drive more organic traffic. This can include creating blog posts, articles, infographics, videos, and other types of content that are valuable and relevant to the client’s audience.
  6. Monitor and track the progress of a client’s SEO efforts, using tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to measure key metrics such as organic traffic, keyword rankings, and backlinks. This can help the SEO agency identify areas for improvement and adjust their strategies accordingly.
  7. Provide regular reports and updates to clients to keep them informed of the progress of their SEO efforts and the impact on their business. These reports should include clear and concise metrics, as well as recommendations for further optimization and improvement.
  8. Stay up-to-date with the latest developments and trends in the world of SEO, including algorithm updates from search engines, new technologies and tools, and changes in user behavior and preferences. This can help the SEO agency provide the most effective and current services to their clients.
  9. Develop strong relationships with clients, providing personalized and responsive support to address their questions and concerns, and working closely with them to understand their business goals and needs. This can help the SEO agency provide tailored and effective services that align with the clients’ objectives and expectations.
  10. Maintain the highest ethical standards in their SEO practices, avoiding tactics that violate search engine guidelines or are considered spammy or manipulative. This can help the SEO agency provide long-term and sustainable results for their clients, without risking penalties or penalties from search engines.

An SEO agency should provide a range of services to help their clients improve their search engine rankings and drive more organic traffic to their websites. These services should include keyword research, website audits, on-page optimization, link building, content marketing, progress tracking, regular reporting, industry expertise, client relationship management, and ethical practices. By providing these services, an SEO agency can help their clients succeed in the world of online search.

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08Dec

What Really Is SEO?

December 8, 2021 W. Scott Cain SEO 19

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the visibility and ranking of a website in search engines like Google. This is done by optimizing the content and structure of a website, as well as building high-quality backlinks from other websites.

When a user types a query into a search engine, the search engine uses algorithms to determine which pages on the internet are most relevant to the user’s query. The search engine then displays the results, ranking the most relevant and high-quality pages at the top of the search results.

To improve a website’s visibility and ranking in search engines, SEO experts use a variety of techniques. These may include optimizing the content on a website to include relevant keywords, improving the structure of a website to make it more user-friendly and easy to navigate, and building high-quality backlinks from other websites. By doing this, SEO experts can help a website rank higher in search engine results, making it more likely for users to find the website when they search for relevant keywords.

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18Nov

Grow Your Small Business with Digital Marketing Trends

November 18, 2021 W. Scott Cain Digital Marketing 69

In a world full of an abundance of choices, consumers rarely choose a small business. They see it as a risky option or already have a trustworthy brand for their needs. With that being stand, the internet is full of inspiring stories of small-scale businesses who made it out big. One of the most crucial components of their success formula is digital marketing.

It denotes a set of tactics and strategies that helps to drive leads and transform them into customers. Due to the advent of modern technologies, this process is becoming more personalized and seamless.

In that sense, here is a round-up of some of the best digital marketing trends that

AI 

One digital marketing trend that has been in development for some time now is artificial intelligence. Several AI tools have recently arrived at the market that helps to process large quantities of data and turn them into actionable insights. Most importantly, AI compares data gathered across digital cyberspace and provides suggestions that are suitable for a particular brand and its marketing campaign. As a result, marketers can save lots of time and money that would have been wasted in a dead-end strategy. Ideally, artificial intelligence learns new things along the way and becomes more powerful.

Wi-Fi 

In today’s conditions, free Wi-Fi is seen as an amenity rather than a useful perk. People expect to get free Wi-Fi in public places like airports, restrooms, and other social hotspots. Small businesses can this as a means to collect user information and produce relevant advertisements. It is more impactful than other targeted ads on Facebook, Google, or other platforms. Moreover, businesses can put their audience at the forefront of things in order to complete a conversion. When the right system is in place, it can also prove to be a powerful tracking method to analyze different demographics.

Agile 

The Agile framework revolutionized the delivery of software products. Before Agile, businesses had to rely on a parallel development methodology that is slow and extensive. There were also a lot of problems involved in this method because the design team cannot incorporate different philosophies into a single unit. Agile marketing is scalable enough to adapt these principles and have them incorporated into marketing campaigns. The primary focus is to follow a high-value project that implements small actionable campaigns for the target audience. This practice results in high-focused marketing efforts capable of delivering better results.

Personalization 

Recent developments set the bar high for personalization. Customers value brands that take the effort to address their pain points and have them resolved. The personalization efforts further extend to cold leads who may want to engage with a business in the future. There are many produce personalized campaigns for target audiences. The most prominent method is focusing on mobile device users. They make up a significant portion of web traffic and have the best reach than desktop users. The key lies in ensuring personalization that resonates with all demographics of target audiences.

Social media marketing 

In any case, social media should be the critical component of any small business marketing campaign. These platforms provide the easiest and most cost-effective way to reach customers. The only real problem is the availability of different channels to reach users. Businesses are often unclear about where to invest their time and efforts. Hence, a comprehensive social media analysis is vital to find the ideal segment of the audience who are sure to engage with the campaign. Social media platforms are also effective to build a loyal consumer base who also acts as brand ambassadors with their reviews and testimonials.

Another biggest trend that should be followed is social media stories. Instead of individual posts, businesses can use them as a means to communicate core values or principles. They use stories for behind-the-scene footage to develop a closer relationship with the audience. Moreover, stories give them the opportunity to stand out.

Local ads 

Lastly, the true and tried digital marketing trend that works for small businesses is local ads. Google introduced Local Services to connect customers with regionally relevant brands. Businesses should create a Local Service profile by providing various contact details to allow consumers to reach their service. Moreover, they should prioritize getting positive reviews from existing clientele and use them as a tool to improve credibility. Reviews also help to strengthen search engine rank positions because more customers will reach a business that is trusted by many.

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16Nov

Why We Are the Best at Doing Custom Web Design?

November 16, 2021 W. Scott Cain Web Design 72

Websites play a critical role in the world of digital marketing. It is the first interaction that customers will have with the brand. Hence, the design of these websites will decide whether users choose to engage further or quit the page abruptly.

Custom web designs enable businesses to convert their artistic senses into functional reality. Small-scale companies and well-established businesses opt for custom web design to ensure success on the market.

They hire custom web design agencies to get great value for their investment. The unique templates combined with SEO-friendly elements are essential to get a scalable website.

What is a custom web design solution? 

Incorporating custom web designs in today’s world will enable more people to find the services and products. Businesses without any custom web solutions are sure to lose a strong client base. The custom templates are designed specifically for their brand persona, objective, and online presence. Designers will focus on the target audience to redesign the existing website of a business. These designers use advanced tools and technologies to deliver optimal results.

Why should you choose custom web design? 

Tailored to specifics 

Targeting an audience is crucial for online success. Businesses need to focus on a specific segment of customers and address their pain points. The web design must reflect their requirements. Custom web designs reflect upon this requirement and enable businesses to create websites for their specific end-user.

Improved security 

Cyber-attacks or data thefts are common in unfortified websites. Businesses could lose valuable data without any real security measures to protect their web pages. Such problems are not an issue with custom web designs. These solutions will avoid any security vulnerabilities and keep the business safe from a myriad of cyber-attacks.

Credibility 

Businesses should convey their uniqueness and reputation to stand out from the competition. It is a mandatory step to communicate brand value to the target user. Business owners can convey their value with custom web designs. Following these extra steps for site functionality will also improve trust among audiences.

SEO 

Making a website search engine friendly is critical to perform better online. Customized websites are built to take advantage of the latest SEO trends and technologies. An SEO-friendly site performs better to stay on top of rankings. The designers also ensure CSS and HTML are optimized to the SEO requirements.

Why are we the best in custom web designs? 

Consultative approach 

One of our best qualities as a custom web design agency is taking a consultative approach. The company understands your needs and provides valuable suggestions to address your concerns. As a result, the website will reflect the unique brand values to drive more traffic and leads.

Knowledge 

It is a great idea to work with agencies well-versed in digital marketing services. Agencies with a skilled team of digital marketers can optimize websites to make them adaptable to modern criteria. Moreover, the assistance of a highly skilled digital marketer will ensure that a brand engages with its audience consistently.

Experience 

Another great trait of our web design agency is our experienced designers. The professionals ensure completing the project effectively and promptly. The entire process of delivering custom web designs is made efficient with a team of experienced designers. They also have expertise in the latest industry standards.

Conversions 

A visually attractive website will not yield the project results without any optimizations. Functional designs will encourage customers to take the desired action and optimize the latest principles to boost conversion rates. These designers are also familiar with the elements that will improve the performance of the call to action.

Portfolio 

Every outstanding web design agency will have an extensive portfolio of expertly designed websites. Evaluating their previous works helps to understand whether the agency is the right fit for the project. Similarly, businesses can also ask for references from an agency rather than settling for screenshots.

Communication 

All great designers communicate with their clients regularly. They properly articulate their thoughts and ideas during the progress of the project. Since websites are an enormous project, a lack of communication will impede the vision and affect the final results. Hence, properly communicating with designers is essential for the project.

Pricing 

The price of web design services may vary based on different factors. Most commonly, the location and quality of templates will determine the pricing. The best web design agency will provide the appropriate pricing for their clients and ensure the ideal value for their investment.

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14Nov

Web Design Principles Every Designer Should Know

November 14, 2021 W. Scott Cain Web Design 62

Good web design is key to optimizing marketing efforts and increasing organic traffic. Similar to every creative discipline, web design involves various principles. Designers should follow these rules to create a perfect balance between a visually striking and functional design. In that sense, the following are some effective web design principles every designer should know and follow.

Purpose 

Every site has its own unique purpose. It may be promoting purchases, telling the brand story, or providing demonstrations to customers. Designers should capture the purpose of their site during the initial design stages. This purpose will also decide to message and call to action. Most importantly, it will give designers a clear plan to work on design elements and content creation. Businesses can solidify their purpose by considering a target audience and their pain points. Understand the demographics of these consumers to find the right direction. Moreover, they can also reinforce unique visuals and content to ensure standing out from the competition.

Content 

Every user wants information from a website. Providing valuable content is essential to engage with the audience. Hence, designers must avoid filler content during the design phases. Make sure to speak with the users with phrases and concepts that are familiar to them. Following system-oriented terms can make conversions difficult. Furthermore, they should allow information to flow in a natural and logical order. Quality is the primary concern to gain the credibility of readers and allow them to engage with the website. This further helps to create a loyal audience base.

Visuals 

High-quality visuals of appropriate size and resolution can complement a good design. Photos, illustrations, and other visuals are vital to providing an interactive experience. People get a rest from reading content with creative graphics. Ideally, it adds energy to a design by filling negative white spaces. Designers can choose from an endless variety of designers. A high-resolution image makes for a positive first impression. This maintains the high level of user experience provided by other design principles. Businesses should make sure to choose images or graphics that are ideal for their niche.

Typography 

Fonts convey thoughts and ideas in the right tone. In addition to the content, the right typography conveys meaning with stylized shapes and fonts. Designers should get design ideas from other elements of web design. Maintaining consistency throughout the visual representation is essential in every aspect. Traditional typefaces are suitable for conservative designs. And modern design elements require a little experiment in tone and style. The most important thing to consider when choosing typography is readability. Make sure to communicate large blocks of content with an ideal style of typecase that is easy to read as well.

Harmony 

Inconsistent design interrupts the user experience. Bad user experience leads to reduced conversions and sales. Considering the overall impact of harmony, consistent layout, typography, and design elements gives better chances of higher rankings. Making the fonts, visuals, and navigation user-friendly makes the design even more exciting. The harmony principle also extends to the brand identity because of the consistent voice and tone. Designers can utilize the basic guidelines to help with consistency. These guidelines serve as an explanation to improve the guidelines and colors of the website. However, designers must ensure an immediate change for the entire site.

Tone 

In the line of unique brand elements, the tone is another element that designers should focus on to create an impactful design. Choosing the right tone ensures all the other elements flow in a natural direction. Most importantly, the chosen tone should reflect the values of the business and its mission statement. The palette of the design will also communicate so much information, as it reflects the message. As always, consider the readability of content when applied to content. Ensuring readability for a website further improves user experience and avoids any disruptions in the overall interaction.

Authenticity 

The most important of all design principles is authenticity. An honest design communicates how powerful and valuable the brand is in keeping the promise to consumers. Audiences don’t need shallow jargon intended for marketing. Adding depth and authenticity helps to communicate values without any cliches. Connect with new users to position the brand as an authentic partner. Designers can combine content and visuals to convey this aspect of the business. However, they have to choose the right tools from endless possibilities. As always, follow basic guidelines, along with a few exceptions to ensure flexibility without breaking the basic design.

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12Nov

How to Create Engaging Content for Your Website

November 12, 2021 W. Scott Cain Web Design 63

Every business creates content, but only a few succeed in achieving effective results. First, they should consider the goals of their marketing strategy and determine the action of the audience after they consume the content. Typically, engaging content increases traffic, click rates, sales, comments, and social mentions. These metrics can also be used for measuring the engagement of target audiences. Hence, when the content doesn’t engage with the readers, it will result in a waste of time and money. Businesses should invest their resources to produce engaging content for their website.

Uniqueness 

The fundamental idea is to create content that stands out. But, producing engaging content is the biggest strategy of any marketing campaign. Since many writers may be writing about the same topic or conducting the same research, originality is key to gaining a competitive edge. Businesses should put their personality into the content by hiring writers with the same aligned values. As always, it takes time and effort to increase engagement by researching metrics. Therefore, make sure to hire experienced writers with a proven track of projects and industry reputation.

Actionable copies 

Every marketing campaign will have inherent goals. Consumers will not take the desired action when the content has no purpose. Businesses should always determine what their readers should do after consuming a piece of content. For instance, promoting a new product on the website requires highlighting its features and benefits. Consumers will read the content and understand the perks. Blogging is another effective tactic to drive leads because it gets shared often. Most importantly, the audience should complete the conversion with just one click. Including a hyperlink is essential to make it easier to complete this action and recommend the product to others. Call to action buttons can help the audience complete the desired action.

Accuracy 

Generally, anyone with internet access can publish content today. The only thing lacking is the quality and accuracy of the source website. Most blogs are included with statistics and research details to further boost engagement. It is always essential to include accurate information from a verified source. The best place to source information is getting from authority sites. In addition to reputation, creators should also check whether the information is recent. Since information change at a tremendous pace, relevance should be valued above all, because more readers prefer relevant content.

Storytelling 

All successful marketing campaigns are a result of successful storytelling. Businesses should tell stories to connect with their audience. Moreover, it improves credibility on the topic. For instance, people love to read books, watch movies, and stay up-to-date with reality news. Hence, the audience will love to read a flawlessly written story by someone who is qualified on that particular topic. Most importantly, writers should write stories that are capable of stimulating an emotional response. The human brain reacts differently to different topics. Powerful emotions like fear, sadness, or joy can be evoked by the written type of storytelling.

Though-provoking 

The main idea behind thought-provoking content is that the audience should relate to the topic. Similar to storytelling, creating thought-provoking content is an art that takes years to master. Writers should draw inspiration from current events and pop culture to improve engagement with the audience. This strategy also stimulates discussions in the comments because they have to share their thoughts and ideas. As a result, it will improve the retention of audiences. This helps to boost the traffic and engagement of audiences. Businesses should consider metrics to improve the content. Each of these improvements will further enhance the chances of conversion.

Visuals 

Every engaging piece of content is incorporated with visuals. Pictures and videos are effective tools to draw the attention of audiences and retain them. Especially original high-resolution photos are crucial for boosting engagement. These visual elements improve the performance of blog posts and provide better chances of long-term success. Businesses can also enhance content discoverability with infographics. They should conduct their own research to produce original pieces of content. Product demonstrations and discussions are other effective ways to drive more leads. Businesses should add visuals to their website, email newsletter, social media channels, and other platforms.

Headlines 

Lastly, headlines bring readers to the content. Creating clickable headlines is key to improving engagement among target audiences. Headlines should pique the interest of readers and make them click right away. They can also research some top-performing headlines to improve engagement metrics. It will also hook readers into reading the entire content.

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10Nov

The Most Common Landing Page Mistakes

November 10, 2021 W. Scott Cain Digital Marketing 68

In digital marketing, landing pages are specific web pages created for the purpose of branding or advertising. A user lands on this page when they click on a link from ads or emails. Instead of encouraging exploration, these landing pages are designed to focus on calls to action. For many businesses, these landing pages are the best option for increasing conversions.

Despite all the design guidelines available today, mistakes are quite common when creating landing pages. These mistakes could hurt the conversion rate of businesses and result in a waste of time and money.

Here are some of the mistakes that lead to poor results.

Not enough landing pages 

Studies show that having more landing pages promises better results. Businesses create landing pages with the aim of catering to specific buyer needs. They try to appeal to that set of audiences, so having only one landing page will set up for failure. To avoid this, brands should make sure to create enough landing pages for different conversion objectives. They focus on each stage of the consumer journey and understand the pain points of target audiences to create an impactful landing page.

Message 

Each landing page should carry a specific message at its core. Most importantly, businesses should communicate this message in a compelling manner. Customers will make up their minds in less than 50 milliseconds. This means that messages without any focus may fail to convince users about a product or service. One way to avoid this is by focusing on the core value proposition of a brand. They should tell that they can solve the problem and explain the benefits. Especially for landing pages, the core message should match the headlines. Moreover, each landing page should have a unique and relevant message to convince the audience.

Distractions 

After creating a compelling message, the last thing businesses want to do is impose distractions. There are different types of distractions that take the user’s attention from the core message or benefit. Choice fatigue is the most common danger of creating distractions, as the user will fail to take the required actions to complete their conversions. This mistake can be prevented by removing any unwanted elements from the landing pages. It is essential to keep the users focused on the primary message and make the actions to be taken clear. This helps customers to complete the desired action without any distractions.

Friction 

A distraction-free landing page still may suffer in conversions because of frictions. These are barriers that minimize engagement between audiences and a business. As a result, they may quit the session without any conversions. Similar to distractions, there are different types of frictions. To avoid this, evaluate the web page from the viewpoint of customers. Take note of things that may deter them from completing a conversion. Some obvious friction-creating elements are pop-ups and hijacked scrolls. Brands should pay attention to their CTAs and heedfully craft the steps that will help visitors to convert.

Unoptimized forms 

The most important friction point in landing pages is formed. Even though they help to share information, forms not designed for conversions will affect the session. A form may have problem areas that create friction. Most importantly, such design issues may affect even existing customers from completing conversions. First, businesses should address the design flaws in the forms and make necessary improvements. Instead of traditional design formats, businesses can opt for multi-step forms. This new trend generates incredible conversion rates without even giving the impression of completing a form. It also significantly improves the overall user experience.

Loading times 

The cardinal sin of all landing page design mistakes is slow loading times. Generally, users are sure to quit pages that load slowly. Reports show that many businesses lose more than 50% of their visitors due to slow loading pages. This mistake will also affect the search engine rankings of a website. Hence, businesses should keep an eye on the loading times of their landing pages. They can use a fast hosting provider or minify website files. Minimizing server requests will also optimize the webpage for better speed as well as image optimization. As cited before, page speed is a crucial ranking factor in Google’s Search Algorithm.

Final thoughts 

Landing pages drive customers to a business. They may inquire about a product or make a purchase instantly. Either way, optimizing landing pages is proving to be a worthy investment that yields many long-term benefits. Ideally, it communicates highly specific marketing messages without sounding salesy.

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08Nov

Tips to Increase Website Conversions

November 8, 2021 W. Scott Cain PPC, Web Design 74

Out of all performance metric factors, website conversions are the most important. They indicate the usability, relevancy, and credibility of a website to target audiences. Businesses need to optimize their website to drive more conversions for a better return on investment. However, devising a step-by-step strategy capable of increasing conversions is easier said than done. Businesses may not find the right set of tactics that can deliver worthwhile results in some cases. This is the reason why; it is better to hire professional strategists and have them steadily increase the conversions with top-of-the-line strategies.

#1. Define goals 

Before embarking on a conversion rate optimization journey, it is essential to set goals and have them measured. These goals can be particular actions that would generate certain values for a brand. After defining goals, it is essential to assess them regularly and improve the efforts to ensure better results. Some of the common conversion objectives will include, page visits, click-on elements, custom conversions, and form submits. There are some online tools that enable marketers to create unique requirements and track the behavior of each user to direct optimization campaigns accordingly.

#2. Analyze data 

In most situations, conversion campaigns are assumptions that are not backed by any solid data. Marketers have to rely on the results to measure the performance of their campaigns and have them improved. But, constantly tracking data about visitors will provide valuable insights into users and their preferences. For instance, marketers need data on traffic and the sources. They also need abandonment rates for each web page, along with the bounce rate for forms. Information on average order values is also essential for designing an impactful campaign. All these data highlight information valuable to represent an ideal user.

#3. Competitor analysis 

One way of ensuring performing better than the competitors is a competitor analysis. Businesses get to scrutinize their strength and weakness by highlighting the strength and weaknesses of their competitors. Moreover, they can even analyze the way the potential customers will perform on the competition website. The data is essential to focus efforts and strategize the campaigns for better results.

#4. Conversion funnel 

To fix a broken conversion funnel, marketers need to understand the details of the user journey and find out where they hesitate or drop off from the website. There can be plausible explanations to find out about this factor and have them fixed properly. Marketers can use insights to track the conversion rates of each funnel. This even helps to identify specific stages of the journey where the customers are losing interest. Fixing them would decrease the dropping rates, resulting in boosted conversion rates. One of the effective ways to analyze this factor is by focusing on checkout rates. Studies reveal that an average of 69.23% of consumers abandons their carts. To avoid this problem, websites need to optimize their checkouts pages with simple layouts. This setup helps to retain the interest of users and prompts them to complete the conversions without any interruptions during the funnel.

#5. Value proposition 

The value proposition can be simply described as the reason why customers should buy from a particular company. Therefore, businesses should clearly communicate their unique selling points to their customers. They should also tell them why it is a good decision to buy a product or service from them. Value propositions can be defined in many forms like headlines, images, or website copies. Each of these content ideas communicates different reasons why customers should choose them instead of a competitor. By doing so, businesses can make sure to engage with their target audience and influence their conversions.

#6. Critical pages 

When a website isn’t showing any real improvements in conversion rates even after repeated efforts, then it is time to introduce some radical changes. Businesses can alter the design of their critical pages and introduce new layouts to impact conversions. They may even use the insights from visitors’ data to understand points that are blocking customers from finishing their conversions. Most high-converting websites use tools like eye tracking, mouse tracking, and click maps to understand user behavior. These tools will also provide insights on the journey of customers in completing the conversions. Through these data, businesses can surely boost their conversion rates.

#7. Foster reviews 

Customers don’t convert when they don’t trust. One way of improving trust among audiences is building reviews and testimonials. Websites enable businesses to share reviews from various sources to improve trust and confidence among visitors. Reports show that 58% of customers are more likely to convert after reading reviews.

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05Nov

Why should you outsource your website design?

November 5, 2021 W. Scott Cain Web Design 72

Websites are at the forefront of a business’s marketing efforts. It helps to drive organic traffic and leads. Existing clientele also gets to interact with content and other resources. A component of this significance requires a well-planned and researched web design project.

However, many companies struggle to complete their web design projects in an intended manner. Financial constraints and lack of technical expertise are leading factors that cause problems.

Most importantly, these projects are also inherent with a number of risks. Neglecting the significance of making the right decisions will affect the overall business results.

What are the problems with web design projects?

All web design projects are filled with risks. However, most of them are affected by poor planning and practices. Especially eCommerce sites are at greater risk of being affected. Studies reveal no other project run over in time or cost than web design. This factor is often overlooked in many situations. Companies even fail to address the need of estimating time and budget. Most commonly, inexperienced project managers with no defined methodology further contribute to the problem. Some even neglect to adapt to rapidly changing technologies.

Why outsource web design projects?

Businesses contemplating a new design project for their website can hire experienced agencies to deal with the requirements. It is a better choice than opting for in-house specialists in most cases. In that sense, here are some reasons to outsource the web design requirements to a reputed agency.

Time

The most precious asset to any business owner is time. They cannot afford to waste time on projects that may not yield the desired results. Most importantly, they cannot invest the needed time to manage everything with the in-house team. Outsourcing web design is a smart idea to conceptualize and complete the project within the specified timeline. Allowing real professionals will also ensure a myriad of benefits.

Money

Outsourcing project requirements is a surefire way to save money. Businesses don’t need to spend on recruiting talents or training them. They also don’t have to pay for any equipment or software necessary for the project. External agencies deploy skilled designers who can offer all these services at a reasonable rate. They also avoid the need to spend on the latest software technologies. This helps to save money in the long run as well.

Focus

Business owners have a lot of commitments that need their attention. It can be overwhelming to focus on all these responsibilities on a day-to-day basis. Hiring professionals ease the stress off the shoulders of the owners. They also stay abreast of the ever-changing technology to ensure successful results for their clients. Owners can keep a tab on the progress by properly communicating with the designers. They also get monthly reports with every necessary detail.

Accessibility

Reputed web design agencies enable access to the very best in talent and resources. Their team will consist of extensively trained designers capable of handling every aspect of a project. They also utilize the latest methodologies to deliver scalable websites. Hence, outsourcing needs to prove to be a rewarding choice.

Paperwork

Keeping track of documents and reports is an extensive task. Businesses are relieved from the stress of handling employment details, payroll reports, insurance paperwork, and other requirements. Once outsourced, the agencies will handle every necessary paperwork essential for these projects. They utilize advanced software for the paperwork needs to minimize the hassle of dealing with documents and reports.

Communication

Web design agencies excel through excellent communication. They keep their clients updated with the progress of each stage. Professionals will strategize the project details based on the unique goals of a company. They even evaluate the office culture of a business and make sure their values are addressed during the development. As a result, they can efficiently manage the team and ensure prompt completion.

Technology

Accessing the latest technologies is a costly choice when working with in-house teams. Whether a small-scale company or an established organization, accessibility to technologies is necessary to stay successful in digital cyberspace. Outsourcing web design requirements to an external agency avoids the need to spend money on software technologies. Most importantly, businesses get top-notch data and analytic tools.

Flexibility

Businesses at the point of resurgence need the assistance of professionals with a successful track record. Designers using the latest technologies can deliver the most intuitive and visually-appealing websites. They are also optimized to prove valuable for the latest SEO algorithms. All of these factors lead to ultimate success.

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03Nov

Top 10 Web Design Trends for 2021

November 3, 2021 W. Scott Cain Web Design 83

The website is the first interaction point for many customers. They get introduced to a business and acquire the necessary information to engage further. This means that websites should stay up-to-date with their design and development. Presenting the most updated information is necessary to gain the trust of consumers. Developers should take advantage of the newest trends in web design to ensure such results. However, this is one of the challenging parts of web design projects and the most overlooked one.

Why a following web design trend is important? 

The most basic consideration of web design is keeping up-to-date with the latest trends. As a business, owners cannot afford to fall behind the competition. Studies show that customers will quit a website if the pages are slowing loading or difficult to navigate. It also affects their reputation among existing clientele. In short, it is crucial to keep up-to-date with the latest web design trends and integrate them as quickly as possible. For any business site, following these trends is necessary to avoid any major expenses in the long run. Ideally, they can also hire reputed agencies to handle these responsibilities and avoid any hassles.

What are the top web design trends for 2021? 

1. Videos 

A modern trend in marketing is using videos for communication. Businesses can integrate videos as a part of the promotional campaign to deliver crucial data. It is a versatile format that allows engagement with the audience in many different ways. Modern trends allow videos to be more interactive as possible. The technologies even allow for seamless creation and integration.

2. 3D illustrations 

Another trend that is gradually gaining traction is 3D illustrations. Due to cutting-edge technology, it is becoming difficult to delineate the difference between reality and virtual reality. Designers are exploring various 3D designs combined with images and objects. To get a more realistic feel, it is essential to focus on accurate intensity and shadow levels.

3. Organic shapes 

Geometric shapes are an indispensable part of web design. However, organic shapes are taking over the realm because they are much more fluid and natural. These shapes don’t include any straight lines or dimensions. The shapes are taken from naturally-occurring elements. As a result, they can be perfectly utilized in the background.

4. Dark mode 

By far, the most popular design trend of 2021 is dark mode. Offering low-contrast applications or webpage is deemed as an effective strategy. It helps the audience to browse through the applications in low-light environments. Most importantly, designers can bring focus to the specific content with a modern appearance.

5. Scrolling 

Infinite scrolling transformed the way users interact with the website. It is going to stand out in recent years because of the latest developments in scrolling animations. Aside from the conventional options, there are scroll telling, horizontal scrolling, and other options for designers. Integrating this element makes a website more engaging and accessible than others. As a result, users get a more satisfying and intuitive experience from a site.

6. Extremes 

Minimalism and maximalism are used extensively in web designs over the years. By definition, minimalism promotes a simplistic design to make a powerful impression on an audience base. It also helps to ensure an easy user experience. Comparatively, maximalist web designs prioritize creative expression. It gives designers the freedom to explore new principles and color schemes on a webpage.

7. Tone 

Low-saturated colors are comfortable to view at and they make for a pleasing experience. Some designers even use muted colors when they take a minimalistic approach. However, it is essential to stay natural with the color palette and stay focused on giving a more natural appearance.

8. Icons 

The most overlooked of all trends is icons. This exciting trend can improve the user experience significantly. Designers can even change the simplest interactions with well-designed icons. Moreover, utilizing optimized mouse scrolls and actions will also enrich the overall look and feel of the design.

9. Fonts 

There are countless font styles that designers can choose for their websites. Instead of reusing existing typography, they can refresh the style with new shades and element levels. Most importantly, designers should focus on the readability of the chosen typography. Failing to do so will affect the conversion rate.

10. Vector art 

The practice of adding exclusive graphics to a website is another trend that should be noticed. Vector art is the best possible solution to address the challenges in integrating graphical elements. However, designers should avoid sacrificing quality and loading speed for the vector art design integration in a website.

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01Nov

Top 7 Web Development Tips You Can’t Afford To Miss

November 1, 2021 W. Scott Cain Web Design 80

By definition, web development comprises activities essential to building, creating, and maintaining websites. It includes both frontend and backend development to create a high-performing website. The coding and programming requirements for this process are handled by experienced developers. They also handle SEO optimization to ensure higher rankings in SERP.

Responsive and intuitive websites are one of the most effective strategies to improve leads and organic traffic count. Many businesses opt to hire professional development agencies for their project requirements.

What are the top web development tips? 

Research 

Failing to research objectives is the main contributor to failure in web development. A significant portion of websites built without any research will fail big time. Such mistakes are common around small-scale organizations, as they overlook this aspect of the web development process. First, developers should decide the steps they need to build a responsive website. Then, they need to identify the scope of a project by evaluating the target audience and competitors. After this step, it is essential to decide goals ideal to achieve the marketing targets. This also helps them to meet the overarching objectives and minimize failure rates.

Communication 

Building a website requires the involvement of various specialists. It includes programmers, designers, UX researchers, engineers, and other professionals. Each of the professionals would have spent years to gain specialization in that particular field. Since these professionals need to interact day-in-day-out, communication is vital to ensure optimal results. The project will only end up wasting lots of time and money when there is no communication between team members. One way of improving communication is outlining the steps involved in the project. This helps the developers to identify the problems inherent in the project and address them as quickly as possible.

Management 

Most web development projects of small-scale companies end up in failure because they lack proper management. In addition to communication between developers and designers, neglecting to track the progress of a project might lead to many confusions and complications. Hence, it is essential to employ an experienced project manager. They can establish communication between different team members and allow them to track the developments. Most importantly, project managers attend to each and every issue to avoid any undesired consequences. Before hiring a project manager, make sure to discuss the goals and purpose of a project to ensure the best outcome.

Efficiency 

When business owners think about website development, they only think about frontend. In simple terms, the frontend of the website is the visual elements that users see when they interact. However, the backend is defined as the backbone of websites. The complex setup of codes, databases, and services supports the entire functionality of a site. Moreover, it allows users to interact with the features and plugins. Providing the ideal support to backend development teams is necessary to build a scalable website. Depending on the size and scale of the project, a development team will consist of more than one backend developer.

Location

When businesses have decided to outsource their requirements to a third party, they should consider the location of a development agency. Many businesses will prefer a local contact to trust than oversee partners. Search terms like “development companies near me” or “professional agencies near me” dominate the internet because of this factor. However, businesses can also choose agencies that are not closer to their geographical region. Partnering with global agencies brings a myriad of benefits. Even though proximity is preferred in many cases, they are many other factors to consider as well. It includes experience, portfolio, and cost structure.

UX Design

Similar to backend development, companies often overlook the significance of user experience in web development. They will not hire UX companies to work on their project and results may not be as expected. Furthermore, excluding user experience improvements will negatively reflect in the search engine rankings page of a website. Therefore, when development is at its initial stages, hire a capable UX agency to design and optimize aesthetic elements. Enriching the user experience of a page is essential to create a loyal consumer base and develop credibility. Most importantly, UX design services will give the best value for the investment.

Evolve 

Lastly, web development technologies and standards are constantly evolving. Staying abreast of these changes is vital to ensure that a website stays relevant and scalable in digital cyberspace. Aside from development changes and trends, regularly improving methodologies will improve the scope and functionality of a project. It is the most important tip to follow.

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30Oct

10 Common Myths about Website Design

October 30, 2021 W. Scott Cain Web Design 72

Words cannot describe the significance of websites in online marketing efforts. It reaches customers 24/7 and helps to sustain them with valuable information. Most consumers will evaluate a business based on its website design.

Yet, such a significant component often gets poorly planned or executed. A significant portion of companies doesn’t pay any close attention to the performance of their site. One can even say that they make poor decisions based on a host of myths and misconceptions.

A solid understanding of these myths is essential to avoid the waste of time and money invested in a website that rarely yields any results.

How do web design myths hurt a website? 

First, planning and executing a web design based on common misconceptions will lead to unrealistic assumptions and serious design flaws. It will affect the performance of a site online significantly. Especially, beginners and novices come across the worst of misconceptions that will affect their brand in the long run.

What are the common myths about web design? 

1. Linear creation process 

The most common myth persisting among people is that web design is a linear process. Similar to humans, websites are also evolving constantly. The design elements should be fluid enough to accommodate new changes and updates. Therefore, instead of a clear beginning, middle, and end, the actual process is ongoing. Designers have to keep reinventing and redesigning the site to compete with other modern websites online.

2. Post-launch needs 

People often underestimate the amount of work a website needs to perform at a required level. Ongoing monitoring and maintenance are vital to integrate relevant features, fix performance bugs, and deter security threats. Most importantly, ongoing maintenance is an indispensable part of driving traffic and leads to a website and growing a business.

3. Personal preferences 

It is natural to prefer personal design choices and styles when designing a website. However, prioritizing a design capable of enticing the target audience is necessary to thrive as a brand. Many designers believe that their personal design preferences can lead customers on the conversion journey. But it will only leave a site one-dimensional and overwhelming in aesthetical senses. Hence, understand the persona of the target audience and choose design elements that will resonate with them better.

4. Minimalism 

The field of web design is witnessing an increasing stride towards minimalism. Sleek, de-cluttered designers are seen as the future by many. But minimalism is not the ideal choice for every website. Most businesses need an optimal level of content to attract and engage with their customers. Therefore, a hyper-minimal design can make their website less functional and affect conversions.

5. Overloading features 

New website features are coming every second, and they will not be suitable for every web design. Cluttering a page with widgets, parallax windows, chatbots, or QR scanners will only affect the visual appeal. Most importantly, users will have a hard time navigating around the page and may even ultimately quit it. Hence, designers should only include features that will improve the user experience or increase conversion rates.

6. Homepage 

Simply stated, the homepage is the most visited page of a website. However, it is not the most important one. Reports show that home page views are decreasing drastically because other pages are contributing their part in providing value. Therefore, putting too much focus on the homepage design is another mistake to avoid.

7. Design is everything 

Another popular myth that is surfacing around the internet is the role of design. A fancy design is not always the best practice. Web design consists of several other elements that can make a site appealing. Essentially, web design practices aren’t just limited to making the site look good. It is more about improving performance and efficiency.

8. Traffic rates 

A new website doesn’t automatically translate into thousands of customers pouring in on a daily basis. Bringing in a greater volume of traffic and conversions is an entirely different process and has less to do with attractive designs. It is essential to build a solid marketing strategy and constantly monitor the results to ensure search engine success.

9. Mobile website 

Even in this era dominated by smartphones, most designers believe they don’t need a mobile responsive site to get visitors. The consequence of this decision is losing millions of potential customers and possible revenue. Even Google is prioritizing websites with a scalable mobile version because mobile users drive the majority of global web traffic.

10. Budget 

Lastly, the cost of designing and building a website will vary from one project to another. But, it would be beneficial to work with a budget and research for companies that can promise results in the long run.

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22Mar

SEO Tips to Rank your Hotel Website

March 22, 2021 W. Scott Cain Uncategorized 47

What is SEO?

SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization.” It refers to the process of improving a site’s visibility for relevant searches. In other words, it is the practice of increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to the website through organic search engine results.

Why Is SEO Important for Hotels?

A hotel SEO refers to the optimization of the hotel’s websites in a manner that attracts more visitors to the website through various search engines such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. Any hotel that has a website, clearly understands how important each visitor is, especially in the current post-lockdown times. More visitors without any advertising indicates better profit margins for the hotels.

In other words, this means, if you want your website to rank on the top results of the Google search every time someone searches for your product or service, you need to work hard on your SEO. This is when Hotel SEO comes into place to improve your search engine rankings and help you drive more visitors organically. SEO is one of the many successful strategies, to win over competitors in the long run.

Various researches have shown that the top result in a Google search gets about 33 percent of clicks. This percentage drops drastically to 17 percent for the second result. At least, 92 percent of people click on the results on the first page. Only, 5 percent of the people click through to the second page of the Google search results.

 

SEO Tips for Hotels

  1. Keyword Research

A keyword is a word or a phrase that is used by most people to find a product or service like yours on different search engines like Google, Yahoo, etc.

Keyword research is a process of finding those words or phrases that are classified as keywords. Google is very smart yet, it needs some of those keywords to rank your website on the top results of its search. Without finding relevant keywords for your website, it would only be considered random guessing.

There are three kinds of keywords, you should focus on:

  • Primary Keywords: A word or two that describes your page comprehensively. For example, “Scottsdale Hotels.”
  • Secondary Keywords: A little less obvious but more specific than primary keywords. For example, “budget Hotels in Scottsdale.”
  • Long-tail Keywords: Longer and more specific, almost around 3-5 words. For example, “budget Scottsdale hotels near beach.”
  1. Page Titles and Descriptions and URL
  • Title Tag: TIt refers to the name of your web page. The title of your web page is read and analyzed by Google to understand what it is all about. So, keywords should be used wisely in the title. You can find the title tag when you search for a query on Google and different search results appear with titles in blue, it is the title tag. Its length should not be more than 50-60 words.
  • Meta Description: Meta description refers to the snippets that appear below the title on the search engine result page (SERPs). It should contain a keyword. Meta descriptions should be accurate and attractive enough that forces the one searching, to visit your website. But make sure your meta description has a keyword for it to be read by the search engine.
  • SEO-friendly URL: It is always recommended to optimize the URL of each page of the web page. Neither should it be very long nor should it be very short. A good URL should be clear and should contain a keyword but keyword stuffing should be avoided. Apart from this, one important thing to keep in mind is that the words in the URL should be separated by using hyphens instead of underscores. For example, “https://besthotel.com/contact-us”
  1. Optimize your Website loading speed

If your webpage takes more than a few seconds to load, almost no one is going to wait for you. Not only this, search engines analyze the loading speed of your web page in consideration as well while assigning a rank to it. So, just don’t try to overlook this factor while working for SEO.

A small thing such as the speed with which your website loads can often become the reason for the success or failure of your web traffic and potential business.

  1. Your content should be appealing

Your content is the king. If you are writing content that is useful to people, it can serve as a great advantage for your long-term SEO. But you need to be careful while placing the keywords. Do not ever try to overstuff your content with keywords because if Google detects this, your website can suffer a lot in terms of search engine rankings.

Make sure, your website is up to date and your content is updated regularly. As an add-on, you can create a blog and post regularly over there. Once people start visiting your blog, you can have the advantage of drawing them to your website through the internal link present in your blogs.

  1. Make the most use of Google

For all your problems, Google has an answer. I am not talking about Google as a search engine here, but a variety of other things. Google offers a variety of platforms that are completely free to use. If these platforms are used properly, they can help your hotel website to rank on the top results of the search engines.

  • Google Search Console: Search Console by Google helps you identify for your website if there are any 404 errors that may be having a negative impact on your site’s SEO. It also helps your website get indexed and get an overview of the vast variety of terms used by people to find your website.
  • Google Analytics: Everything you need to know about the users on your website can be known from the Google Analytics web page. It provides the most comprehensive yet detailed analysis of every tiny bit of the information about your users.
  • Google My Business (GMB): Google defined this service as, “for businesses and organizations to manage their online presence across Google, including Search and Maps.”Keep your profile updated regularly on the GMB listing. It can help you go a long way in terms of local SEO.
  1. Be Consistent and in Sync with the Trend

You need to regularly update your website’s content in order for the Google algorithms to know that you are providing the latest information and are relevant. Keep a close eye on the trends.

If you can manage to be from among the ones who match with the trends, search engines will show your website on the top. Secondly, never undermine the strategy of starting a blog because it is the place where you can put your keywords and generate links to your website and do actual business.

For example, if you regularly post blogs about different places to visit in Scottsdale or traveling hacks and other important stuff about different places and traveling and put relevant keywords to attract more visitors, it is clear that your audience would be the people who like or are planning to travel. You can generate links for your visitors here and help them land on the buying page of your hotel’s website. 

  1. Go Local

Don’t worry, going local does not mean you will not be able to find customers from far away places. It just means that you are refining your search results. Instead of being part of only the generic search terms, by going local you become more specific and become part of the long tail keyword group. In this way, there can be more chances of you being shown in the top results of the SERPs.

To mention a few strategies for the same try using the NAP: Name Address and Phone number method. Or your focussed keyword with the name of the city your hotel is present in the title tag, meta description, and the URL of your hotel’s website.

  1. Build strong links

Link building refers to the process by which the visitors to your website navigate between different pages. There are two types of links:

  • Internal Links: As the name suggests, the links present internally within your website. In other words, the links present on a page of your website that helps to land on other pages of your website.

A well-structured internal link pattern on your website makes it easy for the search engine to understand how different information on your website is interlinked with each other and thereby, it may be helpful to the people. In this way, your linking structure can help you rank better on the search queries.

  • External Links: External links or Backlinks refer to the links generated by other websites to your website. The more backlinks your website has, you would be considered more credible by the search engines. Although it might be difficult for the hotel websites to generate strong backlinks, if you are able to do so, it would be paid off by Google by ranking you among the top search results for sure.
  1. Be active on Social Media Platforms

This one’s quite simple. Be active on Social Media. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Quora, etc., every social media platform where you find your audience, you need to be actively involved.

Keep your profile updated, post regularly, follow hashtags, create campaigns, run ads, answer questions, do everything possible. Let the people know of your presence.

  1. Content Marketing

You are writing great content and are being consistent as well yet you are not able to generate leads. This is often because you have not marketed your content enough. You need to do the marketing for your content like you would do for any physical product. You need to show the world what you have for them.

Secondly, write but write useful content. Don’t just write to rank higher on the search results. Often, it may happen, you rank well due to the SEO practices like keywords and other stuff. But if you don’t provide meaningful content to the people, you will not be able to succeed in the long run.

Conclusion

Due to the pandemic, one of the worst-hit industries has been the hotel and hospitality industry. This is the reason, you need to start working extremely hard to attract more traffic to your website and turning them into potential customers.

If you work hard you will be able to master all the points mentioned above. But don’t forget, Search Engine Optimization is a slow and gradual process. You cannot expect the fruits after a day’s work. However, if you are consistent in your efforts and keep upscaling, you are sure to achieve the desired results.

Don’t try to take shortcuts and buy traffic. Apart from this, let me tell you a fact, organic traffic is always honest and comes with the highest conversion rates.

Just remember, there are so many other points to level up your SEO apart from the ones mentioned here. Whatever you do, be consistent and you will surely see the results of your hard work.

Get in touch with us if you are looking for the #1 SEO Company in Scottsdale.

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22Mar

9 Ecommerce SEO Tips to Increase Visitors to Your Online Store

March 22, 2021 W. Scott Cain Uncategorized 56

Did you know SEO has the highest ROI of all the eCommerce marketing strategies? But many eCommerce marketers invest more time and energy with paid marketing and not SEO. That’s because SEO specialists struggle to build high-performing strategies. This ultimate guide on SEO strategies will help you achieve more results.

Ecommerce Keyword Research

Keyword research is the heart of any SEO strategy. Wrong keyword research results in a loss of time and effort. If you want to drive traffic to your website, keyword research is the most crucial step.How to use keyword research to boost your SEO?

  • Target keywords with moderate difficulty. This will increase your chance of ranking higher in Google’s SERPs
  • Target keywords with more traffic. A more significant number of users are exploring these keywords.
  • Factor in buyer intent before shortlisting keywords. Buyer intent means how far along a user is in their decision to buy.

Create more meaningful content

Avoid tiring out your consumers with promotional advertisements. Instead, introduce your brand and product to them through original and meaningful content. Data reveals consuming meaningful content made 68% of consumers feel more positive.

How to use content to boost your SEO?

  • Create content with the right keyword density. Google is smart and detects if keyword density is too much without the right context.
  • Content helps you to connect with consumers. Using more educational content, you can gain more traffic. Use long-tail keywords such as “best ,” “how to use ” to improve SERPs.
  • It helps you create more backlinks and increase the Domain Authority of your website.

Targeted Link Building

Proper high-quality link building is one of SEO’s integral strategies. It helps Google understand that your site is a credible resource for citation. But link building needs to follow white hat SEO practices and should involve no tricks.

How to use link building to boost your SEO?

  • Audit all your web pages and interlink them to signal Google that you are the master of your domain.
  • Use targeted anchor text to link pages as linking the wrong anchor text yields no results.
  • Link relevant pages from your site to high-quality, trusted websites. This will boost your rankings. Also, don’t miss out on removing questionable pages and sites.

Don’t Forget On-Page SEO.

Focusing On-Page SEO is the next step. Identify where to place the keywords. Using on-page SEO helps you appear in other Search Engine Results Page (SERP).

How to use on-page SEO to boost your rankings?

  • Use keywords in the URL, H1 title tag, Image alt text, meta title, and meta description beside the main content.
  • Create content with instant answers to users’ most searched queries. By doing this, Google will display your content in SERPs.
  • Add reviews and ratings to support your credibility. Search engines love user-generated content and help you rank higher in the SERPs.

Pay Attention to Mobile Optimization

As of 2020, 5.15 billion unique users are accessing your website and products via mobile. So, don’t go live without optimizing for mobile. Google prioritizes web performance on smart devices. It is an essential metric while analyzing a website’s search result ranking.

How to use mobile optimization to boost your SEO?

  • Make your website responsive. Consider all aspects such as navigation process, account setting, and also checkout process.
  • Get your design team to work responsive design for everything. If your designs do not look appealing on small screens, your bounce rate will increase.
  • Avoid common mobile optimization mistakes, including blocking JavaScript, CSS, or image files, etc.

Maximize website speed

Google considers site speed as one of the vital signals to rank pages if you are unaware yet. Slower web speeds let search engines crawl fewer pages. This harms your indexation. Your website loading time plays a huge part in ranking and visitor conversion.

How to use website speed to boost your SEO?

  • Check your page speed. Determine if your page speed is low and affects user experience.
  • Use tools such as Google Page Speed Insights to know your site’s speed. Use this data to understand your bounce rates.
  • Include XML sitemap to search console. It is a list of all your website’s URLs that act as a roadmap. Using this information, search engines know what content is available and how to reach it.

Boost Social Media Engagement

If you think social media does not impact SEO, then it’s time to rethink. The links you share on different social platforms increase brand exposure. You can also gain more organic traffic by boosting local search engine optimization.

How to use social media engagement to boost your SEO?

  • Optimize your social media profile with the correct information. This will help to rank in search results and gain traction.
  • Post quality content to gain loyal followers. In the long run, this will also build your brand community.
  • Links from social media posts help Google index your blog/posts. This will lead to more search traffic and improved rankings.

Create Attractive Videos

Google’s internal algorithm cares about video content, and it’s high time you do too. Search engines not only look for text while ranking your website. They also recognize other digital assets. By doing this, search engines analyze what you’re offering to the users.

How to use video content to boost your SEO?

  • The user’s attention span is low. So, create micro-videos that help users understand your product in a few seconds.
  • Publish video content on sites like YouTube, social media, or even on an OTT service or VOD platform. This will help you earn referral traffic to boost your rankings.
  • Add shoppable product videos on your online store. This will attract more visitors as it is more authentic and easier to shop.

Craft Magnetic Featured Snippets

Google considers Featured snippets are important. They appear as “Position #0” above the traditional #1 spot. With featured snippets, you can gain more clicks, which helps with Google’s ranking.

How to use featured snippets to boost your SEO?

  • Create content in the form of a Definition Box. Give searchers a direct, concise definition or description.
  • Include Tables as part of your content as Google pulls data in the form table.
  • Add Ordered List to present items in a specific order as Google tends to use Ordered Lists for queries.

Wrap up

Are you a business in Scottsdale looking to gain more monthly visitors, then start investing in eCommerce SEO today. A simple SEO campaign can result in thousands of extra sales. And it will not take you years to achieve, either.

Follow our guide to stay ahead of your competitors. Still, feeling overwhelmed? Reach out to us, and we will help you out!

 

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02Mar

8 SEO Mistakes That Are Impacting Your Website Rankings

March 2, 2021 W. Scott Cain Digital Marketing, SEO, Uncategorized 56

Are you trying to navigate the ever-changing SEO world and get your website ranked higher than it did last year? Well, chances are you’re making one or more of these common SEO mistakes.

The experts at ‘Integrated IT solutions’ have shared the top mistakes that most people make regarding SEO strategy and website ranking. We’ve listed them out, so you can identify the mistakes and give your website a chance to rule the ranks!

Top 8 SEO Mistakes to Stop Making Today!

Let’s begin, and don’t forget to share and comment on this article if you like what you’re about to read.

SEO Mistakes – No. 1: Not Paying Attention to Search Intent

Ignoring search intent can impact your ranking because it is important to know the motivation behind a user’s search. Search engines favor websites whose content fulfills the search intent of a particular query.

The trick is to understand what the user wants when searching for a particular keyword. Are they looking for information, a service, or a product?

For example, if someone searches for ‘human resources’ – it’s presumable that they are looking for human resources information. Therefore, their intent is for information. However, if they type ‘human resource management,’their intent would be different. So, to answer both searches, your website needs to provide details/information that satisfy both intents.

Takeaway: Ensure your website satisfies various user search intent in your niche to improve your rank.

SEO Mistakes – No. 2: Ignoring Mobile Traffic

When creating an SEO strategy for your website, it is vital to include the mobile traffic demographic into your plan. Depending on your niche, the majority of users today are accessing content on their mobile devices. Therefore, search engines are favoring mobile-friendly websites.

Do this by making sure your website loads in under 3 seconds and is responsive on handheld devices. Also, factor in the user-friendliness of your website design on mobiles and the overall aesthetic when your website is accessed on a mobile. These are important website ranking factors to consider in 2021.

Takeaway: Ensure that your website is optimized for mobile usage to increase your website’s organic traffic. 

SEO Mistakes – No. 3: Creating Duplicate Content

This is a common mistake most companies make when creating content for their website – they replicate the content on their website’s multiple pages. While this might not necessarily get you penalized, it will lower your SEO score if it contains identical content.

Search engines aim to show only the most relevant results for a user’s search – therefore, when multiple webpages show duplicate content, they might only show the most targeted page. This will cause your website to fall in SEO ranking.

Takeaway: Create unique content on your webpages that target various value-added info that your audience can benefit from.  

SEO Mistakes – No. 4: Too Many Keywords

Stuffing keywords was a technique used to work a decade ago; however, this is no longer the case. Too many repeating keywords can decrease the overall ranking of your website.

Search engines have become a lot smarter than ten years ago, and the algorithm prefers content that is a perfect balance of keywords and value-added content. This is an important factor to remember when creating content for your website – remember that actual people will be reading this content. So, it should be geared to information that is vital and relatable to your target demographic.

Takeaway: Find the right balance between adding keywords and genuine content. A simple read-through of your content will give you a fair idea of whether it sounds authentic or too SEO-focused.

SEO Mistakes – No. 5: Focusing Solely On Text-based Content

Millions of text-based SEO content are available online; however, nowadays, people want to experience their content in more than just the reading format. Over the last few years, and especially in 2021, the biggest shift is that the written word has evolved into other formats such as video, audio, infographic, podcast, and visual content.

These different types of formats can drive organic traffic to your website, so it’s a good idea to implement them in your website’s SEO strategy. Currently, video content is reigning supreme as most users prefer to receive their information through this format. This is evident by the growing number of videos on different platforms and also on Google SERP.

Takeaway: Curate a variety of content in different formats and drive more traffic to your website.

SEO Mistakes – No. 6: Too Many Backlinks

Backlinks are still an important factor when it comes to website ranking. However, buying too many backlinks to boost your ranking may get you penalized by Google. It’s important to remember that quality is better than quantity when it comes to backlinks.

Instead of mass buying without much thought, spend some time researching the most notable and helpful backlinks relevant to your website and niche. Create a list of relevant and value-adding backlinks that will help your existing content.

Takeaway: Identify notable, relatable, and influential links to be associated with your website to help with your ranking.

SEO Mistakes – No. 7: Slow Speed, Got You Down!

It’s no secret that if your website has a slow loading speed, users will run out of patience and navigate away. However, this is not the only reason why you should pay attention to your speed. Google has added ‘page speed’ to their list of factors that determine SEO ranking – so you must implement techniques to reduce your website’s loading time.

Takeaway: A faster loading time will help your website rank higher and keep your users from navigating away!

SEO Mistakes – No 8: – Not Incorporating EAT

Ultimately when it comes to increasing your ranking – it’s about being authentic, not just to your clients/readers/demographic but also to search engines. Google’s EAT (expertise, authority, and trust) concept favors websites built on genuine value, information, and trustworthiness.

Increase your website’s ranking by including EAT factors such as:

  • Having an SEO strategy that incorporates brand-related searches.
  • Getting the website/company featured by other top media publications
  • Giving clear information such as location, about us pages, awards and accolade received, etc

Takeaway: Create your SEO strategy with the EAT concept in mind to increase your website ranking on Google.

Conclusion

Correct these common SEO mistakes if you’ve been making them, and we’re sure you will start to see an improvement in your website ranking. Apart from conducting a thorough SEO audit, when it comes to truly unlocking your website’s potential, we suggest hiring a firm like ‘Integrated IT solutions,’ which can help you with all your website-related needs.

If you like articles like these, do keep checking back for more fresh content!

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16Feb

Importance of Blogging for SEO

February 16, 2021 W. Scott Cain Uncategorized 56

15 years ago, the word “Market” and “Marketing” had a completely different meaning from today. The world is changing every minute. Technology is climbing a step of progress every day. Technology is taking over the physical aspect of almost everything, including our markets. To keep up with the changing world, our market is also following in the footsteps of advancement. This is why the market is not limited to the physical stores today; instead, all the businesses are going online.

There are thousands of businesses both online and offline today. While there are businesses that understand the vital need to have a blog, some do not. One may avoid understanding the value of SEO blogs, but this will bring no benefit. To survive in this edge cutting market online, a business needs blogs that can attract a lot of traffic and develop a brand value for the business.

Here are some of the benefits to help you understand the importance of blogging for SEO.

1. Improved Visibility

When a person Googles a question, the answer is more than often in the form of a blog. If I wish to understand “the importance of blogging”, I will search the same on Google. To help me with the solution, Google will show me various blogs written on the topic. One blog out of them can be of your website. This is how blogs help in improving the visibility of a website. This will also help the business in building an authentic brand.

2. Fresh and updated content

When someone or something stays without any change or movement for a very long time, we consider it rotten or dead. When a website is not updated in years, Google draws similar assumptions too. Google may believe that the business is dead or closed. Or it would push the website far beyond the reachable pages on the search results.

In case a prospect reaches the website finds the same, they may draw similar conclusions too. An update of information in different sections of a website is mandatory to ensure the prospects know the business is still in the game.

To make sure your website is updated and fresh blogs are the best elements one can use. Changing home page content every couple of years is not ideal. This is where blogging comes into the act and steals the show.

3. Long-tail keyword placement

Long-tail keywords are keywords with four or more words. SEO is overcrowded but not saturated yet. To show up on the top results of Google search, a blog should have the right keywords. If you are a company selling designer bags, the keyword “Designer bags” will not be enough until you are a multi-dollar brand.

Long-tail keywords play a great role in enhancing the search results on Google. Use the keyword “Designer bags in affordable prices”, “Designer bags in West Palm Beach,” etc., instead of just using “designer bags”.

Integrated ITsays, sometimes fitting a long tail keyword in a blog can become clumsy. To mend that situation, make sure the topic is chosen appropriately.

4. Quality blogs promote backlinks

A business that wishes to grow through the help of blogging should always consider quality as a priority. Great quality content is pushed on the top pages by Google farther more than a mediocre blog. Several other websites also pick a great quality blog as a backlink. This way, other websites bring new audiences to your business and gain the profit of authenticity and quality for themselves. This also helps a business in gaining loyal customers and more traffic on the website.

Backlinking is a great way to increase the viewership on a blog. When a blog offers quality and information on a subject that is very rare to find, it makes the prospect stay. It also brings the prospect back again to convert into a client.

5. Increases engagement

This benefit is not assured. This directly depends on the kind of content you are publishing in your blogs. When a prospect randomly ends up reading one of your blogs, they assure your growth. There is a fair chance a prospect who read the blog must have liked it. If they did, they might share it on their social media handles. When their followers see them engaging with your blogs, they will be drawn to your website too.

When a chunk of people come to your website from a reliable source, they end up spending more time and interest on your website. This brings them to your website multiple times to engage with more of your blogs and products.

6. Helpful Information

Most business contemplates blogging because of a particular fear. They fear that information about tires, a hairdryer, a mechanical motor, a toothpaste, or whatever their product or service may be will be of no use to anyone. The fact is, someone out there is looking for information on the products and services you are offering. The only way to reach out to them is through blogging. Provide the needed information. Provide the facility of information to bond with your prospects. Integrated IT solutions believes this is one of the most authentic and organic ways of building a bond with the audience.

7. Helps in attracting quality and targeted client base

Right marketing attracts the right customers. Internet is filled with business. To attract customers, a business has to pay special attention to their blogs. Blogs are the best way for a business and a website to interact with its customers. When a blog is written with quality and for a specific audience base, the audience is attracted. This brings quality and target clients for the business.

For example, I own a hotel chain that has one of its hotels in Scottsdale. To gather more attention from guests, my blogs should target the whereabouts, local markets, lifestyle, local restaurants, attractions, and similar West Palm Beach topics. With this, the people with even the slightest interest in visiting Scottsdalewill know of the hotel and want to book it.

8. More time to spend

When a prospect visits a website, they are always looking for something interesting. Your products and services may be interesting enough, but hundreds of more businesses offer the same. But when you have interesting blogs on your website, a prospect will be forced to read them. The prospect will then read a few more blogs on your website. This will keep the prospect on your website for longer. The more time the prospect will spend on your website, the more they will be drawn towards your brand. This intern will give you the needed branding as well as clients.

9. More pages, more trust

Google always promotes websites that are trusted and authentic. To have authenticity, a website needs to have more and more content and content pages available. This does not mean overcrowding the websites. This implies creating more pages in the form of blogs to have an authentic identity in the records of Google.

10. Helps you in building a strategy for growth

It is essential to have a strategy to grow on Internet as a business and a website. Blogs are needed to first and execute the plan. This is one of the finest means of organic growth strategy implementation with social media or SEO.

With more blogs, a website will have more space to induce the website with many keywords. This will increase the chances of ranking high on the search results for the website. This thus helps in the strategy of growth.

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16Feb

7 Common Myths About SEO That You Need to Let Go

February 16, 2021 W. Scott Cain Uncategorized 60

Search Engine Optimization is an inevitable part of digital marketing. It helps you get above your competitors and rank higher on search engines. But some myths never let you move forward.

While most myths are harmless, we can’t say the same for SEO myths. They mislead people into wasting their time and resources on things of less importance.

You cannot make guarantees with SEO because it’s not an overnight game. You need consistency and multiple strategies to achieve your goals and improve your rankings.

However, don’t let these seven myths misguide you and stop you from doing what’s important.

SEO is dead

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Out of all the myths, this one is the most common. Social media platforms, emails, and abundant marketing techniques have created more opportunities to establish and promote a business online. However, Google remains irreplaceable.

If you live in ScottsDale and need to look for historical places, the first thing you’ll do is Google it. These simple things remind us that SEO is important for our everyday life not just for businesses.

Over 40,000 search queries happen every second, and Google accurately presents an answer to each search query. It does that with an appropriate website that has the answer to their question. This has been possible only because of SEO.

A statement like ‘SEO is dead’ only comes up when your techniques and efforts are not working well. That’s because the algorithm keeps changing, and so your techniques also need to evolve. Instead of re-thinking if your SEO efforts are worth it, try to formulate a better strategy based on data and audience insights.

As long as the internet is alive, there’s no scope for them to die soon.

You only need content for SEO

Content is vital for SEO, but it’s not the only thing that matters when you want to improve your rankings and get into the search engine’s good graces. Long-form content helps add value to the user and builds authority, so it’s an essential part of your website, but you cannot rely on it solely.

High-quality content is required to give some context to the users, use some keywords to enhance searchability, and communicate the intended message.

Many other factors contribute to a good search engine ranking apart from content like:

  • Internal and external authority links
  • Keyword research and usage
  • User intent and experience
  • Optimized multimedia
  • Keyword-rich tags and descriptions
  • Loading speed and device compatibility

A combination of all these things and high-quality content that addresses your audience’s problems and provides value is essential for SEO. Don’t let ‘content is king’ misguide you. It’s necessary, but not the only aspect for high rankings.

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SEO is only a one-time thing

SEO requires a long-term investment because there are so many opportunities to enhance your score and improve your rankings that it’s impossible to exhaust them all in one go.

SEO experts charge a retainer fee and not a one-time fee because they need to work regularly. If you implement your SEO strategy and leave it for a while, you’ll see your rankings slowly dropping off.

Why does this happen?

  • Lack of fresh content
  • Competitor acquiring a higher ranking
  • Problems with broken links and outdated plugins
  • Not enough build-up backlinks

These are some reasons why SEO needs to be a regular practice with updates and audits.

There are never too many links. You can use thousands of keyword combinations on your website, and you still wouldn’t run out. It’s an evolving process and requires consistency.

You don’t need to focus on keyword research

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This is one of the most popular myths in the digital world, and it’s shocking because keywords form the center of SEO. Ignoring keyword research can mislead you into optimizing your content for the wrong keywords, not relevant to your user.

Use research to identify keywords with high search intent for your niche and industry to optimize your website. These keywords will be used in the content, meta tags, meta descriptions, image alt text, and URL. It also helps in Local SEO, when you want to rank high for a specific location, like Scottsdale for instance.

Without adequate keyword research, creating content will not show results. It needs to be optimized for what your audience is most likely to search for to land on your website.

Paid ads can increase organic ranking

Paid and organic have a very fine line between them, and various factors influence the two of them individually. There’s no evidence that running PPC ads on Google can improve organic ranking, although it may appear like it.

There’s no doubt that PPC is good for SEO. You can target keywords much better and test various campaigns to see what’s working with your audience. If you have a primary keyword as ‘Integrated IT Solutions,’ you can use multiple variations and target much better. It can increase clicks and conversion, but it can never directly impact your organic search ranking.

Paid ads can, however, boost the number of organic click-through-rate. When you search for a website directly, you see two options- the sponsored website link and the organic one. The user is likely to click the organic link first. This happens because of user intent and results in an increase of the organic CTR, but never the rankings.

Speed is not important for SEO

Let’s say a brand, Integrated IT Solutions, builds an excellent website with a great user experience, awesome content, and optimized SEO pages. However, their website takes ages to load, barring the user from accessing the content.

What will this do? They will bounce right off and go to the website of a competitor who has a fast load speed.

Speed holds a lot of importance in the digital world, and it’s important because of these reasons:

  • It improves the ranking of your website
  • Reduces the bounce rate by users
  • Faster sites are easier to crawl by the search engines
  • Speed= higher conversion rate

Most of all, your website needs to have a fast loading speed on mobile.

The faster your speed, the better rankings it can get.

SEO is all about ranking high

SEO can improve your rankings and help your website acquire a higher place on the search engine result page, but it’s not just about that.

More than rankings, traffic is a more significant factor that can help get more eyes to your website and convert more visitors into customers. It’s possible that if a website is ranking on number 1, then the website on number 2 gets more traffic. This may be because their content is more in-depth or ranking for more than one keyword.

Other things like improving your website’s hygiene, driving traffic, increasing revenue, and conversions are also some things you need to focus on to reap all the benefits SEO offers.

Conclusion

There are many myths about SEO out there, but these are some of the most common ones you need to avoid. Before you believe in anything people say about SEO, make sure they have data to back up their claim.

Use these myths as a guiding factor to not let baseless assumptions misguide you. Use your actionable knowledge and experiences to leverage SEO and boost your rankings and drive more traffic.

Let results and data replace assumptions when it comes to the internet!

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12Feb

How Is Artificial Intelligence Transforming the Web Design Field?

February 12, 2021 W. Scott Cain Uncategorized 56

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is affording great advantages for businesses around the world. But there is one field where its performance eclipses that in others: Web design.

Here we examine seven ways how AI is transforming web design in Scottsdale and elsewhere.

 

1) Generating Unique Web Designs

Web design has traditionally been the work of web designers. But new iterations of AI are so advanced that they can create entire websites on their own.

They even have a name: Artificial Design Intelligence (ADI).

Such tools will ask the user several questions to understand their requirements. It will then create a website using pre-existing layouts, images, and font options. The coolest part is that no two designs will look the same.

Moreover, the user will have many options to personalize the website. In simple terms, anyone wishing to have a website can have it. Wix, Squarespace, and Bookmark are some popular brands using ADIs to build websites.

As for AI taking over the world (wide web), Integrated IT Solutions say the ADI will not replace designers. Instead, it will only be a tool to expedite the evolution of website design around the world.

 

2) Revolutionizing the Chatbot Softwares

Gone are the days of shallow chatbots. The new generation of chatbots is revolutionizing web development. Powered by Natural Language Processing (NLP), they can communicate effectively with humans.

 

Why chatbots?

They reduce the steps needed to achieve a goal on a website. For example, it can be frustrating to buy a shirt online. You have to go to a section, then a segment, and then tick a few filters. Phew! A chatbot fixes the commotion. You have to ask in words or voice, and the chatbot will take you through the selection process. Also, chatbots on a website make it more alive, more responsive. Such customer response is worth its weight in gold.

Extra: Chatbots powered by AI will save businesses around $8 billion by 2022. They will also handle 85% of customer interactions across the web. (And we would be thinking we are talking to a human being!)

 

3) Delivering Advanced Recommendations

 

If you have a Netflix account, you might have seen it recommending shows similar to what you watched. That is AI in action. Just like Netflix, many companies use AI on their web design to enhance user experience.

Such AI analyses social proof — patterns in human preferences across the web — to predict what we might do next.

Even at the current level of technology, they make pretty precise calculations. 80% of content consumed on Netflix are recommendations. Similar is the case with AI-enabled e-commerce websites.

AI on such websites, and mobile applications make e-shopping a personalized experience. As you make purchases online, AI will learn about your purchasing decisions. It will then show you products that might pique your interest. It will also remind you to buy regularly-bought products like groceries or vegetables.

 

4) Helping Web Designers to Produce Prototype Websites

As already mentioned, AI will not supersede humans in website design and development. Demand for competent web designers and developers will not dwindle. However, it is safe to say that a lot of the mundane tasks associated with web development will go to the AI.

Designers at the Integrated IT Solutions use AI to make prototype websites. They then use their genius to weave functionality and aesthetics on these prototypes. The result is a superb product built at the confluence of human-machine capabilities.

Another great advantage AI affords us is the elimination of below-average web designs. You see, human designers do not always do a great job. Sometimes, they mess up. ADI, on the other hand, learns from millions of designs and their combinations.

The prototype websites they make are almost always above-average in standards. They will, however, have a standardized UI and UX.

 

5) Providing Advanced Website Performance Data

Another excellent way AI helps web developers is by checking how well a website performs.

Such data is important for several reasons:

  1. A) Most customers (75%) measure the trustworthiness of a business by its web design.
  2. B) Bounce rate is high (38%) for websites with poor design.
  3. C) A visitor to a website takes only 0.5 seconds to form an opinion about it.

These harsh realities weigh heavily on a web developer. Moreover, new websites have their fair share of bugs in the initial stages of their existence.

While the AI may be lacking in creativity, website diagnosis is a field they excel in. Designers in Scottsdale use them to test web-page behaviour, visual code, and aesthetics.

AI has become so good at testing new websites that they are chipping away at the relevance of A/B testing.

 

6) Increasing the Accessibility for People with Disabilities

People with Disabilities (PwDs) have benefited greatly from AI in web development. This new technology is making the web more accessible to this section of society. Let us explore the new paths the AI is clearing for the PwD.

1) Image recognition

Back in 2016, Facebook launched a revolutionary AI tool that could describe pictures. It used machine learning and neural networks to recognize and describe photos. It changed the way millions of visually-impaired individuals experienced photos on their newsfeed.

2) Making learning simpler

AI tools capable of making summaries are another groundbreaking technology. Though still in their infancy, they make decently accurate summaries. Imagine what a boon it would be for people with learning disabilities.

3) Translation on the fly

Many websites already offer real-time translations of content into the user’s native tongue. They unlock the knowledge on the web for those who do not know mainstream languages.

 

7) Setting New Benchmarks

AI for web design and development is just starting. At least, that is what these developments show us. The use of phones with voice assistants might make voice interfaces the new normal.

Ultrafast AI might make interaction with a website a user-by-user experience. That is, no two persons will see/hear/feel a website the same.

Chatbots might become so advanced that we might mistake them for humans. In aesthetics and functionality, ADI might set new benchmarks. Instead of the average, they might become extraordinary.

The sheer number and complexity of AI platforms might force web design into a state of flux. What we as a generation are seeing is an extraordinary technology taking its baby steps. And, boy, oh boy, this is truly exciting!

Are you looking for a website designer in Scottsdale?

Get in touch with us our expert designer now!

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12Feb

7 Web Development Tips You Should Follow

February 12, 2021 W. Scott Cain Uncategorized 48

According to The Digital Consumer Study, 63% of consumers use a company’s website to find and engage with businesses. Your website is the first thing prospective customers check before making any important purchasing decision.

Therefore, while creating your website, you need to make sure that you pay attention to website development aspects, starting from appearance to functionality.

Here are some web development tips that will help you create an amazing and user-friendly website.

 

  1. Decide About the Type of Website You Need

First, you have to find out what you need your website to do for your web visitors.

For businesses that offer services, the website’s main goal is to educate, build trust, and convert prospective customers into leads. However, the objective of an eCommerce business website would be different.

Also, check whether you need a mobile-friendly website or a responsive site. If you already have an existing website, you can go for a separate mobile-friendly website. You can choose a responsive web design if you are launching a new website for your business.

Integration with backend services like CMS and social media is essential for your website. It’s important to ensure that your website is compatible with multiple browsers and loads properly on major browsers.

 

  1. Choose a Great Domain Name and Host

Getting the right domain name is crucial. Make sure it is easy to remember and reflects your brand. The perfect combination of SEO, brand identity, and spelling will improve your website’s chances of appearing in search engine results. If your website is easily accessible online, it will help you get more customers.

You need to take into account several factors when deciding the right hosting package. Determine the nature of your website whether it will be media-rich with more images and videos.

Find out whether the hosting provider provides technical support or you can manage with in-house support. Check the security, backup, and other features offered by the hosting provider.

 

  1. Have a Clean and Appealing Design

 

An essential tip to follow during the website development process is creating an appealing and clean design. A clean design helps your customers focus more on your brand and services.

Avoid distracting images and more text on your website. A clean and attractive design provides a great user experience that will encourage your customers to become brand advocates.

Pay attention to the color schemes you use in your web design. Research well to find out the best color options that go with your brand’s tone.

The design of your brand’s logo and its placement on your website is another important consideration. Go for professionally design logos and choose a location on your website that is easily visible to visitors.

 

  1. Make Sure Your Website Is Easy to Navigate and Use

A confusing and difficult-to-navigate website can negatively impact the user experience. Conduct a site review as a new visitor to find out the navigation streams that make sense.

Remove unnecessary steps or pages that do not make sense. You can add a sitemap to easily help your visitors navigate the site and search engines to crawl the website.

Make sure your site is simple to use and has all the features that make it easily accessible. Ensure that your product or service information and contact information is displayed.

Check whether social sharing features and subscriber forms are properly integrated on your website. Optimizing the usability of your site is essential to improve customer experience.

 

  1. Review the Security Features of Your Website

As technology is evolving, your website is prone to advanced security risks such as malware, viruses, malicious apps, and hacking threats. Your website must prevent these security breaches from upholding its integrity.

If your website conducts online transactions, you need to look for security measures that protect your customers’ confidential information.

Consider adding SSL certificates to your website to reduce the risk of browser-related threats.

Review whether all these security features are integrated into your site during the website development process. You also need to go for regular security checks or look for a provider that offers website security services.

 

  1. Keep up with the Latest Trends

Keeping up with the latest trends is essential to outpace your competitors and impact your customers. If you want more traffic and engagement on your website, you need to find ways to attract and engage customers.

Cross-platform website development is a good example of attracting more customers to your brand. This ensures a consistent look and feel of your website across various platforms. Make sure your website is open for iterations during the development process and even after post-development.

 

  1. Hire a Professional Website Development Company

As many factors need to be considered when creating a business website, you can hire a professional website development company to take care of web design and development. This will help save your time and effort, and you can focus more on other business activities that are critical for your business growth.

A professional website development company like Integrated IT Solutions can help you create an amazing website within your time and budget. They can also provide web hosting, website maintenance, and security services at affordable rates.

If you are looking for professional website development services in Scottsdale, contact Integrated IT Solutions. We are one of Scottsdale’s best website development companies, providing quality web design and development services.

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11Feb

How to choose the Right SEO Agency?

February 11, 2021 W. Scott Cain SEO 54

Transparency is vital

Your SEO Agency should address transparency as its core value. You need to layout a protocol from day zero.

After all, you don’t want to be disappointed after running a successful campaign but having no insights at the end of the month. Therefore, you need to proactively tell the SEO Agency to upkeep with analytics, tools, and all other parameters in place.

Moreover, this also means that you as a company should lend a helping hand to the agency if they face any issues. This will allow the agency to maintain a ‘can-do’ attitude. In addition to that, you should keep an eye on what’s happening on your website.

Checking each call to action every day is tedious, but you can certainly give periodic checks heed to. It is important that you connect with the agency every once and check for any shortcomings. This support will empower the collaboration to sustain.

 

Backlinks are brownie points

Your SEO Agency should be keen to generate backlinks from highly authoritative websites. To do that, you need to get the hang of how the Algorithm in Google (or any other search engine) works.

Backlinks can create a buzz. But what exactly is a backlink?

When other platforms refer to your content by placing the link to your website on theirs, then it is a good sign. This helps Google to trust your website more, and it will end up making your website even more reliable.

Moreover, to top it up, your website will rank up on Google, and you must have guessed it right by now. It will appear on the top search results with a better frequency.

However, the agency should be conscious enough of not adding links to your websites on spam sites. Else that will be a bummer! Remember, the golden rule is not to get more backlinks but the right ones.

 

Associate with a company that banks on logic

Here is a quick question, what would your answer be to an agency that assures you a top rank on Google or any other search engine within a week?

No, right?

Why would that be?

Your rational mind will immediately tell you that it’s no child’s play. The good news is that there is no rocket science either. It is doable. All you need is the right approach.

You get in touch with an SEO Agency and tell them what you are aiming for. They after aligning to your goals, skim through your website and do a detailed analysis.

In addition to that, they come up with facts and figures such as your website’s performance, your competitors’ data, and more. Post which, it is on you to call whether you want to move ahead with the agency to attain the desired objectives.

 

Time is Money

If you invest a huge amount of the company’s time into getting their website ranked top on Google, you would want the results. It is not just about the position, but what comes next matters.

Traffic.

Yes, you are right on point! Your website should get enough traffic that converts into your loyal audience and eventually generates revenue. The ranking is one thing; revenue is another.

If you observe closely, you will understand both are sides of the same coin. They should go hand in hand, and one should not overpower the other.

If you obsess on ranking and forget about the revenue, then certainly you are not going anywhere. However, if you dismiss the rank, then gradually, your credibility will be at stake.

 

Say ‘YES’ to a fair deal

Don’t get carried away if the agency quotes a dime. On a similar note, don’t be overwhelmed if they charge you a fortune. You don’t necessarily have to settle for any. Dig into the details to get a clearer picture.

The best bargain is to look at it as an investment and not an expenditure. Keep in mind, price and value are two different things. Your entire focus should be on what it brings to you in return and not on the amount debited from your bank balance.

However, at the same time, you should be alert to comprehend the situation you are ending up in. There is nothing wrong with taking a calculated risk as long as you are vigilant.

 

Attention is everything

Suppose your SEO Agency prioritizes your tasks so that you are never out of their attention span, then nothing like it. Always remember that it is a one to many relationships when it comes to your SEO agency.

One agency takes care of multiple companies’ ranking, which is obvious. The real art lies in how it juggles between them to give Integrated IT the right amount of time that it deserves.

Getting your website ranked on Google should be their non-negotiable target and not a sidekick. These terms and conditions are the prerequisites for seamless functioning. These should be set in stone before you get on to business.

Your contract has to be vocal about the fact that the agency will take due responsibility for keeping track of the audience across your website, at least until the contract stays valid.

 

Spectrum of Services

The wide spectrum of services that an SEO agency offers varies from company to company. There are some that stick to the basics of keyword analysis and generating backlinks across multiple platforms.

At the same time, some go out of their way to support the firm with email marketing, social media marketing, content curation, and much more. It all depends on your requirement and the conditions that both parties agree on.

It is advisable to start with the basics, and as and when the relationship builds, you can bring other tasks into play. This will allow you enough bandwidth to check how the agency works and the timeline it sticks to. It can be challenging initially, but slowly, things start falling into place once the collaboration gets its hang.

 

Documentation is the key

It is essential to understand why you need a reportage at all. If your Scottsdale SEO agency is proactive and sends you monthly reports, you can adhere to the fact that it follows good practice.

You need to the documentation religiously. It all boils down to what matters to you as a company. Is it rank, revenue, traffic, or conversions? You can take a call and see for yourself if the SEO agency can work on these deliverables.

Whatever it may be, you should record it in black and white for reference at any point in time, independent of the location you are operating from. You can even maintain a calendar to remind you of the dates when the report needs to be presented, and accordingly, you can update your archive.

 

Draw a line between the company’s and employee’s experience

Many companies tend to confuse the two. However, they stand way apart. Your firm should be concerned about the employee’s experience and not the company’s establishment date.

The company might be old while the employees might be new. Ultimately, the people’s experience and skill set will help your company’s website rank better. This is where the real agenda lies.

There are chances that the agency may be decades old, but the employees are inexperienced, and your understanding of this fact will make all the difference.

Considering the scenario these days, each day, new firms erupt and die. All you need is satisfactory outcomes and genuine employees, so keep your eye on that and leave the peripherals aside.

 

Involve experts

It is unambiguous to understand that you will not know the thick and thin of the SEO world, especially if your firm is new and has just stepped into business.

For such cases, you should not shy away from taking advice from experts in the field. They will only make your work easier.

If you have a friend in the law fraternity, then nothing like it. After all, you need to understand the in and out of the contract before signing it.

Do not take it as a set of formalities that need to be taken care of but be aware that there might be any hidden clauses or penalties. Being a new firm, you should never rule out the possibility of things going out of control.

If you are looking for the best SEO company in Scottsdale, you can get in touch with us.

 

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10Dec

Why Choose our Web Design Company in Scottsdale, AZ?

December 10, 2020 W. Scott Cain Uncategorized 49

Importance of Web Design

1) Looks, Matter

What is the first thing people notice while visiting your site? Your FAQ section? No, right? It’s how attractive your site looks. Most people are attuned to judge your business in the first few seconds of looking at your site.

As a company, you only have those few precious seconds to grab their attention. The more time you keep your audience in your site, the more the chances for them to check out the services/products you offer.

 

2) Good Web Design Increases Credibility

A well-designed website signals trust to the visitors. If your site looks like it was last updated in 2010, people will, indeed, suspect it for a scam.

Assume that a visitor to your site wants to check out your business in person. He scrolls down your site, hoping to find a physical address. Voila! He finds out Google Maps integrated with your site and your business address marked. Now, chances are high for the person to visit you anytime soon.

 

3) Our Designs Are Optimized For Mobiles

Let’s accept it. It’s in 2020. People prefer handsets over desktops for day-to-day online searches. Nearly 85% of participants of research said that a company’s mobile website should be on par with its desktop website. Since Google had tweaked its algorithm to give preference to sites that look good on smartphone screens, it is wise to design your website mobile-ready.

The first thing you need to concentrate while designing a mobile-friendly site is its readability. If a searcher has to squint eyes to read the text on your mobile site, you must redesign it.

Second, comes the navigation; the buttons should be big enough for a user to tap it with one finger. Last but not least, your mobile site should function fluidly, Zero hiccups, period.

 

4) Brand Creation

Good design has consistency. When consistency is there on your site, your company is on the path of becoming a brand. There must be uniformity across your site in fonts, colour combinations, layouts, brand identity elements and the like.

Your Scottsdale web designer should know about colour psychology. There is a reason why most of the leading banks choose blue as their primary colour and top food companies choose red as their main colour. At the same time, blue instils trust among customers, red triggers appetite and hunger.

5) Makes Your Site Navigable

 

If your site is cluttered and unsorted, it is going to drive away your visitors as soon as they land on it. Keeping your website content organized and categorized makes a searcher’s job a lot easier. This way, the searcher will engage with your site.

The more time a searcher spends time on your site, the higher the chances for a conversion. You can have a lot of content on your site and still keep it clean and minimalistic. It all depends on your web designer’s conception.

 

6) Improves Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Most people read web pages from left to the right. Therefore, it is advisable to place the most important details of the site in the upper left area.

A designer who recognizes the relationship between SEO and a good design will always use visible areas such as the upper left area for important details. Because it is going to improve the SEO as search engines like Google have to crawl your site to know what it is all about.

Are you looking for the top-rated web design company in Scottsdale, AZ? Contact us now!

Why Are We The Best In Website Designing In Scottsdale?

 

1) We Create Stunning Websites, Every Single Time

At Integrated IT Solutions, we don’t create jaw-dropping websites now and then. Rather, it is our habit to make stunning websites. All the websites we make are thoughtfully designed and elegantly put in place without compromising the functionality.

Our designing heads in Scottsdale, AZ have no time to tolerate cumbersome layout, cluttered menus, eyesore design or anything of that sort. Hence, they only recruit those who know the design language like the palm of their hands. With us, no two projects are the same.

 

2) We Listen To You

We may be the experts in web design in Scottsdale. But that does not mean that we will autocratically implement our ideas on your website. As a business owner, you might have inspirations for your website, and perhaps even references.

We respect your ambitions and will give utmost preference to your ideas. However, if your idea(s) does/do not contribute to the intended result, we won’t be beating around the bush. We will explain to you how your ideas are not in harmony with the desired result.

 

3) We Respect Deadlines

We understand the importance of meeting deadlines. As a company, before we start working on a project, we set a deadline that is achievable and acceptable. We fix a deadline upon careful consideration of the expectations and aspirations of a client.

We do not make unrealistic promises and always stand by our words. However, if a client wants us to incorporate a few changes to the site midway, we may need more time in achieving the expectations.

 

4) We Are Transparent 

We don’t just need your business, but we need you as well. We strive to create a relationship with our clients. We will not make false promises to make you sign up for our services. Once you are in, we will keep you posted on the progress of the site.

As a client, you will have the full liberty to ask us about the project status at regular intervals. In case if we are unable to create what you ask for, which is, an impossible phenomenon, we will not mince words.

 

5) We Create Personalized Strategies

We do not subscribe to the one-size-fits-all approach. Rather, we devise different strategies for different companies depending on their needs and aspirations.

A proven strategy for a client may turn into an utter failure for another client if we don’t tweak it as per the new needs.

To achieve an intended result, we brainstorm for the perfect set of strategies to be used for a project.

 

6) We Deliver Real Conversions, Real Results

From the success of the projects we did, we proudly say that we deliver real results. Our SEO friendly web design strategies helped a slew of companies increase their conversions by multiple folds. We achieve this by enhancing the user experience and engagement on a website.

We keep an eye on the developments of the industry and adopt the latest trends to stay relevant in the game. An example of our adaptability is our preference for mobile-friendly websites.

Drop your details here to get a free consultation from our web design experts in Scottsdale, AZ.

Types of Website Design Services We Offer

 

1) Ecommerce Web Design

Ecommerce web design is a whole new ballgame. But we have mastered it. The e-commerce sites we have developed are robust, agile and customized.

Streamlined checkout, custom product pages, product filters, ERP integration, landing pages, BOGOs, promotional tools, sales funnels — you name it, we have it.

You can easily manage the content of your eCommerce site using the Content Management System (CMS). Adding/removing pages, products, blog posts will be a breeze using the CMS.

 

2) Responsive Web Design

 

We create websites that look equally good across all devices. The responsive websites we create intelligently adjust themselves for different screen sizes and viewports.

Resizing, enlarging and shrinking are all done automatically based on a device for the best viewing experience. Elements such as menus, text, images, layouts and video players automatically adjust themselves as per the visitor’s screen size and orientation.

 

3) CMS Development

 

Gone are the days where you need a dedicated team to update the information on your website frequently. With CMS in place, content authoring and publishing have become a lot easier.

Even users who are unfamiliar with the technicalities of content management can create a content-enriched website, thanks to the user-friendliness of the CMS apps we create. The CMS apps we create will be in harmony with your business goals for a seamless workflow.

 

4) Corporate Web Design

Every corporate website Integrated IT Solutions creates a primary goal: To tell the audience why your company matters for them. It is a place where we tell the audience your whole story. The website will always be audience-centric.

Our ultimate goal is to convert your company into a brand among your target audience. We can even arm up your corporate website with selected eCommerce capabilities to suit your needs.

You can easily incorporate features such as dealer locator and dealer dashboard into your website.

Are you looking for the best web design agency in Scottsdale, AZ? Then, you are in the right place. Call us at (480) 462-1502

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22Jul

Keeping Your Website Up to Date Is More Important Than You Might Think

July 22, 2020 W. Scott Cain Uncategorized 54
  1. Build Trust
    Whether your sell products, services or both, accurate descriptions and images allow you to build trust with your current and potential customers and clients. Your reliability and attention to detail positions you as a trusted resource and business. If you provide an incorrect telephone number or image or fail to indicate that a product sold out, a customer’s negative experience can affect their trust in you.  See how Rhino Fat Tire Scooters builds trust on their website.
  2. Establish Authority
    Domain authority describes a website’s relevance for a certain subject area or industry. This relevance directly impacts its search engine ranking. No matter your subject area or industry, you can establish authority in the following ways: by tailoring your content to your target audiences, delivering it in various length formats such as tweets and blogs, and including the keywords that your audiences use in searches. With time, you’ll establish your domain authority.
  3. Increase Traffic
    Up-to-date content translates to trust and domain authority, which in turn translates to an increase in website traffic. Stay on top of communicating your story, products and services, and you can expect to boost your visibility and business. Describing new services and products as well as writing value-added posts and blogs that contain keywords and links, can give you traction in the online world. Many digital marketing specialists work with their clients on a content strategy and calendar to ensure that content stays fresh and compelling. While removing that discontinued product from your retail website may not be high on your priority list, these three reasons might convince you otherwise. No matter your subject area or industry, up-to-date content is critical to your business success.
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25Feb

2019 SEO Predictions

February 25, 2019 W. Scott Cain SEO 49

It’s a new year and that means making changes. Looking back at 2018 can give SEOs some insight on what to expect in 2019. The following are four SEO predictions for the new year.

1. Search Engines Will Become Smarter

It’s predicted that search engines won’t think like search engines anymore. Instead, they’ll start to think like a person would. Rather than focusing SEO on keyword lists, SEOs should start to think about the goals and motivation their audience has, and focus their content on that. They should understand the intent behind the search so they can deliver proper results.

2. Things Will Speed Up

More and more consumers are on-the-go when they’re completing a search. They want answers and they want them fast. Your site and your content have to be up to speed. It has to be available quickly, it has to be exactly what the user wants and it has to be easily accessible. This could also reduce the need for backlinks in 2019, though they still matter and should still be used appropriately.

3. Traditional Rankings Will Improve Voice Searches

Voice searches are always increasing, so if you have a traditional SEO plan in action, you’re actually in a good spot. Traditional rankings are important when it comes to voice searches because UX optimization, on-page SEO and an effective SEO strategy improve voice search results.

4. Google Will Get Some Competition

Although other “engines” are already out there, 2019 might be the year they make a bigger comeback. People are looking for information and products all over the place, not just on Google. They’re on various mobile apps, Apple, Amazon and more. You need to be where your customers are looking so it’s important you give Google some competition.

As you can see, SEO is alive and well and here to stay for 2019. Always remember things are speeding up and you need to keep up with it.

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15Jul

Pokemon Go Pokedex List Sorted by Type [INFOGRAPHIC]

July 15, 2016 W. Scott Cain Fun 53

Pokemon Go Pokedex List Sorted by Type

With the Pokemon Go mania going around, we thought we wound set aside some time and put together a helpful list of Pokemon Go characters organized by type and what the evolve into.  View the infographic below.

Pokemon Go Pokedex

PokeDex

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18Mar

5 Ways to Make More Out of Your Content Assets

March 18, 2016 W. Scott Cain Digital Marketing 41

5 Ways to Make More Out of Your Content Assets

If you have a product or business, you know the importance of advertising. Thanks to the Internet, it is fairly easy to reach the masses simply by having an online presence, such as a website or blog. Of course, your site needs to have more than just bare-bones details on it, which is where content marketing comes in. Any content, whether it be well-written articles, graphs, photos or reviews, is a valuable way to draw potential customers to your business, and, hopefully to turn them into paying customers.

So, how do you get content on your website? If you enjoy writing and photography, are passionate about your field and have plenty of spare time, you can create your own content. However, most business owners are busy with other aspects of running the company, and don’t have the time or desire to sit down and write new articles every day or even once per week. In that case, you can either hire someone to create meaningful content, or you can purchase it from a marketing company. In either case, you’ll need room in your budget to do so.

Small companies tend to have small marketing budgets, so when it comes to content marketing they want to stretch their dollar as far as possible. One good way to do that is to repurpose their existing content. That doesn’t mean simply rearranging the words and calling it new. Rather, it means focusing on a certain detail of the product or service that is offered and expanding on it, or presenting it in a whole new way. Read on for 5 cool ways to make more out of your content assets.

 

1. Add Quizzes to Your Content

It’s no secret that people love quizzes. They’re really nothing new; print magazines have been drawing readers in by utilizing them for decades. The great thing about online quizzes, though, is that after readers take them they often share the results on social media. Their contacts click on it, and pretty soon those people on your site, too. What a great way to get the ball rolling in your direction. Just make sure that the questions and answers have something to do with your business.

 

2. Use a Slideshow

In content marketing, the key is to have shareable content. Use a slideshow on your site to get viewers interested in your business. Gather images or blurbs from your existing content and put it into this format. Give it a heading that draws people in, such as “Top 10 Ways to Trick Your Wheels,” or whatever is relevant to what you are selling. Viewers click from one image to the next, and learn something valuable about your product. They’ll be intrigued, and hopefully will share what they’ve learned with their online friends.

 

3. Chat About It

It seems like social media is all about hashtags lately. If there’s a conversation going on that has anything to do with your business, start a chat feature on your website. Allow users to join in and share opinions with each other, and be sure to enter the conversation yourself. You can include findings from your research that are published on your site, which may cause people to dig more deeply into your existing content. If you come across as an expert who is approachable, customers may feel more comfortable using your services.

 

4. Put Data in Motion

If your website has a lot of information on it, some customers may find it hard to sift through. In content marketing, sites with video are more likely to be seen. A great idea is to take that boring data and turn it into a creative video. By using widely-available office software, you can create slides with charts and graphics and put it into motion. Add a voice reel to it and grab more viewers.

 

5. Take a Poll

People love to have their opinions be heard, and they love to be counted. There’s no simpler way to let users voice their opinion than to take a poll. By asking just one pertinent question, you can get people thinking about a critical aspect of your business. For instance, a roofing company might ask users how many years the average roof’s lifespan is. As long as the question gets people thinking about your product or service in a positive way, it is a good question. Make sure that users can click to see poll results. Not only do people like to be heard, they like to know how their opinion compares to others.

Content marketing is a fascinating and relatively simple way to build trust between companies and customers. By adding relevant, detailed and true content to your website people will look to you as an authority in your profession. Adding fresh content can be as easy as changing the format or expounding on a topic that has only been lightly covered in the past. By using the above strategies, small businesses can stretch their marketing budget.

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15Mar

Use These 5 Simple Snippets for Ecommerce SEO

March 15, 2016 W. Scott Cain SEO 43

Use These 5 Simple Snippets for Ecommerce SEO

Since the beginning of ecommerce SEO on the Internet many years ago, stores have been vying for attention and sales from their customers. Competition is fierce, and buyers are always shopping for the best deal. Most shoppers look for the same key factors when shopping online as they do in person: price, brand-name appeal, availability and reputation.

So how does a store make sure they get noticed online? If you’ve been studying ecommerce SEO and online marketing in general, you’ve probably seen lots of acronyms being tossed around. For instance, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. You’ll see SERPs, which means Search Engine Results Page. Another common on is CTR, or Click Through Results. All of these things are important for getting your store and your product seen on the Internet. Believe it or not, there are some simple techniques you can use to increase traffic to your site and convert browsing shoppers to buyers. One of the easiest to implement is the use of rich snippets.

Rich snippets are not, as their name might imply, spoiled snobby people. Not at all. In fact, they are humble bits of data that exist solely to help you improve your bottom line. The snippets contain useful information that helps marketers add details about their product and their store to online search results. The information is presented in a way that is common to all users, similar to a language. When shoppers see search results on a page, their eyes are drawn to certain features, such as five gold stars for a product that has good reviews. There are 5 simple snippets that are commonly used, and all ecommerce SEO marketing managers should know what they are.

1. Product 

snippet

In order to show people that they are looking at an actual product that is for sale, and not an informational article or news story, you need to include a rich snippet that contains that data. Information here will include store name, brand, size, color, flavor, etcetera, as well as links to similar items. The information is presented in the same format for each listing, which allows users to know what they are looking at even if they are skimming quickly down the page.

 

2. Price 

price-snippet

Potential customers are usually interested in the price of the product, so you’ll want to be sure to include a rich snippet that shows the current price, and, if it’s on sale, the percentage it is marked down. Pricing is very important and should be visible at a glance, to keep it simple for customers to make a decision.

 

3. Reviews and Ratings

snippet

If you’ve ever searched for a product and were happy to see more gold stars than a general has on his lapels, you know how important customer feedback can be to your shopping experience. These little stars indicate how satisfied other shoppers were with the product and the store, and they can be one of the best ways to turn someone who is browsing into someone who is buying.

 

4. Availability

available-snippet

Nothing frustrates the shopping experience more than finding out the product you want to order is out of stock. By adding a rich snippet that shows whether or not each product is currently in stock, your customers can quickly see if they can get what they need from your store right now. This is one simple way to build trust between buyers and sellers.

 

5. Pay Per Click

PPC-Product-Snippets

Pay Per Click, or PPC, is an advertising method that ecommerce SEO marketers use to bring buyers to their website. Basically, the store pays the search engine every time someone clicks on one of their ads. By using rich snippets, customers are more likely to click on your ad or store listing. This is a smart way to advertise, because you are paying for visits to your website.

Marketing strategies are constantly changing and evolving to keep up with technology and the way that people shop. By using rich snippets, you’ll be able to bring serious buyers to your website by showing them exactly what products you have, how much they cost and if they are in stock. In addition, your advertising budget will go further because most of the clicks that you pay for will lead to an immediate or future sale.

In addition to being a valuable marketing tool for online retail stores, rich snippets can also bring customers to restaurants and other brick-and-mortar stores. Authors, publishers, musicians and even events benefit from the use of rich snippets. Basically, anybody or anything that has a presence on the Web and wants to attract attention to it should add them to their listing.

Ecommerce SEO marketing and advertising can be a lot of fun. There are many ways to increase traffic to your site, but by using the 5 simple rich snippets listed above, you should see a marked increase in your SERPs and CTRs. The best part is, your customers will be just as happy as you are.

 

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12Mar

What is RankBrain’s Impact on SEO and the Importance of Links?

March 12, 2016 W. Scott Cain SEO 46

What is RankBrain’s Impact on SEO and the Importance of Links?

Last year, Google introduced the public to its refined algorithm that utilizes RankBrain. It had already been in use for several months by the time of Google’s announcement. In that short amount of time, while changes had not been recognized yet by the industry, it had already become an important factor in page ranking. It is expected that Google will soon make another announcement stating that RankBrain is now the primary ranking factor in the Google search algorithm. What remains to be seen is what that means for the optimization of websites for search engine rankings.

What is RankBrain?

Google uses many factors, roughly 200 in fact, to determine page rankings and keyword matches. RankBrain is one of those search signals. It is an advanced machine, or artificial intelligence, that learns from user input data, queries, trends and other inputs. What it learns is then put into the search algorithm. It makes the algorithm more intuitive when it comes to finding relevant pages for a searcher’s query. It is specialized in improving the results for uncommon queries, searches that use several highly specific words and those that may not have exact word matches. It gives Google the ability to “read” sentences and infer meaning from them, instead of just focusing on keywords.

 

How Are Search Rankings Determined?

Out of the many search signals that Google uses, some are weighted more heavily when determining ranking. SEOs use search signals, especially those that are more favored by the algorithm, to optimize websites for higher rankings. Google will not specifically indicate how the most important signals are rated. Click-through rates, keywords, user experience and links have traditionally been the most important factors in ranking.

 

What Is Its Current Effect?

When RankBrain was announced in October 2015, Google’s senior research scientist, Greg Corrado noted that the artificial intelligence was already one of Google’s top search signals. In fact, it was the third-most important signal at the time of the announcement, affecting 15% of all searches. While 15% may not seem like a very dramatic number, it is in the world of SEO, where the next biggest change has only affected about 7% of queries. The impact is so great that it is believed that if it were to suddenly turn off, it would have noticeable damaging effects.

 

How Will Its Effect Change?

It is expected that Google will soon announce that RankBrain is the most impactful search signal in Google’s algorithm. This means that, where links used to dominate the SEO, it will now be an advanced machine. It will be pervasive, but there are advantages to its presence, because the AI can connect ambiguous or more natural language queries with relevant search results. When there is any change to SEO algorithms, there can be significant setbacks for companies trying to adjust to them. And the natural conclusion to come to is that when one signal becomes more important, other search signals, like links, become less important, relatively speaking. This will probably not be as much of the case with RankBrain, because it uses input factors, such as keywords and links, to function and learn more about users and then uses that information to find relevant content.

 

What Is the Real Impact?

The question then becomes, what do those in the business of website optimization need to do in order to keep up with Google’s change? The good news is that rankings have remained fairly steady since the inception of RankBrain. The stability of it has a lot to do with the fact that it uses many of the search signals already used in Google’s existing algorithm. The working theory is that those signals will continue to be used in the future and some, like link metrics, will become even more important factors as the algorithm becomes more dependent on artificial intelligence.

 

How to Maintain Your Website Optimization

While RankBrain has not caused much variance in rankings so far, there are strategies that experts believe will help you boost and maintain your ranking. The great thing about Google’s AI is that it learns how to correlate previously unknown or never before tried searches with relevant pages, it then integrates that knowledge into the system for future use. The absolute best thing you can put on your website is thoughtful and high quality content. Strive to create a useful website that is relevant to what your customers want and need. Make it comprehensive and visually appealing. The new algorithm is intended to understand natural language more easily so that it should do a better job connecting users to relevant content.

Ultimately, RankBrain may become a game changer when it comes to search engine algorithms. It creates a more intuitive and user-friendly ranking system that learns from searches and users. And while it has been successful with minimal damaging impacts so far, its long-term effects have yet to be seen.

 

 

 

 

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10Mar

Google Removes Sidebar Ads

March 10, 2016 W. Scott Cain PPC 50

Google Removes Sidebar Ads

Google has recently changed its search results to remove ads from the right hand sidebar. This has been a widely talked about change and will likely have an impact on ad campaigns moving forward. As the right sidebar ads have played a key function in PPC advertising, many are wondering how it will effect Google search results and what advertising strategies will be best moving forward.

 

What Is the Change?

4-ads-top-no-sidebarsidebar-ads-no-more

 

Google previously displayed 1-3 ads at the top of each search query. The right sidebar would have ads 4-8, while the bottom displayed 9-11. Now, Google will generally have 3 ads at the beginning of the search results. For “highly commercial queries,” Google will likely have 4 ads at the top of the page. Examples of these types of searches include those for car insurance and hotels. The remaining ads for the page, ads 5-7, will be located on the bottom of the page. This means the total ads on each page is less than it was previously.

Why Would Google Remove Side Ads?

Of course, increased revenue is likely to be a big factor in Google’s decision to eliminate sidebar ads. With fewer ads per page, it is likely that PPC rates for ad campaigns will go up because of competition to get on the first page of results. While many are concerned by the removal of the ads, it is well documented that click-through rates for the sidebar ads are fairly low. In fact, the sidebar ads have the lowest rates of any of the ads on the page, including bottom ads. Another factor is the increased use of mobile devices for searching. In 2015, for the first time ever, more searches were conducted on a mobile device than on a desktop, a trend that will likely continue. A mobile search has less room for ads. Removing sidebar ads creates a similar experience for desktop and mobile users.

 

How Will This Change Pay Per Click Campaigns?

With less ads per page, there will be more competition for top spots on the first page. Companies may need to pay more to ensure that their ads get top billing. For those advertisers that have smaller budgets for their PPC ad campaigns or are bidding for popular search terms, they may have a harder time getting on the first page. However, it is important to know that sidebar ads, as mentioned before, have a relatively low click-through rate. Bottom and sidebar ads combined only account for about 14% of total clicks. And it is only desktop searches that are affected by the change, which are less than half of all queries, making the impacted clicks drop to 7%, and that still includes bottom ad clicks. If those are removed from the equation, sidebar clicks actually account for a very small fraction of total clicks. Therefore, clicks per page should not change dramatically with their removal. In fact, while the change will affect the number of ads per page, it may actually make the ads that are displayed more efficient and a better value.

 

How Will This Change Organic Search Results?

Companies that rely on organic search results in their ad campaigns will see their results pushed further down on the page. Of real concern is that, on some screens and with some searches, all organic results may be pushed below the fold, meaning that users will have to scroll down before they can view any non-ad results. This could mean lower click-through rates, although true effects remain the be seen. Google is also adding more organic results per page, up to nine. Many industry experts estimate that these adjustments will not create any large scale change in the long-term. Others, however, are saying that the only real loser with the removal of sidebar ads is the organic search.

 

How Should Advertising Tactics Change?

Top results on the first page can be expensive and prices may go up with the removal of ads on the sidebar. Advertisers will need to determine if the PPC for their ad campaigns is worth the price. In the end, companies should stress the importance of better quality ads. This includes developing an understanding of customer needs to direct users to relevant and high quality landing pages, create ad copy that is user-centric and target search terms.

If your ad campaigns rely on organic results, you will continue to compete against PPC ads. Ads will continue to evolve, becoming more interactive to capture user interest. Site owners and companies that use SEOs must continue to strive for high ranking results through meaningful keywords. In addition, they will need to stand out among other listings using specific tools that are the right fit for their site, their company and their users.

Ultimately, the impact of the removal of Google’s right hand sidebar ads on advertisers is still unknown. What is known is that Google’s aim is to streamline the user’s experience while continuing its successful PPC advertising. The success will be determined by the algorithms for AdWords and the organic search. Advertisers can use tracking tools to determine how to better their search rankings.

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23Feb

Optimize Your WordPress Site for SEO With These Simple Tips

February 23, 2016 W. Scott Cain SEO, Wordpress 46

As the dominant content management system on the net, WordPress sites are ideal for disseminating Search Engine Optimization content. What started out as a basic blogging platform has evolved into the premiere CMS, with an estimated fifth to a third of all sites online using various versions of WordPress, far larger market share than any other CMS. Because of its prevalence and its open-source nature, it offers a number of options for optimizing its content. Take advantage with these tips to increase the effectiveness of your WordPress SEO.

 

Concerning Plugins

WordPress is designed to work with add-ons, and with over 40,000 free and paid plugins available, you can customize your site for a variety of specific purposes. Be careful about which plugins you install, however. While most will have passed an initial coder review, some can open you to security risks, or may not be kept up-to-date with the most recent installations of WordPress. Look for plugins rated highly by the community, and don’t bloat your system with unnecessary additions that will go unused. That being said, it is well worth investing in a few plugins developed for WordPress SEO to facilitate the techniques outlined below.

 

Sitemaps and Robots.txt Files

Important tools in optimization, sitemaps and robots exclusion protocols are used to direct a search engine’s web crawlers around a site. An XML sitemap provides information about when different URLs on a site have been updated and how important they are, while the robots.txt file tells web crawlers to exclude particular sites from their indexing. Both types of files can be created and edited via WordPress SEO plugins, without relying on external tools. Once you’ve made and uploaded a sitemap, submit a link to the webmaster tools of the desired search engines to promote the indexing of the site.

 

Title Tags and Meta Descriptions

Most pages intended to come up in search engine results should have title tags and a meta description included in the page’s header to display in the results listings, encouraging clicks and emphasizing the keywords. With a plugin, you can edit the headers of pages on your site individually, or bulk edit multiple pages at once. If a page shows extra text after the inputted keywords, make sure no universal titles tags are enabled on your site. Plugins can also be used to test how the description will most likely display in search engine results, allowing you to tweak it to focus on the desired keywords.

 

Tracking Codes

Tracking codes allow you to monitor and examine traffic on your site, automatically sending the gathered data to a chosen analytics service so you can evaluate the success of your WordPress SEO. The code can be inserted into any page’s header manually or by using a plugin. If you can’t edit the header.php file, verify that you have admin rights on the website.

 

Search Engine Visibility

If your site doesn’t seem to be found by search engines after a reasonable period of time, it may be due to a backend option in WordPress that adds NoFollow and NoIndex codes to all pages of the site, acting similarly to robots.txt files to dissuade crawlers from indexing. While owners of private blogs may prefer this obscurity, it defeats the purpose of SEO. To turn off this feature, look for “Search Engine Visibility” in the settings of your site, and make sure that “discourage search engines from indexing” is unchecked.

When setting up a site to serve SEO content, there are numerous tweaks that will improve its performance in search engine indexing and how your pages display in search results. With sitemaps, header meta, tracking codes and the right plugins to simplify your WordPress SEO, you can get the most out of your site.

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20Feb

How to Conduct a Post-Panda Content Audit

February 20, 2016 W. Scott Cain SEO 42

If your business has a website, you have probably heard something about the importance of content and search engine optimization, or SEO. Content includes all the words, images and videos on your site. This definition may be expanded to include your site’s metadata, which is usually invisible to human visitors but is indexed by search engines, such as Google. Optimizing for search engines is the practice of creating content that shows up at the top of Internet search results.

 

What Is All This Panda Business, and Why Does It Matter?

In the context of SEO, Google is very important because it is one of the most popular search engines in the world and so it sets the standard for the Internet search industry. Panda is Google’s name for an algorithm that ranks web pages based on the quality of their content. Of course, because the Panda algorithm is an automated program and not a human, it bases its estimation of quality on some secret combination of factors that a robot can analyze.

 

Isn’t SEO Dead?

SEO is far from dead. However, approaches to optimization are constantly changing to keep up with the ranking methods of top search engines. In the past, it was relatively easy to appear high in search results based on keywords and backlinks, but Panda has shaken things up by focusing on quality. You do still need to optimize your site for search, and you do still need to use keywords, but you must ensure that your content is high-quality, not just strings of keywords or boilerplate text. Even though Google is keeping the exact formula a secret, there are some specific, quality-related elements that you should look for during your SEO and content audit.

 

What Exactly Is a Content Audit?

The New Oxford American Dictionary defines the word “audit” as “a systematic review or assessment of something.” So, when you audit your website for content, you will be examining each page to check for quality issues, and making notes about where you need to improve. It is important that you complete the audit before going in to make corrections. Do your inspection, record what you find, then go over your findings and create a systematic improvement plan.

 

What Is the Easiest Way to Organize an Audit?

If you have a small website, with perhaps fewer than 100 pages, you can do the SEO audit yourself, with a spreadsheet. If you have a larger site, you will probably want to use a commercially-available web-crawl tool to gather the information. If you are going with the spreadsheet idea, you’ll need to create fields for each page’s URL, title, word count and meta description. If you use images in your content, record the metadata or alt text for each image, too. If you want to go a little deeper, open up an analytics program and record each page’s bounce rate, page rank and any other information you wish to analyze.

 

What Improvements Should You Focus On?

Now that you have all of the site’s SEO information in front of you, it’s time to start looking for patterns. If you find that a lot of your text is repeated on different pages throughout your site, you’ll want to change that. Instead of deleting pages or paragraphs, though, make a note to rewrite the content so that you have some variety while remaining relevant to your intended audience. If you find any grammatical or typographical errors, make editing those sections a top priority. Another thing to look for is a variety of keywords. If you know that certain words or phrases are very important to your customers, yet you don’t have any pages featuring on those topics, make a note to improve your SEO by creating content that those keywords.

Content auditing is something you should do at least once per year. The first time you do it, you will probably find a lot of room for improvement. If so, just concentrate on the areas that will have the biggest impact. Next year’s audit can revolve around smaller details if necessary. Above all, keep creating and sharing high-quality content as you grow your business.

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18Feb

The Top 5 Ways to Increase Your WordPress Site Speed

February 18, 2016 W. Scott Cain SEO, Wordpress 38

The free, open-source software WordPress is one of the most popular blogging publishing systems online. If you maintain a blog or webpage, the chances are good that it runs on WordPress architecture. Not all WordPress installations are created equal, however. Some pages can be much slower than others, to the detriment of your users. For every extra second your webpages take to load, you are losing out on clicks and revenue. Fortunately, with a few tweaks, WordPress optimization can help your site pick up speed, and visitors, clients and customers with it.

 

1. Hosting

The first step to achieving a lightning-fast site is choosing the right host. Shared hosting, in which your site is one of many on a single web server, is often the cheapest option, as it spreads the cost of the server among all its customers. However, you get what you paid for. While shared hosting can support smaller, low-traffic sites, too many hits on any one of the hosted sites will throttle the entire system, slowing your site and the others to a crawl.

For any high-traffic site, dedicated hosting, in which your site is the only one on the server, is essential. Though more expensive, it will keep your bandwidth running open and fast. In the case of medium-sized sites, limited shared hosting may be acceptable, but research webhosts carefully. Read reviews and test the speeds of other sites on the service before signing up.

 

2. Caching Plugins

Another crucial aspect of WordPress optimization is caching. In the basic system, every time a visitor loads a page, the backend code pulls from the database to build the HTML, which the user’s browser then loads and displays. Caching significantly shortens this procedure by saving an already-built copy of the HTML or parts of it, so the server doesn’t need to process it completely every time a page is opened. Instead, when a user visits a previously cached page, their browser can immediately download the HTML, without waiting for the server to produce it. A number of reliable caching plugins are offered for the WordPress software.

 

3. Content Delivery Networks

Content Delivery Networks are an increasingly popular way to manage WordPress optimization. A CDN is a networked server with multiple locations nation- or world-wide, which hosts various static files from your site, including:

  • Images (such as JPGs, PNGs or GIFs)
  • CSS
  • Javascript

The CDN serves these files to visitors from the nearest available servers. Rather than crossing the country, the files are retrieved from closer locations, shaving milliseconds or more off of every download. WordPress plugins that can handle CDN are available, in addition to third-party services.

 

4. Image Compression

As images are often some of the larger files on a site, compressing them to reduce their file size, and thus improve their download speed, will make any site load faster. While you can use online or freeware image adjusters, the most efficient solution is to install a WordPress optimization plugin to automatically resize your images as they’re uploaded.

 

5. Minify Javascript and CSS

As with images, reducing the size of other files can likewise improve your users’ download speeds. Minification involves combining and shortening CSS and Javascript into single, economical files, removing unnecessary linebreaks or code along the way. By using a WordPress plugin to minify such files, you can easily update your site’s theme without having extra work reformatting the files every time.

By choosing the right host and CDN to improve bandwidth, and using caching, compression and minification to make smaller, quicker to download files, you can speed up any site. With these and other WordPress optimization techniques, every visitor to your site will see what you want them to, without having to wait.

 

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22Jan

Leave No Stone Unturned With These Keyword Research Tools

January 22, 2016 W. Scott Cain Keyword Research, SEO 31
By now most people are familiar with Twitter and users’ regular use of hashtags. Keywords can gleaned from these conversations by searching for a hashtag and checking out the discussions that surround the phrase. For example, a company that sells DJ services in Arizona might look at #AZwedding to see what kinds of topics people who are looking for wedding music are asking about.
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21Jan

Avoid These 5 SEO Rookie Mistakes

January 21, 2016 W. Scott Cain SEO 32

Everyone is a beginner at everything at some point, and learning about SEO is no exception. Few people come into the world of listings placement with advanced knowledge of the subject, and as such, there is a learning curve involved. Fortunately, by applying yourself to acquiring skills and learning from mistakes, expertise in SEO can be gained fairly quickly. Here are some common rookie mistakes that we all can gain some wisdom from. (more…)

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10Jan

Check Your Crystal Ball for 2016 SEO Trends

January 10, 2016 W. Scott Cain SEO 34

Change is inevitable, especially in the SEO realm, so it may be impossible to predict what will happen in the coming year. That won’t stop us, though. We’ve consulted with the oracle and suggest these trends might show up in force in 2016. (more…)

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02Jan

Link Building for SEO Requires Manual Labor

January 2, 2016 W. Scott Cain Link Building, SEO 36

Most business owners have attended networking sessions where executives or professionals meet each other to learn how they can collaborate to benefit both businesses. Link building on a website relies on a similar approach. The process by which you can tie your website to others’ sites and vice versa is networking in the online world, and it’s great for SEO, if done properly. Let’s look at some reasons link building is worthwhile and a few tips for best practices. (more…)

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31Dec

Fresh Content Shouldn’t Be Faked

December 31, 2015 W. Scott Cain Digital Marketing, SEO 36

You’ve heard it time and again when learning ways to increase your website’s SEO: Fresh content equals higher rankings. However, you may have wondered if this was true and if so, how much of a boost would you expect to see. Researchers have experimented with content posting dates to see what the effects of more recent dates have had on SEO. Let’s take a look at some of their findings and what it can mean for your website traffic. (more…)

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28Dec

5 Digital Marketing Trends for 2016

December 28, 2015 W. Scott Cain Digital Marketing 32

As the attention given to traditional television advertising dwindles, the opportunities for businesses to make money online has increased. Each year, new innovations create ways for companies to get their marketing efforts in front of consumers, and 2016 will continue that trend. We’ve checked out some of the most intriguing options and gathered five interesting candidates that may help you boost your company’s bottom line.

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26Dec

Don’t Let Keyword Cannibalization Eat Your Site Alive

December 26, 2015 W. Scott Cain SEO 32

When it comes to SEO, keywords are our best friends, right? Hold the phone. Although that generally is the case, some webmasters have a tendency to use the same keywords over and over, which sort of defeats the purpose of using them. Confused? Let us explain.  (more…)

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12Dec

Top 5 Local Search Ranking Factors and What They Mean

December 12, 2015 W. Scott Cain Local SEO, SEO 33

Business owners who are trying to expand their local reach might start to explore the realm of local SEO rankings. If you’re a member of this category, it’s much more beneficial for you to get started on the right foot from the beginning rather than go through a lengthy period of trial and error. Brush up on the top five local search engine factors and the meanings behind them.

(more…)

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10Dec

Top 5 SEO Tips for Startups With a New Website

December 10, 2015 W. Scott Cain SEO 31

If yours is a startup company that has just launched a new website, you’ll want to do everything you can to give yourself and your business every advantage when it comes to drawing in new customers and boosting interest. As it seems to be with most aspects of business these days, search engine optimization has a sizeable influence on how well your business does when it comes to overall visibility. Learn a few SEO tips you can put to good use on your gleaming new website.

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18Jun

Why Every Small Business Should Use Local SEO

June 18, 2015 W. Scott Cain Local SEO 29

You have probably heard a lot about using SEO to drive traffic to a website. It is one of the best ways to naturally increase the number of visitors who land on your site each day. While you may know of a few different strategies, there is a chance that you have not started to use local SEO as a small business owner. If you are not targeting the people who live in the area where you run your business, you are likely missing out on sales. When you are not making enough sales, it may be difficult to stay afloat and keep the doors open. (more…)

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18Jun

Keys for Creating Shareworthy Content

June 18, 2015 W. Scott Cain Digital Marketing 31

Digital marketing is all about creating content that people will actually want to read from start to finish. This is important because most content is only skimmed through. It has actually been proven that humans on average have an attention span of about eight seconds. That means a piece of content has that small window of time to impress a reader. While luck does a play a factor, it’s also about skill and knowing the keys to writing highly engaging articles that will prompt readers to share and spread the word about the piece. (more…)

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18Jun

Don’t Fall For These Common SEO Myths

June 18, 2015 W. Scott Cain SEO 30

Search engine optimization has always been regarded as the foundational method for generating traffic for your website. While SEO has enormous potential for elevating your online presence, you have to be able to distinguish the right implementation from the wrong way. There’s a lot of information out there that’s either flat out false or was once true but has since changed due to modifications in the search engine algorithms. Some of these methods are not only wrong but may even get your site penalized or banned altogether. (more…)

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14Jun

How to Convince Webmasters That Their Website Needs a Makeover

June 14, 2015 W. Scott Cain Web Design 35

Statistics are pretty grim when it comes to ecommerce sites. Most are lucky just to acquire daily traffic past the single digit range. The reasons most websites do not perform well is because they are not optimized. For website redesign services, they need to use data and numbers to show prospective clients why their site needs a drastic makeover if they hope to gain any momentum or edge over their competitors. (more…)

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27May

How To Use Flat Web Design to Your Advantage

May 27, 2015 W. Scott Cain Web Design 37

While the world continues to embrace the latest and greatest in technological improvements and advancements, it seems that there has been a constant shift in the face of web design. (more…)

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27May

How to Make Great Design and SEO Work Together

May 27, 2015 W. Scott Cain SEO 31

One common problem that professionals in the web design field often encounter is determining how to set up their sites to cater to different crowds. On one hand, there is a need to provide great SEO to rank well with various algorithms and search engines. On the other, there is a need to provide the ultimate user experience. (more…)

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20May

Five Ways Flat Web Design Differs From Material Web Design

May 20, 2015 W. Scott Cain Web Design 33

At Integrated Solutions, we know our customers have many choices and factors to consider when it comes to optimal web design. One of the most common concerns we address is the difference between flat and material web design, as well as determining which (more…)

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20May

Four Ways to Simplify Your Web Design

May 20, 2015 W. Scott Cain Web Design 35

In the world of web design, simple goes a long way. At Integrated IT Solutions, we know consumers have myriad choices online. We also know that the hardest battle can be winning their attention. Focus your efforts on designing a simple website that keeps clutter to a minimum and streamlines the user decision-making process to see a boost in traffic as well as results. Here’s how to hone in on the user experience and simplify web design.
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23Jul

Why SEO cannot be your only strategy

July 23, 2014 W. Scott Cain SEO 33
The SEO landscape is changing, yes its still changing. In this post, we aren't going to focus on the algorithm changes, which you can view on our interactive algorithm time line. We are going to focus on the evolution of search features and how to think ahead, see why you cannot put all of your marketing eggs in one basket, and insight into Google's bread and butter, paid search.
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19Jul

Pigeon Local SEO Algorithm Change

July 19, 2014 W. Scott Cain SEO 31
Google has released Pigeon, a local SEO update that everyone in the SEO industry is talking about. After the dust has settled, several individuals have made claims to who the winners and losers are. We believe that it will take more time to really see who the true winners are, but for now we can speculate with the rest of them.
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12Jul

Should I Pick a .com and how will it affect my SEO?

July 12, 2014 W. Scott Cain Local SEO 29
The simple answer is yes, choose a .com top level domain. Country code top level domains are interpreted by Google in a way that tells them this is where your business or organization exists. If you purchase a .fr or .ly domain, Google will think that you operate out of France or Libya.
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06Jul

Local SEO Audit Checklist

July 6, 2014 W. Scott Cain Local SEO 29
Before you choose you local SEO company, take one hour to complete the following small business audit to educate yourself about your website and where it needs improvement. The following audit is intended for small business owners, some of these tasks may be considered more advanced.
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04Jul

Top iPhone Apps For SEO

July 4, 2014 W. Scott Cain SEO 29
Let's face it, we all take our cell phones to the bathroom. No one wants to be bored in the bathroom, so what do we do? We pull out our iPhones. And for all of us SEO junkies we like to run tests, monitor and see how website traffic is going today. Here are a few great iPhone apps that we use just for this circumstance.
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01Jul

Take Pride In Your Content & How To Get Great Ideas

July 1, 2014 W. Scott Cain SEO 29
As a content marketer we can get hung up on deliverables, frequency and length of our content. It is easy to find yourself in a slump and be bored with your content. You see this throughout the web where content is being written with no purpose or no value. We are here to tell you, STOP. Stop writing content for length, frequency or keywords; write for purpose. We are going to show you several ways that we encourage ourselves to write with purpose, and it actually works.
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28Jun

Top SEO & PPC Tools For SEO Pros

June 28, 2014 W. Scott Cain SEO 31
Woorank is a fantastic analysis tool as a whole. This tool is most valuable in early stages of an SEO campaign. The reason that we use this tool the most is because of how easy it is to present to clients and give them a broad understanding of the trouble areas that we need to improve. It also provides more than just on-page report cards and link analysis, it provides an insight into social and local ecosystems.
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26Jun

Facebook Is Dying A Slow Death & Here’s Why

June 26, 2014 W. Scott Cain SEO 32
Companies over the last few years have spent millions of dollars investing in developing their Facebook following. You see this anywhere from Super Bowl ads to print ads driving consumers to like them instead of to their website. And how does Facebook repay these businesses? Make them pay to reach their full audience. Facebook claims that the reason why businesses reach is declining is because there is more competition in the news feed from friends and family etc.
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22Jun

Hey Google, Shit Or Get Off The Pot

June 22, 2014 W. Scott Cain SEO 32
As an SEO, we follow the same “thought leaders”, everyone watches Moz’s Whiteboard Fridays, comments on their blogs to hear their own voice and get bragging rights in the industry. First, we love Moz - they are always the first to promote positive activities and openly slam bad tactics. I watched a Whiteboard Friday episode that Rand Fishkin put together on April 18, 2014 titled “6 Changes We Always Thought Google Would Make to SEO That They Haven’t Yet” and opened a sore subject with me… Anchor Text.
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09Mar

The Value Of Links & The Future Of Link Equity

March 9, 2014 W. Scott Cain SEO 31
Since Moz.com did a Whiteboard Friday post on the value of links, there has been much discussion around this subject, so we decided to challenge links and all signals and come up with our own conclusion. We analyzed many of the sites we manage as well as other sites and competitors. We went in with an open mind, hoping for a conclusion of course, but wanted to make sure we were open-minded.
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01Mar

Leader’s Know When To Stand Behind Their Team.

March 1, 2014 W. Scott Cain Small Business 34
This blog post is not necessarily about SEO strategy, but rather how to stand behind your employees during tough times in a client relationship. As a business owner your most valuable assets are your employees. Your employees are the blood flow of your business and as a business owner it is your responsibility to stand behind them during tough times
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14Jan

How To Properly Launch Your Website Redesign For SEO

January 14, 2014 W. Scott Cain SEO 30
Going through a website redesign is a great investment for your business and hopefully it has been built in a way that will increase your on page SEO and assist in your rankings. That being said, many development companies overlook a crucial part of the site launch and the steps missed can be devastating to your website
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09Jan

What Is A Quality Score?

January 9, 2014 W. Scott Cain PPC 30
A quality score is a relevancy metric determined by Google that shows how well your campaign is structured for each keyword phrases and dictates how much you will pay per click and where it is positioned by Google in the paid listings. A quality score can often be the difference maker in competitive industries
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14Dec

A Beginner’s Guide To Guest Blogging

December 14, 2013 W. Scott Cain Infographics, SEO 39
Prior to any writing or posting, you need to understand discover the opportunities and communities. Guest blogging should never be your SEO strategy, it should be a small percentage of your ongoing efforts in that strategy. You first must find these opportunities online, use your industry knowledge and look where people are getting their news and information
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12Nov

Link Reclamation Process & Tools

November 12, 2013 W. Scott Cain SEO 29
Acquiring links through content marketing is not an easy task, it takes time, creative minds, and thoughtful implementation. Sometimes your company may have great brand mentions online, which is great for your brand. When those mentions pass link equity from the publishers site to yours; its a beautiful thing
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18Oct

How Penguin 2.1 Improves Search Results

October 18, 2013 W. Scott Cain SEO 28
In the quest to improve search results and clean up the SEO industry, On October 4th, 2013 Penguin 2.1 was implemented by Google. Penguin 2.1 was another iteration of Penguin to devalue sites rankings that perform in unethical link building practices.
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16Oct

What Is Hummingbird & Why It’s Good For Search

October 16, 2013 W. Scott Cain SEO 29
Google has titled this modification Hummingbird, claiming that it is "precise and fast". Hummingbird was an algorithm modification that focuses on displaying proper results based on a more complex query the user makes. This more complex query stems from the use of mobile devices and voice activated technology such as Siri.
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