7 Reasons Why SEO is Important to Your Website

You spent a lot of time building your company’s website—but without an excellent search engine optimization (SEO) strategy, your business could be missing out. At Strategic Growth Advisors, we offer SEO and other services to help you grow and scale your business. Not sure why SEO matters for your business? Let us explain.

1. It Builds Your Industry Credibility

A big part of a sound SEO strategy is creating a user-friendly website that’s chock-full of useful, relevant content for your visitors. Over time, your SEO efforts can improve your brand’s credibility and help you become an established authority figure within your industry.

2. It Improves Your User Experience

UI Designer drawing website UX layout app development

Speaking of user experience, designing your website with SEO in mind means prioritizing your visitors’ experience. By making important content easy to find and ensuring that your site is easy to navigate, your visitors will look more favorably upon your brand.

3. It Can Be Easily Measured

Unlike some other forms of internet marketing, your SEO efforts can be easily tracked and measured. This makes it easy for you to see what’s working versus what may need to be improved upon. From there, you can make changes to best utilize your budget and get the best ROI.

4. It Boosts Your Search Engine Rankings

The right SEO practices will improve your rankings on the search engine results page (SERP), making it easier for your target audience to stumble upon your site and become familiar with your business. Your goal should be to rank on the first page of search engine results since up to 75% of users won’t even bother looking at the second page of results.

5. It Brings in More Web Traffic

The better your search engine ranking, the more likely you will be to bring in organic web traffic. More web traffic means more exposure to your brand and the potential for greater conversions.

6. It’s a Smart Use of Your Marketing Budget

union of marketing and budget as complementary elements of business, jigsaw puzzle

Search engine optimization is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies out there. It’s inexpensive (and even free) to implement many SEO strategies—and these tactics can pay off many times over in the long run. You can also easily calculate your SEO return on investment (ROI) to make sure it’s working in your favor.

7. It’s Great for Local Conversions

If you’re looking to improve local business conversion, then SEO is one of the best ways to do this. By simply creating and optimizing your Google My Business listing and third-party review sites, you can drastically increase your local visibility and boost business as a result.

Looking for SEO Help?

Creating and implementing a sound SEO strategy can help your business grow without the need for a large digital marketing budget. Are you looking for professional assistance in maximizing the results of your SEO plan? Our team at Strategic Growth Advisors is here to help. Contact us today to find out more about what we can do for your brand!

Digital marketing trends of 2020

Marketing in 2020 is peppered with the advances in technology but faces the additional challenge of thriving in the middle of a pandemic. Marketing has less “wiggle room” than in previous years and a wider – even captive – audience to dazzle. So how does the average company stand out two decades into the millennium? Easy: through an assortment of thoughtful engagement, visually-focused ads, and plenty of personalization to woo the jaded at-home customer.

Shoppable Posts

The concept of window shopping is nothing new, but digital marketing trends today are closer to home staging than simply adding frills. The idea of a brand as part of a “lifestyle” requires envisioning that lifestyle – which is easier to do when prepackaged. Shoppable posts bring together a review-like discussion of products and fleshed-out “room” or “active” images with clickable products. Love the coffee table in this room scene? Click it to be whisked to checkout. Need those beautiful earrings in this fashion spread? Here’s a direct link to the store. An extension of breaking down barriers-to-purchase, shoppable posts on social media channels make the pitch process less artificial on both sides, leading to better conversion rates.

Better Website Design

Developing programming and coding technologies

A perpetual work in progress, website design by itself isn’t anything new. The focus, however, is cutting edge: no longer content to aim strictly for SERPS pages, sites are branching out. Could a potential customer, for example, ask their smart home speaker for business hours for your store and get a clear response? Is your local restaurant in the running for a mention if a driver requests “Indian food near me” by talking to their smartphone GPS? This information needs to be clearly indexable by not only search engine bots for SEO purposes but an ever-growing list of need-based site crawlers and lists. Additionally, if your website isn’t able to dynamically display on both mobile devices and traditional desktops, you’re at risk of losing half – or more! – of your potential customers in 2020. For brands looking to get on top and achieve growth, website development must remain at the top of the to-do list.

Interactive / Personalized Content

Male illustrator drawing

We’ve seen the rise (and subsequent plateau) of social media quizzes. The moment-in-the-sun of location-based mobile reward systems for physical stores. The frenzy around brand-specific photo filters on mobile phones. While each of these has cooled off from their heyday, the thread they share is as hot as ever: personalized, interactive content. In 2020, that trend can be found in specialized apps, AR/VR technology, or even as value-added digital enhancements after purchase. For example, a cosmetic company offering a live photo filter that lets users “try on” lipstick in various shades or an app that turns the graphic on a purchased t-shirt into a moving image on a mobile phone. If it gets your customer’s phone out and the app store up, you’ve already finessed them into valuable engagement.

In short, 2020’s unique marketing-in-quarantine challenges have served as a reminder that customers don’t want to be “sold to” in the age of COVID-19. They want brands to be a seamless part of their lives and lifestyles, which means staying focused on three significant “i” trends: interfaces, interactivity, and indexing.

The Importance of Digital Marketing in 2020

Are you looking to implement a digital marketing strategy for your growing business? There’s never been a better time! With so many different digital marketing options, ranging from search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) to content marketing and social media campaigns, you can find the best combination of strategies for your business.

No matter which route you go, there are several benefits to using digital marketing for your business.

digital marketing

Potential For Global Reach

Unlike many forms of marketing, like radio and television ads, a digital marketing campaign can reach a global audience. Search engine optimization, for example, can improve your page ranking on popular search engines like Google. This, in turn, makes it easier for potential customers to find you regardless of where they may be located. And, of course, if you wish to target a more localized audience, there are plenty of tools and resources for this as well.

Excellent Return on Your Investment

When you spend your marketing dollars on digital marketing, you’ll enjoy a high return on your investment. While exact ROI figures can vary from one specific type of digital marketing to the next, the fact remains that this form of marketing is one of the best ways to allocate part (or all) of your advertising budget. Email marketing, for example, can yield an ROI of 122%, while social media marketing can achieve an ROI of 100% or more! If you’re looking for a low-risk way to utilize your marketing funds, digital marketing is certainly the way to go.

Completely Measurable and Adaptable

The success of a digital marketing campaign is effortless to track and measure, allowing you to determine what’s working versus what may not. Using free tools to generate analytics and reports is an excellent way to measure the success of your digital marketing campaigns with confidence, which takes out some of the guesswork. And because digital marketing is so easily adaptable, you can make changes to your campaigns quickly and easily in most cases.

Take Advantage of the Digital Shift

There has never been a better time to get started with digital marketing for small businesses, especially considering how the coronavirus pandemic shifted many business operations online in 2020. Because of COVID-19, digital business transactions are on the rise, and more people are working remotely. As a result, your target audience is more likely to respond to your digital marketing efforts than ever before.

Ready to Get Started With Digital Marketing? StratGrow Can Help!

With all of the advantages digital marketing has to offer your business, why not get started today? If you’re looking for some professional guidance on launching your first big digital marketing campaign, our team here at StratGrow is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about what we can do to take your business to new heights!

Does Your Website Need a Privacy Policy?

What is a Privacy Policy?

A privacy policy is arguably one of the most essential legal agreements for your business. Your company’s website needs a clearly stated privacy policy, even if all of your business isn’t conducted online. You also need one regardless of where your internet traffic comes from. 

Your privacy policy is a showcase of your transparency. Simply put, it states what data you use, store, and share from your customers and why. It should not be a complex document filled with legal jargon. 

Privacy Policy Service Documents Terms of Use Concept

Who Needs a Privacy Policy? 

Privacy Policies are required by law. In The United States, according to the CalOPPA: California Online Privacy Protection Act, any business that collects personal information from California-based users (i.e., email addresses, phone numbers) must have a privacy policy.

Considering that California is such a large state and anyone with an internet connection can visit any site, this translates to virtually every business website needing one. Canada and Australia have their own privacy laws as well.

So even though this topic varies slightly by country, the world wide web connects us regardless of geographical location. So that’s why privacy policies should protect consumers everywhere, all the time. 

Other Considerations

Third-party services such as Google Analytics may also require a Privacy Policy from your business. App developers and social media giants like Facebook require them too. 

lock on laptop

How Do I Create a Privacy Policy?

Termaggedon

Termaggedon is an online service that crafts a privacy policy for you. However, their pricing plans may vary depending on the needs of your business. It’s one of the most accessible and most convenient options available. Once it’s ready, you can create a page for your new privacy policy on your website. 

Compare & Contrast

Another strategy for crafting a thorough privacy policy is comparing it with examples online or even with other business owners that you are familiar with. It wouldn’t be wise to copy, but other examples are good to use as a rough template when first starting out. You can also check out our own website’s Privacy Policy. Feel free to use it as a general template for your own!

Next Steps

If you already have a privacy policy in place, it’s critical to keep it updated regularly. Your company’s website will evolve, just like your marketing strategy and cyber laws will, too. 

2020 & Beyond

We will likely see more of these data privacy laws in the near future. If your business needs to step up its online presence, contact StratGrow today. We specialize in digital marketing, web content, social media, and much more. 

Social vs. Physical Distancing: A Closer Look

For the past few months, states across the country have begun to enact mandatory social distancing guidelines to help curb the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). This swift wave of action has also included closing non-essential businesses and even schools.

Since there are already thousands of confirmed cases here in America, the best defense so far has been social distancing, or measures taken to get individuals to self-isolate as much as possible. When out in public for essentials such as groceries, individuals are encouraged to remain at least six feet apart at all times.

Places such as New York City are even beginning to double the fines associated with breaking social distancing rules, such as hosting a house party or other large gathering. NYC has seen an explosion in COVID-19 cases due to its densely packed population. Hospitals are overwhelmed and even have a shortage of medical supplies. Despite endless media coverage of this chaos, there is still hope. 

social distancing concept in wood type

Social vs. Physical Distancing

Limited physical contact doesn’t have to mean limited social contact. Experts have already weighed in on how this period of self-isolation will (potentially) negatively affect mental health. Social media news feeds are filled with day-to-day updates on the spread of this new virus. 

Technology connects us in more ways now than ever before. We still have the ability to call, text, or video chat with each other. We can also connect through a variety of social media platforms with those we care most about. You can catch up with an old friend, call a parent, or check in on a coworker. 

That’s why the World Health Organization has promoted labeling these new practices as physical distancing, not social distancing. You shouldn’t have to cut your social ties during these current times; you should actually be strengthening them. Public health officials have already begun to advocate that groups adjust their wording accordingly.

social distancing word cloud on tablet

Sacrificing your mental health to preserve your physical health isn’t exactly a fair trade-off. You can always reach out to friends and family because communication keeps us connected during these uncertain times. Long gone are the days of flip phones and ten cents per text message. Most people now have at least a phone, wifi, email, the list goes on. Staying connected and informed is easier than ever. 

2020 & Beyond:

These uncertain times have shifted much business into the online realm. If you need help transitioning certain aspects of your business online, contact StratGrow today. We are a Tucson-based digital marketing agency specializing in content, branding, search engine optimization (SEO), social media management, website design, and much more. 

The CARES Act: What You Need To Know

There has been a myriad of recent media buzz regarding the coronavirus stimulus package or the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act. Social media is regularly flooded with comments, memes, and news articles about the infamous $1,200 relief checks adults will supposedly be receiving in the near future. 

But how is this $2 trillion bipartisan relief package broken down exactly? StratGrow is here to assist you.   

LUMP SUM PAYMENT:  

This stimulus package includes direct payments of $1,200 for every adult, and $2,400 for every married couple, plus an extra $500 per child. Note: these payments may be affected if your gross income is over a certain threshold: 

  • $75,000 for single filers 
  • $112,500 for single heads of household 
  • $150,000 for married couples filing jointly 

CARES relief checks

STUDENT LOANS:  

 If you’re a college graduate burdened by student loan debt, you may be in luck. All federal student loan payments have been suspended until September 30th, 2020. This is optional, and you can still continue to pay your loans if you so choose. However, there will be no late fees or other penalties if you don’t pay them through September. Please note that this does not include private student loan borrowers. If you have any private loans, you’ll want to check on the status of those separately.  

BUSINESS LOANS: 

It’s no secret that many small businesses have been greatly affected in the wake of the coronavirus. Due to social distancing protocols, many have had to close their doors, leaving employees uncertain about their financial future.  

Fortunately, of the $2 trillion stimulus bill, $350 billion has been allocated for small businesses. This provision has been dubbed the Paycheck Protection Program. Until June 30th, 2020, small business owners can apply for a loan to cover 2.5 times the cost of their average monthly payroll. This money can also be used toward debt obligations and other expenses such as rent, mortgage, utilities, etc. If the business keeps all of its employees, the loan will be forgiven. If they still have to lay off employees, then the loan forgiveness will decrease by the percentage reduction in overall staff.  

 Any business with under 500 employees can apply, as well as sole proprietors and self-employed individuals. The loan amount that businesses are able to receive is maxed out at $10 million, and the interest rates are capped at 4% as well. 

This measure is a comprehensive step towards keeping our country’s diverse small business environment afloat during this chaotic time period. 

CARES Act 2020

RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS:  

 The international coronavirus outbreak has also wreaked havoc in the American marketplace over the past few months, causing many people’s retirement savings and other investments to suddenly dwindle overnight.  

So, if you’re looking to cash out your 401k, you may also be in luck. The CARES Act has also waived the infamous 10% penalty fee associated with cashing out your 401k too early (before the age of 59 and a half). This penalty fee waiver applies if you’ve experienced financial hardship due to being either diagnosed with COVID-19 or been out of work because of it. 

Note that these distributions of funds will also be reflected in your gross income, and subject to regular income tax. These funds can also be re-distributed into your account within three years.  

While this sudden 401k withdrawal may be a financial lifeboat for some, it should be seen as a last resort to avoid crippling your hard-earned retirement savings. 

If you are subject to RMDs, you are not being forced to take them out this year. 

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS:

As of April 2020, a record 6.6 million Americans have applied for unemployment during this crisis. This relief bill expands unemployment benefits by adding up to $600 per week on top of state benefits. The specific rules and other guidelines vary from state to state. This will help keep workers afloat during this period of uncertainty. By spending this money on essentials, they’ll be directly contributing back to our economy, as well.  

2020 CARES Act Infographic

HOW TO APPLY:

In most cases, no action is required in order to receive your check. If you’d like, there is a direct deposit option instead of just receiving it in the mail. They will be sent out over the next three weeks.  

However, if you have not filed your 2019 taxes, then you should do so immediately, as that may affect the amount you receive. As stated before, if your income eclipses a certain financial threshold, you may not be eligible for this economic relief check.  

LOOKING FORWARD: 

 There are already several coronavirus therapies in development as we speak. There’s a broad focus on the separate areas of diagnostics, treatment, and vaccines. Researchers, scientists, and other experts are breaking new ground every single day. 

With an inherent emphasis on online business today, we are here to take your internet presence to the next level. Contact Strategic Growth Advisors today. We specialize in social media management, website design, SEO, content, branding, and much more.  

Zoom for Business: The Essential Guide

Due to the current coronavirus outbreak, many businesses have been forced to close, and those still going have become obligated to work remotely. These changes are where alternate communication methods come into play. Apps like Skype are great for one-on-one informal conversations, but what about business meetings? Zoom has entered the chat.

What is Zoom? Zoom Video Communications, founded in 2011, is a remote conferencing services company. It allows you to conduct business meetings with any individual(s) around the world, as long as they have a strong wifi connection, of course. There are options for audio-only and traditional video chatting.

Business team in video conference

Strategic Growth Advisors is here to share a definitive guide to using Zoom for business. So how do you get started using Zoom? Let’s dive right in:

Account Setup

STEP 1: 

Visit Zoom.us and select “Sign up for Free”

zoom account

STEP 2: 

Enter your work email address (example: name@company.com), and click “Sign up.”

A confirmation link will be sent to your email address.

STEP 3: 

Click the “Activate Account” button in the Zoom email.

activate zoom account  STEP 4: 

Continue signing up for your Zoom account by filling out the form and selecting “Continue.”

STEP 5:

It is not necessary to invite colleagues to sign up for their account. We use one Zoom account at StratGrow, and team members can set up meetings from the central account. However, if you’d like your team members to have their own accounts (they can also sign up for free), go ahead and add their emails here.

invite workers

STEP 6:

Select “Go to My Account” to complete your account setup.

zoom account  STEP 7:

Upgrade your account to the “Pro” plan.

  zoom account

Select “Upgrade Account” on the next screen.

We recommend signing up for the “Pro” plan, but you can compare the plans and their features and choose what is best for you.

zoom plans  You can choose to be billed monthly or annually and add any plan add-ons. If you plan to record your webinars for future playback, you will either have to upgrade the cloud storage or save the recordings locally to the computer used for the webinar. zoom plans

Continue through to the payment and billing details and select “Upgrade Now.”

Manage Users

STEP 1: 

Sign in to your Zoom account online. By default, you are taken to the Meetings page.

Navigate to the User page under the “User Management” section of the left menu.

zoom users 

STEP 2:

To add a new user(s), select “+ Add Users” in the top right.

zoom account

Add the email address(es) of the user(s) you would like to add to your account. Basic users are users with free Zoom accounts; Licensed users are users with paid Zoom accounts.

zoom account

STEP 3:

Newly added users will be sent an email to accept the request. Until they have accepted the request, these users can be found in the “Pending” tab.

 

STEP 4:

Once the new user has accepted the request, you can edit roles. By default, new users will be “Members.”

There are 3 roles in the accounts:

  • Owner: Has all privileges, including Role Management. (Cannot be assigned to any other users.)
  • Admin: Can add, remove or edit users. Can manage advanced features like API, SSO, and Meeting Connector.
  • Members: Has no administrative privileges.

To edit a user’s role, click the “Edit” button next to their information on the Users page. zoom account

STEP 5:

If you need to remove a user from your account, you can delete, deactivate or unlink them.

  • Deactivating a user will prevent them from signing in to their Zoom account or utilizing any features.
  • Unlinking a user will give them their own basic, free Zoom account. It will not be associated with your account, and they will be able to purchase their own licenses. Before disassociation, you can transfer the user’s data (meetings, webinars, and cloud recordings) to another user.
  • Deleting a user will permanently remove the user from Zoom, including their settings, meetings, webinars, and recordings. Before deletion, you can transfer the user’s data (meetings, webinars, and cloud recordings) to another user.

Select the three dots next to their information on the Users page.   zoom accountSchedule & Start a Meeting

STEP 1: 

Sign in to your Zoom account online. By default, you are taken to the Meetings page.

zoom login page

STEP 2: 

Select “Schedule, a New Meeting” to create a new meeting.

STEP 3:

Fill out the applicable fields for the new meeting and click “Save.” For a detailed explanation of the meeting options available, please read this Zoom help article.

  zoom meeting setup

STEP 4:

Once you have created your Meeting, copy and paste the invitation to distribute to the attendees. (Example: add the invitation to a calendar invite or send via email.)

STEP 5:

When you are ready to start your meeting, you can navigate to the meeting in your Zoom account and start the meeting from:

The Meetings page:

The Meeting details page:

You can also start your meeting by using the Join URL (https://zoom.us/j/#########) provided in the meeting invitation.

This will prompt you to either download the Zoom software (if this is your first meeting) or to open the Zoom software (if already downloaded).

 

STEP 6:

Once the Zoom software launches, you will automatically start and join the meeting as the host. You can join with computer audio (recommended) or call in using the information provided in the meeting invitation.

 

Looking Forward

StratGrow or Strategic Growth Advisors LLC is a one-stop shop for all of your digital marketing needs. We specialize in Social Media Management, Content, SEO, branding, and much more. Feel free to contact us today.

Young businesswoman discussing project details with clients via video call.

The Paycheck Protection Program: What You Need To Know

In recent weeks there has been a steady media buzz surrounding the news of the $1,200 stimulus checks going to every American in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak. However, what’s not really being mentioned are the BILLIONS of dollars being set aside for small businesses right now. Strategic Growth Advisors, LLC is here to help keep you educated and informed.

Coronavirus financial stimulus bill individual checks and cash from U.S. government

What is it?

Written into the $2 trillion stimulus bill is the Paycheck Protection Program, or a $350 Billion forgivable loan program for small businesses.

Title 1 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is the Keeping American Workers Paid and Employed Act. This provides a safety net for both employers and employees who have been negatively affected by the recent coronavirus outbreak.

Application Process & Eligibility

Any business with under 500 employees can apply. Sole proprietors, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals are all eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program. This one-time business loan can be applied for any time between now and June 30th, 2020.

Other Loan Details

Businesses can borrow up to 2.5 times their average monthly payroll costs, up to a maximum of $10 million. This amount is designed to cover eight weeks of payroll expenses, plus a little extra. This money is eligible to put towards debt obligations, i.e., mortgage, rent, leases, utilities, etc.

If you keep all of your employees through the end of June, then the entire loan will be forgiven. If your business still has to lay off employees, the loan forgiveness will be reduced by the percentage decrease of your employees.

Gold money coins with jar

Next Steps

The Paycheck Protection Program is a lifeline for many struggling businesses that have had to close their doors recently in the wake of the mandatory social distancing guidelines. These protocols enacted by local and federal governments to help curb the spread of the coronavirus are essential to maintaining public health but have also negatively affected the economy in the process.

Depending on the events of the next few months, this economic relief plan for small businesses may be extended or expanded depending on how this first round goes. Until then, there will inevitably be a greater emphasis on online business. Contact StratGrow today for any of your digital marketing needs. We specialize in SEO, branding, website design, content, social media management, and much more.

The Dynamic Duo of Content & SEO

Content writing and SEO are the peanut butter and jelly of the digital marketing world. When combined correctly, they create a powerhouse that drives your online marketing efforts. Creating a successful digital marketing strategy takes expertise and an understanding of how content marketing and search engine optimization work in tandem. Read on to learn how.

content marketing

What is Content Marketing?

Experts don’t always agree on what digital content is and is not. Is it useful? Sometimes. Is it of high quality? Often, but not always. In simplest terms, content informs, entertains, teaches, or enlightens. It’s intended to evoke an emotional response that drives the reader to take some action: make a purchase, click a button, download something, send an email, or fill out a form.

The varieties of digital content are vast. Everything from blogs to social media posts, videos, e-books, infographics, and PDFs are all considered types of content. Not only do would-be customers and clients like this content, but Google does, too. And that’s where SEO comes into play.

What is Search Engine Optimization?

When someone enters a search term into a search engine, the results are anything but random. Google, and all the other search engines, use algorithms to rank the web pages that are returned in a search. The ranking is based on the algorithm’s perception of the page’s quality. In short, Google is looking for content that’s:

  • Useful
  • More valuable than other sites
  • Credible
  • High-quality

If all these elements are in place within your published content, there’s a better chance that the search engine will return a page higher in the results. And that means more people will find your business.

digital marketing and data

Is Digital Marketing That Really Simple?

No, it’s not. Along with optimizing content, SEO requires a good bit of research and planning.

First, you must identify keywords to use in your content. Incorporating the right terms into your content helps search engines find your page. But you can’t just stuff your content with terms. Google won’t consider your page credible. To further build credibility for the algorithms, you must also include backlinks to credible websites.

Next, there are title tags, meta descriptions, and URLs to consider. These are the more technical aspects of content marketing, but they are no less important. Search engines use these elements to learn what a page is about and tell readers what they’ll find on the page. Getting the wording right is tantamount. Your page may rank in the first three Google results, but the ranking is meaningless if the meta description doesn’t entice a reader to click.

Want to Grow Your SEO?

It would be great if digital marketing were a do-it-yourself task, but it’s not. It would help if you had a knowledgeable team to help you craft and publish your content. By relying on a digital marketing agency to guide your efforts, you’ll be better positioned for success in the digital space. Stratgrow, our experienced digital marketing company, stands ready to help your business grow. Get in touch today to discuss digital marketing services.

Five Effective Customer Acquisition Strategies

People are and always will be at the heart of doing business. Regardless of industry, companies of all shapes and sizes have to consistently acquire new customers to stay healthy, relevant, and profitable.

Businesses have long prioritized the need to make customer acquisition more cost-effective and increase the return on investment (ROI) for their marketing efforts. In light of rising marketing costs and growing distrust among consumers, however, companies must now work harder and smarter to acquire new customers. This can be accomplished by staying on top of emerging trends and technology, leveraging loyal clients, and developing a sustainable process for gaining new ones.

shaking hands at a business meeting

What Are Effective Customer Acquisition Tactics?

For companies looking to improve their client conversion rate—both to keep their investors happy and cover regular operational costs—here are five customer acquisition strategies to consider:

1. Content Marketing

Content marketing consists of creating and disseminating relevant, informative, and high-value content, which could include blog posts, e-books, guides, and videos. Content marketing is suitable for all types of businesses. In addition to being a vehicle for self-promotion, quality content is also a gesture of goodwill through which companies express their passion for what they do and share their expertise for free. Businesses can create marketing content in-house or partner with an agency that provides copywriting services to make these content upgrades.

2. Social Media

Digital marketing is more important than ever. When people hear about an unfamiliar business, one of the first things they do is search for the company’s website or social media accounts, including Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat, or Twitter. It’s critical for companies to have a robust online presence and invest in both paid and organic social media marketing. Companies also can use these free accounts to leverage their other marketing efforts, such as promotions and content they created.

3. Search Marketing

Search marketing also has organic and paid features, both of which can be used by companies across industries. Organic search marketing is known as search engine optimization (SEO), where companies prioritize creating digital content that shows up near the top of search engine results pages (SERP). Companies can help their content rank higher by incorporating indexable content, putting main keywords in post titles, adding alt text to images, linking internally to other credible sites, and employing other SEO tactics.

4. Email Marketing

As new digital marketing tools emerge, some people may view email as an outdated acquisition channel. However, email remains a relevant and highly effective way to stay in front of prospective customers and connect with them individually. Businesses can build an email list and use it to promote content, discounts, events, and product information. Another benefit of email marketing is that it gives companies a way to monitor consumer behavior based on which links they click or if they unsubscribe. Some companies are also using text messaging as a similar way to have a direct inroad to customers.

5. Customer Retention

It’s also a good strategy for companies to keep their current clients satisfied. When businesses lose existing clients, known as customer churn, they have to spend time and money to find new ones. Retaining clients is less expensive than adding new ones, which is why all companies should focus on decreasing churn. Customer satisfaction is also important because businesses can empower existing clients to promote their products and services. Happy customers will share their stories and opinions through positive reviews, testimonials, case studies, and user-generated content, which effectively bolsters the company’s customer acquisition strategy while saving them money.

person holding figures to create customer personas

Strengthening Marketing Strategies in Tucson

An effective customer acquisition strategy should be flexible, targeted, sustainable, and diversified. To achieve these characteristics, companies should experiment with different customer acquisition tools and methods and recognize there is always room to analyze, improve, and change their strategy. It also can’t hurt to partner with a digital marketing agency, such as Strategic Growth Advisors, to streamline this process. StratGrow has a variety of tools and services to help companies in Tucson and the surrounding area strengthen their customer acquisition strategy, improve the ROI of their marketing dollars, and grow their business.

Web Security for 2020

Auto-fill enabled entry fields are convenient. They enable you to skip a repetitive activity that is a mental drain in your daily life. But there are significant risks associated with this time-saving feature. In brief, auto-fill fields are a prime target that data thieves and hackers can use to steal passwords and access accounts, sensitive information, trade secrets, and more.

When an attack via an auto-fill field hits an individual- it can be a major personal setback. But when such an attack strikes at the heart of your business- it can cripple trust among your partners and clients. Worse still- if an attacker drains the right account, you may never even have a chance to recoup the financial losses.

building links

How Hackers Breach Auto-Fill Fields and Steal Login Data

When hackers gain access to your sites, they can install an invisible capture widget right over the top of your password input fields. Once it’s in place, all they have to do is wait for you to enter your password, and this insidious piece of malware will record the password and deliver it to the attacker. Most web users use the same password for multiple entry forms. If you use the same user name and password for more than one entry field, that means digital attackers can have their way with your information. They will visit every site you use and leverage your logins to capture everything on the net that belongs to you.

It Doesn’t Take a Hacker to Mine an Entry Field

These entry field ciphers can be downloaded and used by anyone with the will to steal from and harm others. These digital devices can be found for a fee or for free on the dark web. But that’s not all. Ad networks have some of the most powerful entry field readers in existence. Major ad networks can steal personal information with impunity because they have massive resources to pour into these types of insidious software assets and legal defense resources. Large, unscrupulous entities can muster just about any defense to protect themselves from litigation, even if they are found out – which they rarely are. They have the benefit of credible deniability, low-level employees who can take a fall, and the ever-plausible excuse that an unknown hacker hijacked their network to disguise his identity.

Holding the lock and key

Cybersecurity Preventative Measures You Can Use to Protect Your User Names and Passwords

The good news is, you are not defenseless. You can deploy proven defensive measures. Once attackers realize you are defending yourself, most of them will follow the path of least resistance and select another target.

Defensive measures you can take include:

  • Multi-factor authentication for logins
  • Secure business accounts
  • Advanced browser security settings

In addition to these simple but effective measures – there are also several cultural hardening techniques you can use to protect your personal information and your organization’s mission-critical data. To learn more, and secure your privacy and data integrity over the long term, get in touch with StratGrow today. Our professional web security consultants are standing by.

Is Your Website ADA Compliant?

ADA Compliance and Your Website: Everything You Need to Know for 2020

In the 2017 court case, Gil v. Winn-Dixie, a federal judge ruled that the supermarket chain’s website violated the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) because it wasn’t accessible for people who are visually impaired. Earlier this year, Beyoncé’s own management company was hit with a class-action lawsuit due to her website’s lack of accommodation for visually impaired individuals who tried to purchase concert tickets online.

In fall 2016, a similar lawsuit was filed against Domino’s Pizza after a blind customer tried ordering a customized pizza through their app, but it wasn’t compatible with the screen reading software he used. Dominoes argued that the ADA did not apply to websites, since the law was enacted nearly thirty years ago when such technology did not exist. Then in late 2019, The Supreme Court declined to hear the case, a clear victory for disability advocates. In essence, this trend isn’t disappearing anytime soon.

judge with a gavel

This may come as a surprise to some business owners, since the ADA is widely associated with physical locations and the idea of companies offering the right accommodations to serve individuals with disabilities, such as wheelchair ramps, and braille on ATM machines. However, Title III of the ADA is now bring interpreted to include websites as public places, and Title I businesses – or those with 15 full-time employees and that operate 20 or more hours per week – also must comply with the ADA.

According to an article on Medium, websites “with significant inaccessible components can be seen as discriminatory against persons with disabilities, in violation of Title III of the ADA.” Additionally, the ADA is a strict liability law, which means there is no latitude in terms of excuses or defenses for violating accessibility guidelines. Failure to comply could leave a company at risk for financial liabilities, lawsuits, and damage to brand reputation, according to Business News Daily.

What Makes a Website ADA Compliant?

The downside for business owners is that there are no ADA regulations that clearly define what it means for a website to be ADA compliant. In Gil v. Winn-Dixie, U.S. District Judge Robert Scola Jr. stated in his ruling that the Winn-Dixie website was in violation of the ADA because it didn’t offer screen reader software, making the site difficult for those who are legally blind to navigate and use.

woman holding sign with question mark

“The services offered on Winn-Dixie’s website, such as the online pharmacy management system, the ability to access digital coupons that link automatically to a customer’s rewards card, and the ability to find store locations, are undoubtedly services, privileges, advantages, and accommodations offered by Winn-Dixie’s physical store locations,” Scola wrote in his ruling, according to Courthouse News Service.

In general, web content for ADA Title I and Title III businesses must supply “reasonable accessibility” to users who are visually and hearing impaired or have other disabilities. A good place to start is to look at ADA compliance guidelines used for the websites of public entities, such as local, state, and federal governmental agencies. 

Within Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, there are also levels of acceptability for being ADA website compliant.

  • A = below acceptable
  • AA = standard (and where you want to be)
  • AAA = exceptional

Here are a few common tools business owners can incorporate throughout their website to demonstrate they have made an effort to accommodate all users:

  • Adding alt tags for images, videos and audio files that can be read or heard
  • Using colors that are easy to decipher for those with color blindness
  • Including text transcripts for video and audio content
  • Using refreshable Braille text compatible with touchscreens
  • Providing non-text content
  • Organizing content in a way that is easy to navigate
  • Including videos with both audio and captions
  • Offering screen readers
  • Interactive functions must be operable through keyboard commands

Here’s What To Do In 2020:

Even though there are no codified ADA accessibility guidelines for websites, businesses have no excuse for not making a good-faith effort to accommodate users with disabilities. Taking measures to increase accessibility is not only good for brand image but also to protect companies against costly lawsuits. Additionally, companies risk losing valuable business by not making their digital space accessible to a wide range of individuals. According to a November 2018 article in the Los Angeles Times, lawsuits targeting businesses over ADA regulations are on the rise. In 2018 alone, there were over 2,250 Federal Website Accessibility Lawsuits, triple that from just a year earlier in 2017. In the first half of 2019, these lawsuits increased 51.7% over 2018’s same six-month period. 

Lawsuits Targeting Businesses Over ADA Regulations are Expected to Rise in 2020!

man looking at laptop and desktop computer screens

The internet is a huge part of our daily life, and ADA compliance will gain more attention going forward. For 2020, here are your 5 options:

  1. At the bare minimum be aware of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
  2. Assess your company’s website and identify your level of compliance
  3. Develop a plan to correct any existing ADA website compliance issues
  4. Bring your website in compliance
  5. Document and maintain a record of new ADA features and functions that are added

If you are a high-profile company that attracts users to conduct business on your site, then you will want to be as aggressive as possible to ensure you avoid the unnecessary legal expense or negative PR that will surely come from an ADA compliance lawsuit.

As your trusted advisor for all things related to marketing and the growth of your business, StratGrow is here to help. Contact StratGrow today to discuss this or any other business growth topic.

What Your Marketing Design Says About Your Brand

When you’re diving into business marketing, there are a lot of concepts to wrap your head around. If you take a quick look at the leaders in your industry, you’ll notice that their logo and business brand is often ingrained in people’s minds. When you hear the name “McDonald’s,” you automatically think of the golden arches.

None of that is accidental. While brand recognition is influenced by the number of times the audience sees your branding, there’s also an immediate response to these visuals. Companies with a great logo and memorable branding spent a good deal of time developing just the right marketing design.

 

How Important Is Your Business Brand?

Creating a marketing design plan for branding

Did you know that the color scheme of your logo can improve your brand recognition by up to 80%? Branding is about more than colors or even marketing design. It’s about the experience that the customer expects when they interact with your business across every platform. Your marketing design helps them find you and recognize you, which makes that a pretty integral part of your overall marketing efforts.

It takes more than one view before customers will associate your logo with your brand. Some statistics indicate that they have to see your branding 7 or 8 times before it sticks. Though an eye-catching logo that perfectly matches your marketing position will have an immediate impact — at least generating a positive feeling associated with the image.

This is why companies spend a great deal of time and money, determining just the right visual for their design efforts. On the surface, a logo seems like a small and easy to create an image. But there’s a lot more thought that goes into creating just the right effect.

 

Choosing Your Marketing DesignA color wheel to help pick which colors you should use for your brand

Color scheme, font, and imaging in your design can seem like a lot of hocus-pocus. Is there really a science behind the type of image you chose for your logo and business brand?

Actually, there is. Companies often use color psychology when choosing their design. This has a more significant impact than you might imagine. People universally pick up on the type of emotions that colors convey.

If you look at a brand like Coca-Cola, red is obviously their signature color. But it’s not just a shade of red — it’s an eye-catching, bright, primary red. The vibe here is excitement. When you add in the very distinctive lettering, which harkens back to their early years, it subtly showcases Coca-Cola’s long history. This provides a feeling of trust and durability. It evokes good times, great excitement, and childhood memories. Even if you didn’t drink Coke as a kid, you’d get that messaging.

There’s universal psychology to the color wheel, and you can play with your exact design by choosing shades within a color family. Blues, for example, are often used for technology because they evoke trust. Yellows are high energy and new beginnings, while greens are often equated with nature.

When you’re choosing your color pallet and design, the best method is first to clarify your own marketing position — what do you want customers to think about when they see your business? Then choose from the colors which compliment your branding.

Are You Looking for Help with Your Marketing Design in Tucson?

If you’re interested in unlocking the secrets to excellent branding to build your business, contact Strategic Growth Advisors today. Our experienced staff can help you build the perfect logo and business brand that speaks to your ideal audience.

The Importance Of Figuring Out Who Your Target Market Is

Imagine for a moment that you are selling a local food product in Tucson, and only have a certain number of samples to hand out to potential customers for the day. You distribute them freely, and just half of the people who try those samples end up buying from you. Now imagine you had a superpower that magically showed you which individuals were allergic to one of your ingredients, or disliked the type of product you’re offering. You would then be able to hand “their” samples to people that would like the product. Suddenly, the amount of product you sell increases substantially.

It’s the same product, the same number of samples, and the same style of marketing. The only difference is that “superpower” you put into action. That’s what researching and discovering a target market can do for small businesses.

employees at desk writing in notebook and typing on laptop

Every Dollar Counts

While your marketing reach may be broad at some points, e-commerce, in particular, has been trending towards a more customized approach. With so many options readily available at your fingertips, the importance of determining your target audience is abundantly clear. When you know who is likely to buy from you, there is room to avoid wasting marketing spend on ads that fall flat on non-interested parties. Small business owners can instead focus on digital marketing created to engage and succeed. No matter what your marketing plan may be, you should always be aware of ROI (return on investment). It’s relevant for each ad placement you select or social media campaign you create.

Some problems that may arise with using a marketing strategy that’s too broad is that it:

  • Is statistically likely to have a higher failure rate, requiring greater spending for the same amount of sales.
  • Makes retargeting efforts expensive and potentially even impossible.
  • Requires investment in platforms and creative work (graphics, content, etc.) that may be ineffective.
  • Risks muddling brand identity, doing long-lasting harm to future targeting, and brand recognition.

woman talking on cell phone while writing on a package

Informing and Enticing

Content, particularly blogs and articles, is an excellent way for a company to capture the interest of potential customers. Certain content, such as instructions, about us pages, and new product launches are a necessity. Yet they could still benefit from targeted search engine optimization (SEO). This proven process incorporates words and phrases that a customer is likely to search for, in an easy-to-read way. For our imaginary Tucson-based food company, a blog about their new and improved keto-friendly formula might include phrases like “keto food manufacturer in Arizona” or “Tucson keto food manufacturer” to help connect them to their demographically targeted customers.

How Do I Target the Right Demographic?

If you’re anxious to put these methods into action for your own business but aren’t sure where to start, the first step is partnering with a pro. StratGrow can help accelerate your sales growth through smart marketing research and target audience implementation. By working with us to discover your target market, ad language, and tone, you’ll obtain the peace of mind that your marketing budget is always spent wisely. Additionally, you’ll be able to determine which social media platforms are worth your time and energy, and which have the most efficient ROI. The end result is a streamlined approach to speaking with your customers, and sales numbers that tell you yes, you’re on the right track.

Use Digital Marketing to Power Your Unstoppable Business

If your small to mid-sized business is not doing digital marketing, you may be missing out on perhaps the most effective way to grow a company today. Digital marketing is critical, and we suggest that businesses employ at least a few digital marketing efforts in order to remain competitive and become an unstoppable force. You don’t need to be a marketing or computer guru to get your Tucson or Phoenix business involved in digital marketing. It will help, however, if you have a basic understanding of the tactics and strategies available to you to ignite your business growth.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The higher your business shows up on search engine results pages when consumers are looking for your type of business, the easier it is for them to find you, and become a customer. The key to these high organic listings is search engine optimization or SEO. This involves using proven and effective strategies to make sure your website is structured correctly and contains the keywords and phrases necessary to achieve these higher listings. SEO is more important than ever with the use of verbal searches and mobile localized searches. Even phrases as simple as “Tucson business” can help you achieve higher rankings for your target area.

Social MediaA group of people using their cellphones to be on social media

Social media can be used for more than fun puppy pictures and videos. Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and others are excellent business marketing tools. They can help you reach out to potential consumers digitally, creating awareness of your business and your latest promotions. A social media presence also creates a relationship with potential customers and makes you more accessible when people have questions or a need for your product or services.

Digital Marketing Campaigns

We’ve all seen those online ads that seem to anticipate our needs. This is an example of a digital marketing campaign. Getting your ads seen by more people most likely to do business with you is the goal. A well-planned and executed digital campaign can accomplish this task for you.

Landing Pages

Rather than sending prospects to the home page of your website where they may lose their way, a landing page makes connecting with consumers more straightforward and direct. Whereas your website serves as a brochure for your business, a landing page usually has a single mission in mind, which is to get visitors to take the next step. That step may be to make a purchase or to sign up to become part of your digital marketing list. A landing page can be a handy tool for any digital marketing campaign.

Downloads

Downloads are a terrific way to build up your digital marketing email list. Offer something of value. Your landing page will entice consumers to download what you are offering, provide their email address, and become connected with you. The download could be a free e-book, a list of tips and tricks related to your business, or even a newsletter.

Content MarketingLaptop on a desk with 3D figures coming out such as a rocket ship, clouds and the word "Content."

One of the most effective ways to market to Tucson and Phoenix consumers is by providing timely, valuable, and actionable content. Content marketing achieves several goals like helping with SEO, getting your business in front of consumers, and positioning you as an expert in your business segment. When you provide knowledgeable content, you start building relationships with prospective customers, which leads more customers to make a purchase.

Get Started Today With Your Digital Marketing

The challenge for many small to medium Tucson and Phoenix area businesses is finding the time and assistance to implement and manage the above strategies. This is where Strategic Growth Advisors can help. We specialize in assisting companies in our region position themselves for remarkable growth through digital marketing. We invite you to tap into this vibrant digital market and become an unstoppable business! Contact us today to find out how we can help!

How Engaging on Social Media Can Help Your Business Grow

Your customers are on social media, are you? If you aren’t creating and growing your social media engagement, you’re missing the chance at a lucrative connection. The social media space offers a rare opportunity to have genuine discussions without needing to clear the “hurdle” of marketing resistance. Simply put, your customers aren’t in a suspicious, closed-off mindset: they’re on social media to chat, research, and engage, which makes it the perfect place for digital marketing.

They’ve Got Questions, You’ve Got Answers"Questions and answers" in text

Keeping an active social media profile provides information on your business or products, both directly and indirectly. For customers curious about service providers like you in the Tucson area, it offers a great place to show off positive reviews and answer questions. Everything from hours of operation to service menus can be placed on your social media, as well as interactive questions and answers for all to see. Sure, a website handles this information too, but customers are already on social media – that’s the key difference. When you use a website as your only point of lead generation, you face the challenge of enticing customers to type in your URL and spend time on your site for its own sake.

Showcase Your “Current Self”

Have you moved or expanded your business? Your website may not immediately reflect important changes with your business, but your social media profiles can. With customers “following” and “liking” your page, they’ll get notifications when you make changes, ensuring faster and more reliable connections and conversions. Social media engagement can also help clear up time-sensitive questions, such as “Are you open?” during natural disasters or local street closures.

Go Beyond the Ad

"You are your own brand" t-shirt

Social media profiles are a great place to show off the layers of your brand. Sure, you do plumbing or landscaping, but you may also offer gardening advice or volunteer on weekends. Social media engagement offers a rare chance to showcase the humanity that differentiates your market offering. You’ll be able to have organic conversations with customers in natural language and nurture those relationships without hard-sell marketing. While this approach does take time and attention, the return on investment goes beyond converting specific customers: it also builds great brand reputation. If you need to nudge your audience a little, it’s also easy to run social media-specific contests and giveaways for your dedicated followers.

As long as it’s not an integral part of your brand, simply avoid discussing politics and religion and your social media presence can only help your overall marketing approach. Today’s savvy consumers like businesses they can research and reach instantly, and that means making yourself as available as possible on social media platforms. Dedicate a specific time period each day or week, or look to a professional service to help you manage your social media engagement, profiles, and posting.  The only thing you have to lose are those dozens (or hundreds) of followers that are all ready and willing to buy!

How Often Should You Update Your Website Content?

View your business website as a static, unchanging entity, and your business itself may become just as static and unchanging. You may be stuck in a rut with low levels of traffic or, worse yet, even lower levels of revenue. The savvy digital marketing team here at Strategic Growth Advisors has come to the rescue in such situations time and again.

The key to a successful online presence is to update your website content regularly. This keeps your business fresh and appealing to visitors and search engines alike. While there are no set-in-stone rules for website updates, we’re sharing recommendations we’ve seen lead to success:

Two women work on their website

Website Content: Blogs, White Papers, Downloads

The online crowd is hungry for information, and you can consistently feed them by updating certain website content as frequently as possible. Optimized blog posts can play an integral role in driving targeted traffic to your site. It’s important to post new blog content weekly if possible, monthly at the very least.

White papers, e-books, and other downloadable content can be updated on a regular basis as well. This allows you to add new information to existing downloads or to create new downloads for additional topics or digital marketing campaigns.

Website Content: Pages, Tags, Keywords 

Updating existing website pages, tags and keywords can be done on an ongoing basis for best results. Set aside time daily to review your existing pages to see if you can make any improvements. Chances are, you can. Improvements can include things like updating:

  • Existing information that’s out of date
  • Language that feels stale
  • Title tags and headings to ensure they’re relevant and include keywords
  • Alt text to ensure every image contains descriptive text that points back to your business
  • Meta tags for both keywords and descriptions
  • Keywords to make sure they match the content or to rank for new ones
  • Keyword placement and proximity, both of which can affect results from search engines
  • Anchor text for inbound links to make sure it matches the content

A woman visits a website

Setting aside time each day to tackle a page or two can work. You can also opt to do a thorough review of all existing pages every three to six months.

Website Content: Services and Products

You don’t want to wait three to six months to make sure your services and products are up to date with everything you offer. You can miss out on customers if you don’t provide timely info on the latest products, services, and specials you’re offering. And nothing can annoy a potential customer quicker than trying to order a product or service that you no longer offer.

Keeping your website content regularly updated is one part of the equation. The second part is reviewing your website stats to ensure the updates you’re making are making a difference. For additional help keeping your website and business thriving, contact Strategic Growth Advisors today.

Digital Marketing: The Key to Improving Business in Slow Seasons

Unless you run an ice cream shop or repair air conditioners, chances are summer is a slower-than-usual season for your Tucson business. Not only is it tougher to make conversions or “close the deal” on sales, but it can also be difficult to connect with new prospects too. That’s why we think that the slow season is the ideal time to focus on digital marketing.

Why Digital Marketing Makes a Difference in the Slow Season

In Tucson, summer is the slow season for many reasons. First, it’s hot. If you have a brick-and-mortar business, people are simply not getting out and going quite as much. Additionally, the winter months are traditionally busier for retail establishments because of gift-giving holidays. Finally, many people travel during the summer or spend their time with family. They are not focusing on closing the deal except on the items that are “needs.” Digital marketing can help you reach customers where they ARE. You connect with consumers who are socializing on their mobile devices, checking email, or browsing for solutions to their problems. No matter how hot it is, or even if they are traveling, consumers today still rely on their digital connections.

So, how can you accomplish more with off-season digital marketing? Consider these tips as a good place to start.

Hands of businesswoman typing on her laptop outside

Make Your Social Marketing “Social

In your busier seasons, social media marketing may be all business. However, in the off-season, you should have a great opportunity to be “social.” Give some insight into how your company runs, share pictures from the charity event you attended, or just post a few industry-appropriate memes. Now is the time to get people sharing your content.

Don’t Slow Your PPC Campaigns

It can be tempting to slow down on your pay per click (PPC) spend. However, the off-season is actually a great time to take advantage. Chances are your competition may be holding back a bit, so your PPC dollar will go farther and help you reach even more potential customers. With a targeted summer campaign, you can rise on the search engine result pages and be sure people can find your business.

Connect with Old Leads

If you know you might have trouble finding new customers in the slow season, you might want to think about connecting with old leads. You can utilize email marketing, for instance, to reconnect with former customers or leads. In the off-season, you may have to do a bit more work to remind people your firm is still around. If you’re planning a sale or new product launch, make sure you spread the word far and wide.

Father with laptop smiles as his family plays in park

As you can see, when done correctly, a digital marketing plan helps you maintain and even grow your business even during the slow season. If you want more information on how to get started with or improve your digital marketing efforts, contact us here at Strategic Growth Advisors. We look forward to helping you grow your online marketing presence!

Why Phone Calls & Click-to-Call Are Necessary for Businesses

In the digital age where everyone seems to text, message, or email everything, are you wondering just how important inbound calls really are to your brand’s conversion rates? Even with most people surfing the web to find information, inbound calls are still a relevant factor for a business’s customer service and brand.

Is a Phone Call Still an Important Factor for Businesses?

Yes, absolutely!

The phone is a business’s main opportunity to deliver exceptional customer service. People can’t detect inflection, tone of voice, personality, sincerity, empathy, or any other emotion when that message has been handled digitally. If you want to give your business a human factor, it is imperative to encourage current and potential customers to call you.

Young tattooed man uses his smart phone

Five Ways Increased Phone Calls Will Benefit a Business

Need more proof that phone calls still benefit a business?

1. Phone calls are more frequently answered than email messages that are quite often lost in a sea of other emails (if they’re received at all).

2. Phone calls are a more accurate reflection of your brand because there’s less chance of miscommunication.

3. Having an established phone number will make your business appear more legitimate and professional (even to people looking at your website or internet listings).

4. A phone call is generally more productive and removes the back and forth communication that comes from unclear digital messages.

5. It’s much easier to gain a customer and make a sale over the phone than it is using any digital method of communication. Your conversion rates will soar when the person calling can talk with a real person over the phone. This is because a phone call builds trust between a customer and the brand. And, because the most common sales tactics aren’t effective online.

For example, most people buy from people they like, and they can’t really like someone they’ve never talked to. In addition, anything digitally delivered is usually short and sweet, which doesn’t allow time to truly help a customer thoroughly understand your products and services.

Encourage Inbound Calls

If you want to encourage inbound calls, you should employ a click-to-call feature. A click-to-call feature will not only help encourage inbound calls but will also boost your conversion rates as well. This tool makes it easier for people to call your business and connect with a real person, which increases the chances of providing quality customer service.

What Is a Click-to-Call Feature?

A click-to-call feature is an onscreen mobile device function that allows the user to directly connect with you by tapping your business’ phone number or call now button on their screen.

A young African American man smiles while using his phone on a park bench

Why a Click-to-Call Feature Is Essential for Mobile Devices

A click-to-call feature makes it easier for a customer to connect with you. This is because they don’t have to write down your phone number then leave your page to go to their phone’s call screen to call you. One-click does it all.

What’s Next?

Are you ready to grow your business and increase your conversions? StratGrow is here to help you achieve all your growth goals. Whether you want to get more phone calls or improve your social media, we have you covered.

SERPs and What They Mean for Your Business

Do you know where your content ranks on search engine results pages (SERPs)? Are you sure?

Ranking high on the SERPs could mean the difference between skyrocketing traffic to your site and improving click-through rates or having none at all. So, let’s take a look at why achieving top rankings on popular search engines is so important and the one thing you must do if you want to grab more traffic than your competition.

A young woman browses the internet on her living room floor

What Is a Search Engine Results Page?

search engine results page is what’s returned to a user after entering a specific word, phrase, or query into the search engine browser. The featured snippets are small bits of text from your site or meta descriptions that people can see as they browse the results pages. If your website does not appear when a user searches for related keywords, how will they ever know about your company?

Why High-Ranking SERPs Are Important for a Business

There are two ways to get traffic from search results pages. You can either pay for it or get it organically by using proven ranking factors like; well-researched keywords, high-quality content, fast-loading web pages, and relevant backlinks. If you are smart about on-site SEO and keyword usage, your page can rank well organically. Keep in mind that ranking organically does take a lot of time and effort, however. Taking the time to do keyword research, create compelling content, and improve page speed can help your business with the following:

  • It will bring you significantly more website traffic.
  • It will increase your brand recognition and authority.
  • It will give you more brand exposure.

5 Tips on How to Rank Highly in the Search Engines

Here are five quick tips for how to rank highly on the search engine results pages:

  1. Use high-quality content to increase relevant backlinks to your site. This will boost your domain authority and help propel you toward the top of the SERP.
  2. Always link back to your own content, either through guest blogging, internal links, or your social media posts.
  3. Make sure your page loading speeds (including mobile pages) are as fast as possible. It should take no more than three seconds to load any page on your site. You will not show up in search queries if it takes any longer than this to load a page.
  4. Develop, structure, and write your pages in a user-friendly way. You can do this by creating simple navigation, creating readable content, and being mindful of whitespace. Don’t forget also to make all pages easy for the search engine spiders to crawl. This means you should have no broken backlinks, relevant navigation, and as few indexing errors as possible.
  5. All your pages should be mobile-friendly, which will also help improve loading speeds and give you a better chance of ranking on SERPs.

laptop computer on wood table with supermarket aisle blurred background online shopping concept

The One Thing You Must Do If You Want to Grab More Traffic Than Your Competition

Include as many questions and answers in your content as possible to increase your chances of gaining a spot in the Google Answer Boxes. Landing in any of the Google Answer Boxes is one of the best ways to grab more traffic and build authority and name recognition for your brand.

What’s Next?

Would you like to take your marketing to the next level? Contact Us today. Strategic Growth Advisors works to aggressively grow revenues and profits for large and small businesses alike. And we’d love to do the same for you!