In our last post, Online Marketing Musts – Part One we mentioned that online marketing is essential to any small business and described three main internet marketing strategies: • SEO • Content Creation • Social Media Engagement In today’s post we will discuss Online Marketing Must #2 – Content Creation Content marketing has become a somewhat of a trending topic. You hear it over and over again; content is king. And the reason is that –without content – there is no online marketing strategy. Optimizing your website is an important element of your online marketing strategy; however it is fruitless if you have no content to rank. Over the years search engines have grown smarter, years ago keyword stuffing was enough, now a days your SEO strategy must have the content to back it up! By creating high quality valuable content, you will not only attract visitors to your site, but the right kind of visitor. The one that is actually interested in the information you’re providing and will most likely become a customer. Additionally, creating great content allows you to position yourself as an industry expert; and the hope is, that as an expert, other sites will come to you for information, providing you with valuable inbound links that will improve your SEO. SO HOW DO YOU CREATE AND DISTRIBUTE VALUABLE CONTENT TO FUEL YOUR ONLINE MARKETING STRATEGY? Blogging of course! Blogging is an essential part of your SEO and online marketing strategy. A blog will make your website dynamic by adding new and fresh content frequently. Search engines reward websites that continuously post new content. Additionally, a blog will allow others the opportunity to link to and reference your content. The goal of your blog is to publish valuable content; it is an opportunity to present yourself and your business as an industry expert. It is not designed to create promotional posts or 600 words sales pitches, but to provide your reader with added value, educating and informing them about how to face common industry issues, addressing frequently asked questions or providing them with insight or solutions on a complicated topic. It is up to you to determine the topics your potential readers would be interested in. Some tips to keep in mind when writing a blog: Appealing Title: this is the first thing your reader will see, ensure your blog’s title is compelling and interesting. Also ensure it clearly indicates what the post is about. Well written: ensure your post is easy to read, don’t overwhelm the reader with text, instead ensure you divide the article into sections, and include images and headers to provide the post with a structure that is easy to follow. Use words your reader will understand and avoid technical jargon only masters on the topic would understand Links: include links to relevant content; allowing readers to find more in-dept information should they be interested. Use these links to point to your inner pages as well. Include a clear CTA: always, always include a clear call to action (CTA). Subscribe to our newsletter, download, and register. Ensure you have a way to capture these leads. Once you’ve determined your topics and created well written, valuable content, the next challenge you will face will be attracting readers. And what better way to attract readers that using social media? Social engagement is key to a successful online marketing strategy and in our next post we will describe how to integrate social media successfully in your internet marketing efforts and how to use it to combine efforts with your SEO and content marketing strategy for best results. ...read more

Online marketing is essential to any small business. It allows you to get the word out, encourage return business, build reputation and gain valuable knowledge about your target audience just to name a few. As a small business owner, one of the biggest challenges you will face when it comes to internet marketing, is that with so many business available to your potential customers, how do you stand out? There are many marketing solutions and strategies available to promote your small business, however in this blog we will focus on three main ones. 3 Online Marketing Musts • SEO • Content Creation • Social Engagement Yes! These three simple points will go a long way when it comes to your small business’ online marketing strategy. ONLINE MARKETING MUST #1 – SEO Search engine optimization (SEO) is the key to attracting quality organic traffic and is perhaps, one of the most important online marketing strategies. Most small business owners hope that once they create their website, the leads will come in, however most of the times this isn’t the case. SEO is the process of optimizing your website for search engines, achieving a top raking search engine position and in consequence making it easier for your potential customers to find you. A good SEO strategy unites two different efforts: on-page SEO and off-page SEO. On-page SEO Refers to all the modifications you can make you your site to improve your search engine rankings. Here are 5 simple elements you can optimize to improve your on-page SEO: • Page titles: The page title is the text you see on the top of your browser whilst on a specific page. It is also the title that is displayed in search engine results. Page titles can be edited in your site’s HTML; it’s the text between the tags. When writing your page titles keep in mind: Write page titles that clearly describe the page’s content.   Include relevant keywords   Make it less than 70 characters   Include the company name at the end of the page title.   Use unique titles for each page     • Meta descriptions: A meta description is the short summary that is displayed by a search engine in its search results. Whilst the meta description will not affect your ranking position, keep in mind this is the first opportunity you have to grab your reader’s attention. Ensure this description is short and sweet! • Headings: Headings are the text between your tags , like page titles these can be edited in your site’s HTML; if you’re web page is a book, then the titles would be the chapters. Use these to make relevant information stand out and give your content a cohesive structure. It’s a good idea to include your keywords in your headings, keeping in mind that a larger heading will give more weight to the word than a smaller one. It is recommended to have only one <h1> tag; and depending on the amount of content one or more <h2> and <h3> and tags. • Images: Images promote a user-friendly experience, by breaking up the text and adding visual representations that complement your content. When adding images to your site keep in mind the following: Save image for web: when uploading files ensure they are saved for web. Heavy files slow down your site’s loading speed which impacts negatively your search engine ranking.  Include keywords: images allow the opportunity to include keywords both in the file name and in the alt text. • URLs: URL structure is an important factor when it comes to SEO. Your URL structure refers to how your pages are organized. For example: if your small business offers three different services then your URL structure would be the following: www.smallbusiness.com/services/service-1 www.smallbusiness.com/services/service-2 www.smallbusiness.com/services/service-3 As you can notice, service will be the parent category for all the different services offered. When structuring your URLs keep in mind: You must include your keywords   The URL must describe the page   Whenever you change a URL you should use a 303 redirect in order to avoid losing traffic.   Off-page SEO Your off-page SEO refers to all the online marketing efforts focused outside your website. The task is to obtain inbound links from authoritative websites with good page and domain authority. The purpose of off-page SEO is to increase your domain authority and overall presence on the web. The key to off-page SEO is creating great content that is worth linking to, referencing and sharing. In our next post Online Marketing Musts – Part Two we will discuss the importance of creating valuable content, and content generating tips and tricks to improve your overall internet marketing strategy. ...read more

Why Should You Purchase Graphic Design Services For Your Start-up?   Marketing collateral is a must when it comes to starting a small business. It is key when it comes to spreading the word.  When starting a new business you have to get your name out there in order to attract potential customers and increase brand awareness. With so many businesses in front of your potential clients on a daily basis, how do you make yours stand out? With professional and attractive graphic design of course! If you’re in the start-up phase, hiring a full-time graphic designer is probably outside your budget. For this reason you should consider outsourcing and investing in graphic design services. How Can Outsourced Graphic Design Services Help Your Start-up?   When you purchase graphic design services, you obtain professional marketing materials customized to your target audience, designed specifically to attracting their attention. From a logo to a website, graphic design is essential to brandingyour business. According to the American Marketing Association, branding is a “customer experience, represented by a collection of images and ideas; often, it refers to a symbol such as a name, logo, slogan and design scheme”. Brand recognition is product of the interaction and accumulation of experiences with the product or service, relating it to your specific brand. As a start-up business, you want to ensure to position yourself in your potential customers minds, ensuring they know about the products and services you are offering and motivating them to choose you over your competitors. What Types Of Marketing Collateral Should You Consider For Your Start-up?   There are many different marketing collateral items you can use to communicate what you have to offer.  However, for the purpose of this blog we have narrowed down our list to 5 essential elements: Mission Statement: A brief summary that defines what your business is and what its goals are in a professional and visually appealing manner. Fact Sheet: product or services fact sheets are great for your business both internally and externally as they communicate your products highlights. They can include distinctive features, comparisons, quality levels, costs and functions. Brochures: typically the first point of contact between you and your potential client, brochures are crucial when it comes to making an impression. Brochures can take several forms including bi-folds, tri-folds and booklets and it’s up to your graphic designer to include crucial information in a visually appealing way. Press kit: press kits should include company logo, folder, business cards and any other type of component that will communicate the value of what you are offering in a professional and attractive way. Stationary: quality stationary such as envelopes, business cards and letterheads provide your business credibility and present your business in a professional light. Branding the marketing collateral mentioned above is a must and when it comes to branding – consistency is key. Your graphic designer should ensure that your collateral reflects your brand, using the same logo, color schemes, fonts, layouts and style. HOW CAN OUR GRAPHIC DESIGN SERVICES BENEFIT YOUR SMALL BUSINESS?   Whether you’re starting or growing your small business, at BizCentral USA we understand what it takes to make a small business strive. Our graphic design services are affordable and professional. Additionally, acting as a one-stop-shop we provide the opportunity to brand and market your entire business, with complementing services such as web development and social media set up and branding. ...read more