by Shelley Magnezi | May 23, 2022
Historically businesses used traditional marketing tools, such as telephone promotions, billboards, events and business flyers. Today, people are using the internet and missing out on digital tools is a lost opportunity. In some cases, like social media, the digital marketing tools are relatively inexpensive and are easy to scale up as your business grows. They can also allow your marketing to target new types of customers.
Digital marketing can be broadly broken into 3 main categories:
Long Form tools
A. Website
There are two kinds of websites:
- Business-to-consumer (B2C) promote and/or sell products and services to retail consumers., and
- Business-to-business (B2B) promote and/or sell products and services to businesses.
Irrespective if you are marketing directly to consumers or marketing to businesses, you will want to employ similar techniques in order to generate interest.
Customers find you via word of mouth (such as networking), or advertising.
How it works:
Customers may find your site through web searches, or be directed to it by word of mouth or advertising.
Tips:
- Make sure that your website is well branded and kept up to date.
- Focus on the benefit that the product or service will bring the client.
- Respond quickly to customer enquiries.
B. Search engine optimization
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a technical process where you optimize your website content to compete better in organic search engine results improving the visibility for products or services. This translates into more people visiting your site.
How it works:
Search Engines use mathematical formulas to attempt to serve the site visitors better and give them what they are searching for. Robots on the search engines visit all of the websites and store the information in a database. When the person performs a search they use keywords, questions or phrases, and the robot tries to match the search term to the terms in the database. Adjusting your content to better match the way that people search and provide them with the answers they are looking for will improve your chances of visibility. Find the terms relevant to your website and adjust your content and structure to improve your search engine ranking.
Tips
- Use keywords, phrases and questions in your headings, content and metadata.
- Use heading hierarchy to map out the structure of your page or blog post.
- Provide fresh content regularly.
- Provide cross-links to other relevant pages to improve link popularity.
C. Content Marketing
Content marketing uses storytelling and information sharing to engage the audience and improve brand awareness. The aim is to have the reader perform an action like signing up for the newsletter or purchasing an item with a low value. This creates trust. The Content can be blog posts, podcasts, videos, ebooks or white papers. It should provide value and promote trust with your brand in order to create a long-term relationship with the client.
Blogs are the most common form of content marketing and can be used to share informal updates, stories, information about products, services, and events.
How it works:
Create blog posts on your platform and you may want to invite other content creators to write guest posts for you that will also promote your brand.
Tips:
- Post regularly and include images, and audio. Video is key.
- Write in a conversational tone.
- Promote your content over social media channels.
- Respond to comments in a timely manner by writing something, not just “liking”.
D. Webinars
Online video presentations can share information and address questions the audience has about your product or services.
How it works:
The participants register and are provided with log in instructions and a link to the webinar via email.
Tips:
- Keep content short and visual. Focus on the advantage to the audience.
- Engage the audience.
- Don’t be salesy. You can provide a discount for one of your packages at the end.
- Interact with the participants during the session.
- Provide clear information on how to contact you. Email the participants with recordings or other materials after the session.
Short-form tools
A. Email or Opt-in Marketing
One of the most valuable forms of marketing is email marketing. These are current or potential customers who are receiving messages from you because they elected to do so. It is your job to keep on providing value to them so that they do not opt out. This is the easiest audience to provide a relationship with and convert. Personalize the messages by including the recipient’s first name in the subject line. Keep an eye on the metrics to make sure that people are actually opening your messages.
How it works:
On your website you can invite people to join your mailing lists or offer a freebie in exchange for an email. Purchasing and enquiry forms can include permission disclaimers.
Tips:
- Make sure that the recipients have given permission to email them. Respect requests to leave the list.
- Do not sell the information to other businesses.
- Maintain your database and use it to share meaningful communications.
- Occasionally, ask for feedback.
B. Online and display advertising
Advertising displayed on third party websites such as social media sites, apps or search engines may take the form of banners, text, images, video and audio. These may offer information or link directly to your website.
Pay Per Click
The most common form is known as Pay Per Click (PPC) and is used to display ads on search engines and their affiliate sites. For example, if you do ads on Facebook, you will be offered ads on Instagram via the same platform. The ads are displayed at the top and sides of a page of search results. You see them while browsing the web or the specific app. The ads run as long as you continue to pay.
How it works:
Advertisements can be placed on high-traffic websites that offer content relevant to your business or industry. PPC is used in search engines to link content to specific keywords and directs the user to your landing page or provides an immediate Call Button on-site.
Tips:
- Research the text to use keywords in your content.
- Keep the text lean. Stay focused.
- Anything that is not directly connected to the message should be excluded.
- Keep video or animations very short. People have a small attention span. Include subtitles on videos.
- Include a call to action. Ask them to message you or to call.
B. Social Media Channels
Social media marketing may be deceiving because posting on social media is free. To be effective you need to post consistently. The time that you spend is worth money. To maintain a consistent presence may require an investment. Social media channels can spread brand awareness of your business, offering, and industry. In some cases you may be able to earn customers from these channels.
How it works:
By interacting with others on social media, you can build your network or community, and spread awareness of your business. What channel are your audience hanging out on? That is the one you should pick.
Tips:
- Post consistently.
- Content should be short and entertaining. Use images and video. Video content should include sub-titles.
- Writing about controversial topics can win a lot of followers and lose a few friends.
- Respond to reader comments with more than a “like”. Try to promote discussion.
- Use hashtags. Often people search the channel using the hashtags. Tag individuals or businesses where appropriate.
- Remember to look at your analytics to gauge the level of engagement.
C. Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing is a form of influencer marketing. Influencers on social media have content that goes viral – that means that their views spread exponentially. They engage their audience with content such as posts, videos, podcasts or blogs.
How it works:
Influencers on social media have channels that span thousands of followers.
Brands reach out to them in order to offer compensation for promoting their company to their audience and gain more leads.
Tips:
- Use provocative messaging that inspires your audience.
- Use a lot of video.
- Keep the message very simple.
- Do not try to primarily sell to people. If they only see sales content they will leave.
- Ask the audience to share and subscribe.
Conversational tools
Conversational tools are often overlooked as a way of engaging with your audience.
A. Social Media Comments
Social media comments enable you to connect with potential customers. Engaging with others in the community can promote your brand, help build relationships and generate interest about your offer.
How it works:
Whilst you can comment on replies to your business posts, it is as effective to reply to other people’s posts in a manner that brings value. The more you engage, the more the social media platforms will promote your content.
Tips:
- Make sure your comments are relevant to the post. Do not attempt to sell to everyone.
- Comments should be short and focused. Attempt to connect with people’s emotions.
- Tag people who you reply to. Make sure your content is your own or attribute it correctly.
B. User-generated Content
Your customers, users and network partners may generate content about your offering on their channels. Promoting your content on another business channel improves your SEO and also your chances to convert.
How it works:
Publishing on other people’s networks or co-writing a post is a good way to increase the visibility of your blog or content.
You can invite networking partners to create posts relevant to your channel, or ask them to link to or promote posts created elsewhere.
Tips:
- Encourage contributions from readers and people connected to your industry.
- Reach out to others and ask if they are interested in a guest post related to their content.
- Acknowledge contributions in a timely manner.
There are a variety of tools available to support you in achieving your marketing and sales objectives. It can be challenging to know which are the best fit for your business. Consider the demographics of your audience and where they are likely to hang out during their work or leisure time. The channels that you choose should fit the client and her habits.
The content that you create should be relevant, entertaining and informative.
by Shelley Magnezi | Apr 29, 2022
Understanding Website Real Estate
According to the Nielsen Norman Group 84% of users visit the Home page section of a website that appears above the fold vs the section that appears below the fold. I like to use this section to appeal to my primary audience and explain what I am attempting to market to them.
What is “Above the Fold”?
If you think of a stack of newspapers at the newspaper vendor. The papers are folded in half. When you go up and try and decide if you want to buy the paper you scan the headlines and images facing you – above the fold. A website is the same except that it is digital.
If the user is unable to find what they are looking for within 2 seconds, they are highly likely to scroll to the footer.
What is a footer?
When viewing a print document often you find data at the bottom that repeats itself on every page like the name of the company, copyright and page number. That bottom section is called the footer.
A website is similar to a document in this manner.
Definition: A website’s footer is an area located at the bottom of every page on a website, below the main body content.
A footer is not a requirement for a website, however, not taking advantage of this space is a missed opportunity and may affect the Search Engine Optimization results.
Most visitors will scroll through all of the page content to the footer before they abandon the site.
There are two primary reasons that the visitor scrolls to the footer:
- If they are not convinced to sign up for the primary offering, they may seek an additional resource, like an opportunity to stay in touch via the company newsletter.
- They are looking for hard to find information.
A user may intentionally scroll to the footer to find information like social media links, contact information or website links not found in the main navigation.
What should you put in your footer?
From an SEO perspective ( based upon Google recommendations), the information that I would include are:
- All contact information. If the visitor struggles to find your contact information, you will lose them.
- Address – for a brick and mortar business a street address, otherwise include the city and state to enhance local search.
- Business hours
- A sitemap with all links in the site. Sometimes this is a replica of the main navigation, and sometimes this is a link to a separate page.
- Social Media links.
- Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
- Customer Engagement invitations, like a newsletter sign up or webinar registration.
- A testimonial and any awards to build authority and credibility.
- The date when your site was last updated. (If the date is 5 years ago, I will scroll to the next site.)
Pitfalls to avoid:
- Text appearance :The contrast of the footer text and background should be easy to read. The font should not be too small. If there is a background image, is it hiding some of the text?
- TMI – Don’t make the footer a mini website. Keep the presentation simple and easy to understand.
- Aggressive pop-ups and flyouts. If your pop-up email subscription form does not display an “X” or a “Close” button, you will be penalized by the search engines. Please check your site on mobile.
Remember the footer is often the last ditch attempt by the user before they exit your website. What can you do to offer what they were looking for or to have them to stay connected?
by Shelley Magnezi | Apr 14, 2022
What do I need to build a website?
You have a new business, interest, gig or side hustle and you want a web site to inform your audience what you are able to do.
What do you need to set it up?
Primarily content: text, video, and images.
Think of your elevator pitch. What do you tell people in the first two minutes when you meet them?
That is your home page.
Ok. You say. If I have that how do I make it http://mywebsite.com?
Let’s start at the beginning and discuss hosting options and domain names.
Decide what platform you are going to use.
Are you going to use a platform that hosts the site for you or do you want to host it yourself?
Drilling down to details: Are you going to go for a free site to get started like WordPress.com, Wix, Squarespace, Blogger or Weebly? Are you going to host your site yourself and have full control?
What is hosting?
Think of a website like a home in a neighborhood. In order to build a home, you need a plot of land. In the website neighborhood, you cannot purchase your plot. You can rent it from year to year. That is the hosting. In order to have a home, you need services like water and electricity. The hosting company provides the services that you need to build and make your website visible as part of your plan.
A web host, or web hosting service provider, is a business that provides the technologies and services needed for the website or webpage to be viewed on the Internet. The software is stored on special computers called servers.
Hosting flavors
- Hosted
- Self-hosted
- Hybrid – hosted with extra functionality.
- Hosted
Hosted platforms provide a package deal where they take care of the heavy lifting and more complicated technical details such as software updates, hosting payments or web server management so that you can focus on building your site and content. Examples are WordPress.com, WIX, Weebly, SquareSpace, and Blogger. Many offer free trials to test the software.
The advantage is that if you have your content ready you can quickly build a website. I built a travel blog on WordPress.com in 20 minutes that would normally take about 10 hours on a self-hosted platform. Usually these platforms are free.The drawback is that functionality is limited. I call these micro-sites. They are similar to a Facebook page. That means that your website is a page on their larger site and includes their domain name. For example https://mywebsite.wordpress.com, or https://mywebsite.wix.com, etc. If you want to move your site to a different service or the company goes out of business, you will lose everything since you do not have access to the files or code.
The rules regarding content are very strict. If someone reports your blog, your site may be suspended without any notification and you can lose your content.
- Self-hosted
Building a self-hosted site gives your greater flexibility. You can choose the content management system (CMS) you like for your website. Hosting usually includes domain registration services and you can auto-install your CMS, like WordPress, Shopify etc. Many include tutorials on how to navigate the CMS in the Help section. WordPress is free. You do not need to pay to use it and can download it directly from https://wordpress.org/download/
The advantage is that the website is in the files and database on the hosting platform. You have access to that so you or your developer can easily pack that up and move it elsewhere if you are unhappy. There are no restrictions to the functionality of your website. Extra functionality on WordPress sites is provided by software plug-ins. For example, do you need a contact form? There are plug-ins for that. Do you need an online store, or merely want to provide a way for clients to pay you online? Plugins provide that functionality. Many of them are free. In addition, you can have someone customize a plugin for you specifically only if you are on a self-hosted site.
- Hybrid
This is actually a version of a hosted platform. You pay a fee and gain extra functionality such as a domain name that does not include their domain name ( https://mywebsite.com), options to accept payments via the site, run ads and upload videos. The functionality changes from platform to platform.
Comparison of Hosted vs Self Hosted Websites
| Features | Hosted | Self-hosted |
|---|
| Service providers | WordPress.com is a hosted service where you can set up a website or blog that runs on WordPress. | WordPress.org is free software that you can download and use on your hosted account. |
| Cost | Free up to 3GB space
Pay for extra functionality | Free
Hosting costs about $4-$10/month |
| Access | Requires you to sign up | Requires a web hosting account |
| Enables you to have a website within minutes | Most hosts offer one click installation of the software. |
| Functionality | No plugins | Upload your plugins |
| No code access | Access all code |
| Limited theme options (look and feel) | Upload your theme or build one yourself. |
| Your host may run ads on your site | Make money by running ads on and selling goods from your site. |
| | You can track activity using Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel |
| URL | Subdomain of wordpress.com
https://mywebsite.wordpress.com | Use your custom domain name
https://mywebsite.com |
Can I switch from Hosted to self-hosted?
It depends on the platform.
WordPress.com, Tumblr, Movable Type and Blogger users can move their content, i.e. posts, pages, comments and associated images to a self-hosted account. However, the structure of the site will not be transferred.
As far as I know on other platforms there is no automated way to transfer content.
Which one should I choose?
Choose the one that is right for your situation and budget.
Think of Lemon cake.
When I want lemon cake I go to Starbucks and buy a slice.
The problem is that I like my lemon cake to have pecan pieces inside and I don’t know of a company that provides that.
That is why I often just bake my own.
The hybrid option is to purchase lemon cake mix from the grocery store and add pecan pieces to that and bake it.
Which one do you prefer?
If you need a website that is scalable, definitely choose self-hosted.
You can have someone help you to set up your site.
What is a domain name?
The domain name is the name that your website will use in order for your audience to find you. For example https://blockbusters.com. It is actually a translation of the IP address used by computers to find the location of your website and translate the numbers into something that is user friendly for humans.
Where can you get a domain name?
Most hosting providers will provide domain registration for free for the first year. If you are anxious to get yours immediately, try GoDaddy.com or namecheap.com. If you are not in a hurry wait for deals on major US holidays. If you purchase domain registration for 3 years it may indicate to search engines that you are invested in your business and are not a pop-up site.
Domain registration needs to be renewed every year. If you forget, you will lose your domain.
If you do not purchase domain registration from your hosting company you will need to point the site to the hosting account.
If you are on a hosted platform, you do not need to purchase domain name registration since it will be provided by the company
mywebsite.weebly.com
Think carefully about the relevance of the domain name and how it relates to your business or interest. If you are selling shoes then it is less likely for clients to find you if you call your site themagnoliatree.com unless they are familiar with your brand.
I believe in keeping it short, sweet and easy to pronounce so that users can remember it.
Numbers confuse people. If you include numbers the visitors will not know whether to spell out the number or type the numeral. They will never find you.
Steps for self-hosted WordPress sites:
- Install WordPress
- Choose a Theme
- Install Content and Pages
- Download plug-ins
- Publish
The last step is one that is often forgotten and can endanger your site.
A good site provides new content regularly via the blog and always keeps software up to date.
The rigors of life often cause us to forget our website. Ignoring the software updates can make the site vulnerable to hackers.
New content can be loaded onto the site a few weeks in advance and released on pre-determined days. Search Engines boost sites that have new content and demote the “Halloween sites”.
If you are unable to commit to updating and maintaining your site, you may like to have someone take care of that for you.
Having a website is like printing a business card. The card cannot help you if it’s sitting in your drawer. The site needs to be promoted. When people visit the site, they will notice that your last post was from 2 years ago. If you have posts that are still relevant from some time ago, consider editing, adding something new and giving them a new date to freshen up the site.
Leaving some older content is helpful since potential clients will realize that you have been in business for some time.
I help people who are interested in building self-hosted sites using WordPress. I help them choose a hosting provider, register their domain names, install WordPress and build their website according to their specifications. Once the site is complete if they are interested, I show them how to make small edits and load blog posts onto the site. This can be performed from a mobile device whilst waiting in line at the MVA…
In the coming weeks, I will be expanding on some typical questions that clients have asked in our coaching sessions.
by Shelley Magnezi | Feb 1, 2022
WordPress 5.9 “Joséphine” released on January 25, 2022, is a major WordPress core release. The release was named in honor of acclaimed international jazz singer Joséphine Baker. Baker, a lifelong civil rights campaigner, believed that all people could live in harmony together, in the same way as different instruments in a jazz band blend together to make a whole piece.
Our new version of WordPress includes 3 types of themes, Classical (what we have used so far), Hybrid and Block. The beauty about the new themes is that they include Full Site Editing (FSE) using the WordPress block editor.
WordPress has always been about democratization. These new features enable us to easily add features like colors, fonts, layouts and templates easily to our posts and pages without being a coder.
The release also includes the new Twenty Twenty-Two block theme. The WordPress 5.9 welcome screen says:
“This is more than just a new default theme. It’s a brand-new way to work with WordPress themes. Block themes put a wide array of visual choices in your hands, from color schemes and typeface combinations to page templates and image filters — all together, in the site editing interface. By making changes in one place, you can give Twenty Twenty-Two the same look and feel as your brand or other websites — or take your site’s look in another direction.”
There are are 99 features and 100 bugs fixed in the new WordPress 5.9. From an SEO perspective, one of the items that I am excited about is lazy loading. Up until now lazy loading images in WordPress slowed down the page instead of speading it up. I see that this has been repaired and look forward to trying it out!
The hosting companies are testing out the new version of WordPress and should be releasing it as soon as they have determined that it is stable. If you already see the WordPress 5.9 update, please remember to back up your site before you run the update!
by Shelley Magnezi | Jun 15, 2021
When you are ready to enter the world of online sales, you want to capture as much of the market as possible. In today’s technology-reliant world, this means being digitally diligent. In other words, you have to harness the power of the web to work for you.
Keep reading for a few tips from District Creations on how to turn your online efforts into real-world success.
It Starts with a Website
You already know that to sell online your businessneeds a website. However, it is not enough to simply pop a page on the internet. You have to put some thought into both design and the site’s capabilities. Today’s customers want visually pleasing, easy-to-navigate (from desktop, phone, and tablet), and engaging websites. In addition to written, audio, and visual content, a user-friendly website provides quick access to convenience features, such as one-click calling and GPS navigation.
If you aren’t a web designer, there are tools you can use to make a website that won’t look like a DIY endeavour. Wix, for example, allows you to use galleries as well as optimize for mobile. Promote home pages are designed using this tool with stunning results. However, if you want a more comprehensive site with custom features (like the ability to take payments or a full online store), it’s better to work with an agency like District Creations, which can create a beautiful and optimized website tailored for your business.
Shopping in a Snap
Your website is up and running. That’s great! However, if you have products to sell, those need to be available for purchase online. Customers are impatient and likely won’t be willing to choose a product, call you on the phone, provide their credit card information, and then wait for shipping. Instead, make sure that you have a functional e-commerce platform and, just as important, a fast and secure payment processing service. PC Mag’s Editor’s Choice is Square, but there are many others like WooCommerce that support not only online transactions but also mobile payments and allow for third-party integration through services such as PayPal and Stripe.
Keep in mind that people shop online for convenience. But, many are often searching for reviews from other shoppers, so make sure that each item you sell clearly shows a star-rating.
Accounting and the Internet
Now that your website is ready, you’ll also want to make sure you can keep your books straight. While hiring an accountant is one option, there are many software programs that will help you keep tabs on your financials without assistance. QuickBooks and Freshbook are examples. You will still want a professional to walk you through tax season, but these and other programs can handle most day-to-day accounting tasks.
Assistance, Please
Whether your business runs solely online or on a combination of platforms, having a virtual assistant can keep you organized. First, as Rescue A CEO explains, you will have access to help around-the-clock. Your virtual assistant can help you grow your business and will keep things running so that you can focus on your specialty. Find ways to automate your business in order to work smarter, not harder.
This is not a definitive list of all the help you’ll need for your web-based endeavors. However, the above tools are valuable assets. They can help you find success by utilizing services and assistance that can boost your bottom line.
Author: Amy Collett
Image by Nattanan Kanchanaprat from Pixabay
by Shelley Magnezi | Jan 10, 2021
What is Market Saturation?
Recently, I started building a site for a Locksmith. For those of you who are not familiar this industry is highly competitive. Market saturation arises when the volume of a product or service in a marketplace has been maximized. A saturated market occurs when multiple businesses in the same geographic area compete for the same customers. Frequently there is more product available than potential clients.
There are two types of saturation:
1. Microeconomic market saturation:
For example, my locksmith has several neighbors who compete for the same products. His market is saturated on the micro scale.
2. Macroeconomic market saturation:
This occurs when an entire industry suffers a lack of demand. For example the demand for smart phones reduced the interest in flip phones. Macroencomic saturation happens when all potential clients have their needs met. For example, since the pandemic so many companies are offering egroceries that this market has become hard to penetrate.Eventually, the e-commerce food and grocery market might become saturated.
 :
Market Saturation Causes
Market saturation causes businesses to struggle and fail. Understanding the problem can help us tackle a solution.
New technology:
Technological changes can reduce or obliterate the demand for older products. If you needed a way to keep food fresh in your home, you would not look for an ice box with blocks of ice. You would immediately search for a refrigeratior.
Increased competition: New locksmith businesses opening up in the same area selling the same products. There are a few major players that have garnered brand loyalty through years of providing good services. Penetrating the market is challenging. There are so many similar smaller businesses marketing the same product that acquiring new customers is increasingly difficult.
Changing customer base: Changes in the demands of the people. For example when fashion trends fade the demand for specific products becomes obsolete. The demand for birthday cakes has dropped as people become more aware of health. However the demand for birthday cupcakes has increased.
Steps to beat market saturation:
- Research competition : Check what your largest competitors are doing and how they are targeting your customers. Can you target the same issues from a different angle? Creativity is not an option if you are trying to challenge big brands. It is a prerequisite. Consider a brand like Netflix. They challenged Blockbuster by offering to mail DVDs to their customers.
- Create a niche: If there are many businesses offering the same products a good way to penetrate the market is to offer something that they do not. Can you improve on the customer service experience? Is there a gap in the market that is not identified? For example Spanx was started by Sara Blakely who turned an old fashioned women’s girdle worn by elderly women into a popular fashion product.
- Provide value: Are there additional services that clients wished they had? Can you offer a free upgrade? Can you diversify your product by offering adjacent services? What can you provide for your customer that would have him come back to you for additional services?
- Marketing and brand awareness: Providing educational content and creating brand awareness will make it easier for you to qualify leads to see you as a trusted and viable solution. Providing educational content that helps buyers a) find you and b) see your product or service as a credible solution—is increasingly becoming companies’ main source of qualified leads. Research has shown that most consumers feel more comfortable about trusting a brand if they have read their content. Content marketing costs a lot less than advertising.
Marketing Tools
Website
Today, the first stop in check out your brand will be your website. Is the content up to date?
Engage with the client: Using phone, form, text or chat. If you respond within 5 minutes, you have a 90% greater chance of closing a deal with them.
Search: Browsing is a thing of the past. There is so much content on the internet that the only way to reach it is to search. It is highly unlikely that your customer will search and find you directly. They may find local internet directories. Can you list your business there? Ensure that all the company’s essential information is accurate on the directory.
An emphasis on Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will increase qualified leads finding your website through a Search Engine. Remember that Google has the lion’s share of searches, but they are not the only search engine.
Advertising
Effective advertising is the fastest way to engage your audience and make them aware of your brand and reach new audiences.
Social Media
Post regularly to social media and include video content. (YouTube is also a search engine.) Maintain an active presence on these pages. Add fresh content regularly and respond promptly to messages, comments and likes.
Unique and effective marketing is probably the best strategy when a market is saturated with product and service options, particularly when the services are very similar. Effective strategies and niche marketing can often make the difference for a company.
