ShareThis

How Social Media Sites Like Twitter and Facebook Changed the Marketing Trend of Businesses in Birmingham

Posted by Tarjinder Kailey on Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Gone are the days where small businesses hide in the shadows of huge corporations because they cannot afford to advertise their products or services. Old style advertising in TV and print surely cost tons but then the internet changed everything. Now there is what we like to call social media sites. More than saving money, these sites are well known among online business experts as an effective media in generating leads, improving exposure and increasing sales.




Turn Retweets and Likes into Actual Customers


Facebook and Twitter has long proven that it’s not just for personal use. It’s dynamic interface and features gave humans a means of getting heard through expressing themselves. So instead of wasting your time on posting mundane stuff such as buying a pair of shoes or eating a hamburger, utilize these substantial social media networks to your advantage.

As two of the most popular social media sites, think of how great an asset they can be for your business. Facebook has over 250 million viewers a day and Twitter is no slouch in terms of its users. This simply gives you a better chance of finding your targeted customers. Take note though that social media’s primary aim is to improve your branding and not your sales primarily. However, think of it as your stepping stone for if your branding is no good, how will you ever convince your potential customers?

So if you’re aiming to promote your services simultaneously without having to spend a massive amount of money, you have to do it professionally. Sure, you can set up your own Facebook, Twitter or whatever social media network you prefer. But a business social media page is more than the tweets, images and posts you make. For an expert marketing flair, Birmingham does have a fair share of social media services that are equipped in making an online name for its clients. These services give you the privilege of:
  •     Getting Likes (Leads) in Facebook
  •     Increasing Your Followers (Potential Customers) on Twitter
  •     Utilizing the Best Social Media Sites Appropriate for Your Business


Increasing Your Business’ Facebook Popularity


Setting up a Facebook is simple. Getting people to like your page is another story.
Facebook has created a staple mindset when it comes to the word “like” and today, we all know that more likes mean more influence. It really is genius how Facebook turned advertising in a not so annoying way as getting people to like your page gives them the power to choose whether to do it or not. This way, you’d know firsthand what your likers are looking for.





Here are several strategies on how to attract attention and get people to click the LIKE button on your Facebook page.


  1. INVITE – For starters, you can invite as many people as you want. Once your community grows, this may open doors for your targeted followers. To get to the page, click on the settings tab on upper right corner on your screen. On the Use Facebook As option, click on your page. From there, you will see your page’s navigation interface. To invite people, you can either invite your friends or invite email contacts through the Build an Audience tab.
  2. ENGAGE - It is called ‘social’ media for a reason. Post anything that promotes your business and share relevant information. This way, you can announce, introduce, feature or teach something – a helpful and effective act that gains trust from your Facebook likers. 
  3. INFORM – the internet is the fastest source to get information. So as a business that wants to convince potential customers, be the source – information and product or service alike. Hiring a content writer on the side gives you the advantage of increasing customer trust.
  4. PROMOTE – the very reason of a Facebook page, this is where you sell. Attract more attention by introducing different gimmicks where likers are allowed to interact and in the end, catch a great deal. Advertising may be annoying especially if it’s unauthorized and hard sell. With a page, you’re authorized and of course, your page alone promotes subtly yet efficiently.



Get People to Follow You on Twitter


Though a social media site as well, Twitter is a whole lot different from the others. It’s not as dynamic as Facebook, your posts are limited to only 140 characters but it’s faster and has a wider coverage in terms of posting and sharing a.k.a. retweeting. Social media services in Birmingham encourage businesses to have a Twitter account because of its mobility. Plus, even though you’re limited with your words, there is no such thing as over tweeting – so you can promote your stuff all you want (as long as it’s not hard sell and forced, that is). So to begin with, bare these basic tips in mind.


  1. WRITE GOOD STUFF – presenting interesting reads, videos or images that people like attracts followers. One of Twitter’s best features is the retweet button. Link something out, utilize the retweet button and see how this social media site work wonders in terms of spreading the “news”.
  2. FOLLOW OTHERS – Being followed by someone can be annoying but never on Twitter. One way of being followed is to follow others. Look for influential people that share the same interest as the company, especially those who has a lot of followers and follow them. Their followers may be interested in your business and become your loyal customers, too. However, as a twitter rule: Do not follow 1000 people a day – having too much people you’re following and too little followers makes your account seem as if it’s spam.
  3. INTERACT WITH YOUR FOLLOWERS ¬– Social media marketing is not just about collecting followers. What’s most important is you interact with them; keep them connected to your brand. You need them to share or retweet your tweets and content with their followers. You want them to give honest feedback of your brand and services. That is why you need to follow the right followers. Those who are interested in your brand are the ones who will most likely retweet your content, and respond to you. 
  4. SHARE OTHER’S CONTENT – the saying “Scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” also apply to social media marketing. Share some of the content of your Twitter friends. Somehow this enables you to establish connections and hopefully, they will return the favor. 
  5. KEEP THE CONNECTION – when your followers comment or ask questions, don’t leave them hanging, waiting for nothing. Respond to them as soon as possible. When they retweet on your tweets, never fail to thank them. When they mention you or your business, communicate with them. You can also send them a direct message.



Taking Advantage of Social Media Sites


You might have come across information saying that using the internet as the new-age media for advertising isn’t as effective as the standard ones. Well, truth be told, that only happens when you do not know how to utilize its features.


As example, joining on social media sites is for free. Aside from Facebook and Twitter, there’s Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, Google+ and more. The more appropriate social networking sites you join in, the more chances of building solid online networks. But as the business owner, managing this aspect might be a burden to your original tasks and instead of focusing on your business’ overall performance, your time is divided and cluttered into another dimension. Hire a Social Media Expert in Birmingham that’s able to set up efficiently and bring results. Who knows? You might be Facebook’s next big thing in your area or Twitter might trend your business in time.

More aboutHow Social Media Sites Like Twitter and Facebook Changed the Marketing Trend of Businesses in Birmingham

The Innovation of Videos: Transforming the Online Marketing Industry in Birmingham

Posted by Tarjinder Kailey on Thursday, April 18, 2013

Videos for online marketing campaign success? We might think that the fast-paced technological advances of the human race couldn’t get any better but once again it has proven us wrong. 2013 is yet another year of innovations and revolutionary ways that involve the ever-present necessities of electronics. Speaking of which, the World Wide Web is never late when it comes to presenting something new. So if you’re thinking online marketing is outdated, you might want to scratch that thought and cultivate a new techie/marketer mindset. 

Videos are still the most effective marketing campaigns up to this day – it just discovered a new type of media. And with its continuous success, commercial and industrial cities such as Birmingham understand and exploit its advantages.


The Dawn of the YouTube Era

YouTube is the number one video streaming website in the world and take note that it’s owned by no other than Google. Starting from its foundation in 2005, it now has the largest video sharing platform with approximately 450,000,000 unique visitors each month. Its popularity alone simply means that YouTube may be a very effective tool to promote your company or business’ campaign.



Setting up a YouTube account is as simple as ABC. The real challenge here is how you present your business’ promotional video as truth be told, there really is just a lot of ways. You just have to know what suits you best. But before we jump to that part, let’s start with the basics first…


How will Creating Videos for your Campaign Help You?


1. It Builds an Online Customer Relationship

A competitive business owner is well aware that customer relationship builds strength in just about any business endeavour. Getting your message to your customers and potential clients is something not to be taken for granted. Having video content in your website and YouTube account somehow creates a means of interaction in this virtual aeon. Posting a video online now gives your audience the privilege to access your business’ vital information without the barriers of geographical location and time difference.


2. It Strengthens the Brand’s Credibility

Videos provide room for three dimensional moving images that seem to attract more attention compared to plain text or images. In just a span of 30 seconds to a minute, you’d be able to convey a clear message that people could easily grasp on as visual images tend to stick to one’s memory longer.
Having a video improves the brand’s credibility because it has a higher potential of containing different marketing perspectives in a more direct manner. As an example, you can market yourself – seeing a credible person in a video creates a certain level of trust from the viewers. Better yet, hire someone famous and appropriate to endorse what you’re selling.


3. It’s a Cheaper Alternative

Setting up an account on YouTube will not cost you a cent. Plus, even a fifth grader who has an online connection can navigate its interface without any difficulty. Compared to spending tons of money on TV commercials and even print ads, the only thing you’d be spending here is your time.

Although you might want to take it up a notch by hiring a production team to cook up an enticing video campaign, most of the time you can do it by yourself. If you have a camera that is of good quality, you can upload informative videos or even create mini webinars. Just think out of the box, you’d realize there’s a bunch of ways that doesn’t even have to burden your expenses.


4. It has a Wider Coverage Area

Expert online marketers in Birmingham are paid for their knowledge on how the internet works especially for those who want to earn while using its features. When it comes to promoting your video campaign, your list of resources is no other than the social media websites.

As we all know, social media websites take over the internet world today. Facebook alone has millions of subscribers all over the world. Not guaranteeing that you’d be able to get as much as the users of Facebook but given the odds, using social media as a resource still is the best way to go. Once you upload your video, you will have a URL – that my friend, is your ticket to more viewers. Share it to your local networks or Facebook and Twitter page (which you need to have for your business) for a better accessibility to your targeted audience. If it gets better, you’d be able to have online friends or subscribers that would share your video on their own.


5. It Improves Search Engine Visibility

Videos, as a means of promoting your business, also have the capability of driving traffic to your site.  Notice that when you type a certain query on a search engine, YouTube video URLs appear in the results too. The fact that Google owns YouTube gives you an advantage on ranking higher.

Given with the right sets of keywords to utilize in your title and meta data, your information would be able to tap Google and other search engines’ algorithm thus, gets you indexed properly.


There may be bookworms and people who hold a keen eye for photography but whatever interest someone has, watching videos seems to capture the eyes and hearts of many. Content is king and a picture is worth a thousand words but a video can do more than that. As what Dr. James McQuivet of Forrester Research mentioned, 'the value of a one-minute video is 1.8 million words'. When tackling the meticulous process of online marketing for a business in Birmingham, it wouldn’t hurt to utilize the features of video productions and campaigns.
More aboutThe Innovation of Videos: Transforming the Online Marketing Industry in Birmingham

Exploring the Many Benefits of Psychology in Outsourced Graphic Design for Birmingham Businesses

Posted by Tarjinder Kailey on Wednesday, April 17, 2013


Psychology is one young branch of science. And most certain than not, younger disciplines all face the challenge of reinvention and the constant need to fit itself with changing trends. Psychology has done that on countless moments.

It has been first conceived out of Philosophy and Biology’s wedlock but the manner through which it has spilled over other disciplines is astounding. It managed to have subfields that tackle sociology, anthropology, artificial intelligence, physiology, media, law and neuroscience. Its broadness makes it one of the most ideal professions in the world.

It became no surprise then that it has also tapped on the world of design through ergonomics and Psychology of design, all with one goal: ease the use space and fixtures in critical places such as the workplace or food chains.

Following that line of thought, design Psychology then was brought out of the urgency of a new field taking over old ones that have only covered the topic partially. It managed to put a cross-over between itself (Psychology) and the also very wide field of art with relative ease; in particular, graphic design.

To better examine the underlying reasons behind that success, take a look at the analysis below.




Comparing Rationales


The rationale behind attractive design: understanding consumer behavior.

The rationale behind Psychology: studying behavior and mental processes.

If you look closely, there’s one word repeated for both rationales. That is behavior, precisely. The take that Psychology brings into graphic design is vibrantly fresh and their compatibility levels are high.

In fact, when attempting to craft nicely designed promotional materials, graphic designers must look not just at the value that aesthetics offer the picture but also other disciplines that may enhance the value of the over-all end product. This can be all the more true if you’re an outsourcing company specializing in graphic design in Birmingham, a big city renowned for its status as an international commercial center. If you look for Psychological terms and processes, you may become more enlightened.

In short, Psychology adds value to every finished project. Instead of just designing something pleasing to the eyes (since most younger generations shun reading and go see more of the visuals than anything else), adding special points and objects of interest may mean more for advertising. It uncovers something beyond the normal persuasion by digging into emotions, the world of subconscious, unguarded reactions to stimuli, visual illusions and exploration of different needs.


Where does Psychology fits in?


As broad as Psychology can be, there are a load of topics that one may find relevant to the completion of graphic design projects. Here are some pointers that make the field much of a fit in terms of reaction from viewers who’d think twice now on every visual representation they would be seeing in ads and different platforms of engagement.



Shape – unearthing emotions through usage of friendly shapes is highly encouraged. Round objects and those that have softer edges are historically perceived as giving comfort (e.g a mother’s bosom and a soft pillow). But this is not entirely limited to vague shapes alone. Face recognition can also be related. When viewers see faces, they tend to resonate whatever emotions is shown depicted by it. So if it’s someone looking straight into your very eyes, this suggests more interaction.

Color – one of the most recognizable aspects of Psychological integration into mainstream graphic designing. Cooler hues such as green and blue suggest loyalty, reliability and security while warmer counterparts prove otherwise with red as something burning and passionate. When used well, the Psychology of color can show viewers how a company portrays itself through advertising stints and logos.

Font – Sans Serif was normally used for movie posters inasmuch as comic sans is used for lighter moments in advertising that connotes humor. This makes sure that fonts are just as engaging when they convey what the design is all about. If it’s authentic, trustworthy, fun or dull, fonts spell them all out. You may find this extra knowledge, very useful when designing business cards.

Perception – There is limitation into what can Psychology dig in the viewer’s subconscious, since no matter how much you try to incorporate your knowledge of it in every design, there are still other factors to consider such as the past experience of end viewers and their biases over certain issues. That is why thoroughly researching about the behavior of a company’s target audience will always be a necessity.

Gestalt Psychology – Another popular option in which illusion is one main thrust. Gestalt offers a fresh approach on design by indicating the effectiveness of proximity, spacing, positioning and continuity of figures used. Mostly beneficial for logo design since it takes advantage of how human brain self-organizes every information it receives in an orderly manner which is simple enough to retain. In other words, make it simple!

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs – Abraham Maslow is Humanistic Psychology’s stellar theorist. He proposed the famous hierarchy consisting of human needs ranked according to importance and ease of attainment. In designing, knowing much about this theory can help a graphic designer determine what needs must be fulfilled by a certain promotional campaign; mirroring it is important.

Visceral reactions – or those that are ignited by the old brain still affect the behavior of a lot of people. These are instinctive responses that react faster than any other normal conscious processes. By resurfacing these responses, your design can effectively convince people into doing something without them noticing (buying the product or trying the service).


Graphic Design in Birmingham




Birmingham online businesses are just one of the many industries that flourish in this world-class megalopolis off the shore of Europe’s Great Britain. United Kingdom’s share of outsourcing companies that focus on graphic designing inBirmingham is plenty. And the biggest takeaway: they love incorporating Psychological tenets into their very life work which is design.
More aboutExploring the Many Benefits of Psychology in Outsourced Graphic Design for Birmingham Businesses

Website Design Birmingham: Types and Styles Effective For Businesses

Posted by Tarjinder Kailey on Thursday, April 11, 2013


The web is one beautiful medium for the out-of-the-box thinker. Its charm and flexibility completely makes it a fantastic thing of free flowing information. And web designers did not hold their creativity back. Instead, they allowed every potential to be unleashed. They believe in the line “Knowledge is power”. In this case, knowledge of the web empowers their creative minds to make great designs and in due course provide value to their clients.



As a businessman, sure you’d want to be satisfied by the performance of your web designer. This way, you are also assured that your website does not only look good, but it also meets its purpose. On the other hand, if you’re a businessman who hasn’t thought of getting your own website yet, here are some concepts you may want to check.
  • Type of Web Design
  • Determining Your Website


Types of Web Design

You need to be familiar with the different types of web designs and your objective here is to make your website relate to your company, products or services. If the web design is poor, there is a good chance of customers not liking your page. So here are some types of web designs:



  1. Responsive design – With this type of design, the goal is to have a website that will adapt to users’ device. Remember, PC’s are not the only device that can access the web today. There has been the rise of smart phones, tablets, and other Internet –ready gadgets. You have to make sure that your website is accessible regardless the kind of device your customer is using.
  2. Typographic design – People read. So, the next important goal in having your website is to make it READABLE. Readers should find, understand, and connect with the words posted on your page. If they find helpful information, nothing else will hold them back from buying your products or services.
  3. Graphic Design - The "look and feel" of the web site is another important aspect of your web site. It makes the settings of your page enjoyable and more importantly, it drives advertising. To stand out from your competitors, the graphic design your website must be exceptional. Indeed, it is an investment in the success of your business.


Determining Your Website

One thing that needs to be considered is also the type of website you are in need of. Let’s look at some considerations about planning a website and its impact. This is a listing of possibilities but should get you thinking about the ranges of things to consider.

  1. E-commerce Sites - These are the most complex types of sites to work on. The moving parts of these types include credit-card processing and email systems. On these types of projects, you will benefit from a close relationship with a developer who can handle a lot of the technical work.
  2. Brochure Sites – The standard brochure site is the simplest of sites. It works as an online business card, giving visitors with information about your business like contact details, address, information on products and services.
  3. Content Managed Sites – These types of website offer content. Upon getting this type, you don’t have to be an expert – simply a good basic knowledge of word processing and file management will be required. Often times, it will be an advantage if you know about image editing too – but if not, a good designer can certainly help you.
  4. Informational Sites – From the name itself, these are sites that provide up to date information. The goal in creating this kind of site is to get your information to the public and not actually sell a product online. Once your business has expanded, you can then add a part to your site letting the customer purchase the product – eventually making it an E-commerce site.


The Bottom Line



A good web design must allow you to connect with potential buyers. It must relay your message, products or services effectively. Bear in mind that your website gives you identity on the Web. Let Birmingham web designers unleash their skills and help you maintain a good online presence.

More aboutWebsite Design Birmingham: Types and Styles Effective For Businesses

Marketing Your Business Online with Excellent PPC Management Services

Posted by Tarjinder Kailey on Monday, April 8, 2013


One way to effectively advertize your business online is to get as much as a million viewers to your website in the shortest period of time while keeping your advertising cost to minimum. To business owners who have been in the field of online marketing for quite some time now, Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is the most common way to drive traffic back to their websites. What it is and how it works is detailed down in this article. Further, this article gives you insights on how to make use of PPC Management Service for your Birmingham business to get qualified visitors and turn them into profitable customers and clients.



Let’s start of by answering these three basic questions:

  • What is PPC advertising and how does it work?
  • Who offers PPC advertising?  
  • Why advertise your Birmingham business with PPC?

What is PPC advertising?

PPC advertising to put in the simplest vocabulary is a process wherein you, as the advertiser or business owner, pays search engines each time someone clicks your advert and is directed through your website. These adverts usually appear on the right hand side of Google when a visitor searches for a phrase or term and are typically under the heading “sponsored ads” although this is not always obvious.

This gives you an advantage of paying only for those people that directly reach your website and NOT each time your advert is displayed.


The general process of PPC advertising: How it works


  1. You need to create a campaign and then create your advert which you want to be displayed on the Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs).
  2. Choose a keyword that you want to trigger your adverts in the search engines. (When a user searches for a keyword relevant to the ad, then that ad is displayed on specific sections of SERPs which search engines themselves decide).  
  3. You then need to set your tracking and testing features as well as your keyword variations.


Who offers PPC advertising?

Google, Yahoo, and Bing (MSN) are the big three PPC advertisers for businesses who desire to venture into online marketing. It is no brainer though that Google is the main player in this field such that in UK alone, over 90% of all traffic goes through Google UK searches.  



Google’s PPC software, Google AdWords plays a vital part in marketing your business online. It is far more advanced than Yahoo and Bing and allows you more room in terms of tracking, testing and functionality. It comes in no surprise that most companies and businesses starting off in business online marketing opt for Google AdWords.

Basics of Google AdWords

Google AdWords is one of the most effective marketing tools in the planet. While the general steps of how to make use of PPC advertising are mentioned earlier, the following are specific instructions or basic knowledge about the biggest and most trusted PPC software (Google AdWords) that you should be familiar about:

Step 1: Create a campaign

Go to www.adwords.google.com and create a campaign/account. Upon entering this stage, Google will charge you $5.00 dollars and you will then be asked to input authentic credit card information.

Step 2: Choose Target customers

Choose from dozens of languages and nearly 200 countries. You can even choose to show your ads only to users in specific cities or regions.

Step 3: Create your ad

Write your ad text and choose the keywords that will trigger those ads. And since it’s not easy to compress everything you need to say about your business in just a few lines, here are 6 guidelines on how to create effective ads that will hopefully bring you lots of clicks, therefore more profitable clients:

a.       Highlight what makes your business, product, or offer unique
b.      Include prices, promotions, and exclusives
c.       Tell your customers what they can do
d.      Include at least one of your keywords in your ad text
e.      Match your ad to your landing page
f.        Appeal to customers viewing your ad on a mobile device


Step 4: Set pricing

Choose the currency you want to use, then set your daily budget and cost per click (CPC). Spend as much or as little as you like each day; no minimum budget is required.

Step 5: Sign up

Finish creating an AdWords account by providing your email address and choosing a password. When you're ready to activate your ads, log in to your new account and submit your billing information.


Why use PPC advertising?

Simple: Targeted Customers = Increase in Sales!

If set up correctly, a PPC campaign can divert targeted people to your website who are searching for a particular product or service in literally, just minutes! These targeted people are more likely to convert into paying customers. Once your advert has been approved and your daily budget is set, your adverts will start showing! This is therefore, proven to be the quickest way of driving people to your website.

Benefits of getting a PPC Management Service



While everything you read prior to this section can be self-learned, the learning curve is steep and it does take a precious amount of time that should be better spent doing something you can accomplish best for the overall proficiency of your business performance. If you want to achieve results in a shortest possible time, then this the deciding moment for you to hire or to get a PPC Management Service in order to meet your business’ specific needs.

Smart Internet Business Solutions offers 3 levels of packages for their PPC services for your business in Birmingham:

Package 1: For a product that you are promoting and you would like an optimized campaign created for it.
Package 2: For a business related campaign that is selling multiple products and services across a market / niche.
Package 3: For them to optimize an already existing campaign to monitor and maintain.

So start promoting your business online using Smart Internet Business Solution’s PPC Management Services now and expect far more than satisfactory results in no time.  
More aboutMarketing Your Business Online with Excellent PPC Management Services

Essential Search Engine Optimization Tips for Businesses in Birmingham

Posted by Tarjinder Kailey on Wednesday, April 3, 2013

What do you do when you need to find information – a fact, an address or a product? Most probably, you’ll bring up a search engine on your computer, type in a phrase or number closest to the information you’re looking for and then check out the results. With just a small amount of time, you get the information you need right at the tip of your fingers.


You think search engine optimization’s (SEO) concept is as simple as “seek and you shall find” but it’s really more than that. Although it works like magic, it’s actually the application of giving businesses the best possible ranking. If you’re an online business owner in Birmingham, let’s take a look at few things that are of importance in the world of SEO:


-    The Mission of SEO
-    No Magic SEO
-    7 Essential SEO Tips



The Mission of SEO

Search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing devote so much time and effort in improving their way of doing tasks. This includes understanding people’s search behavior, enabling them to get fresher, better information in the least amount of time and comparing results against other search engines.





No Magic SEO

Opposite to what you might have always heard from web operators, there are no magic, no tricks and no shortcuts to rank your site well. You have to accept that fact that since the Web is a lively environment, your ranking can change at any time. You must also endlessly prove to the search engines that your website is the best answer to user queries. In other words, patience, hard work and an unbeatable strategy are needed in order to hit your goal.



7 Essential SEO Tips

Most tips that you have read or heard are not applicable to all websites. If you are planning to re-outline or do something new, here are some tips laid down in a clearer level:

1.)    Make use of online directories. Being listed in a business directory requires notably less capital than paying for costly paper ads. It makes your business findable and it gives you the opportunity to communicate with potential buyers.

2.)    Place social sharing buttons on your site. Social sharing buttons make it easier for your readers to share your site. If your site is shared frequently, you get more chances of improving your rank.

3.)    Use keywords. When users search for information, they type certain words or phrases, also known as keywords. It is often undervalued by some businesses when in fact it is the most important aspect in any search engine optimization strategy.

4.)    Get rid of copied content. Search engines are smarter than you think. They can detect duplicate contents and can notice copied articles. Make sure facts are correct and there are no grammar errors. Also, make sure your content in unique, updated and most of all original.

5.)    Use images. Infographics is another strategy that is worth trying. Users like to see pictures when browsing a website. It will also be a lot more effective if you describe each image with texts.

6.)    Add a description to your page.  The description tags are the elements that most search engines use. These tags should briefly summarize your website. If you place great description tags, users are more likely to visit your page as these are what they read first after pulling up results.

7.)    A page title is required. Your page title is the most important thing that shows up in search engine results. It works best if it contains relevant keywords. It shouldn’t be lengthy too because search engines only show limited characters for a page title.






If you want to drive more traffic to your website you must connect with your customers in a deeper and meaningful level. Anyone looking to enhance and optimize their website and get better rankings should seek services offered by Birmingham SEO experts. They do all the advanced technical SEO strategies in a straight-forward and proficient method.


More aboutEssential Search Engine Optimization Tips for Businesses in Birmingham

The Other Side of the Coin: What NOT to Do When Marketing Your Birmingham Business Online

Posted by Tarjinder Kailey on Monday, April 1, 2013



We’ve heard a lot of ways on how to effectively market one’s business online. In fact, the superfluity of information is flooding search engines today. This is simply because online marketing strategies are without question, juggernauts in the field of general marketing. And just as how easy people are taking a good grip of the entire process, it has also become easy to commit mistakes that are more often than not, come hardly noticeable. 

To market your Birmingham business online is one of the greatest decisions you’ll ever make in the general process of running your business. But as equally important as the DO’s, you need to fix a keener eye on the DON’Ts as well.  


From general mistakes to the more explicit social media mishandlings and even ethical concerns, the list that follows this exordium is an effort to get the most of your decision to market your Birmingham business online




General Mistakes 

  1. Less Dedication and Short Patience
Your online marketing efforts will be in vain if you only work on them in spurts. Sometimes, plans won’t work out the soonest you expect them to be. Trees don’t grow overnight. You have to give extra dedication to water them, feed them enough sunlight, and guard them from the boundary of its roots. With proper and constant attention, longer patience, and sticking to your original plans, you’d be reaping the fruits of such hard labor in no time. 

  1. No/Wrong Content Strategy
Ever heard of the statement “Content is King”? Well it still is reigning, and we cannot yet foresee it giving up its throne.
All satisfactory online marketing strategies rely much on content, but not just content alone. Good quality content is what keeps your business running on the cyber realm – from your business’ website to your social media snippets, every character of your post must be polished the nearest level to perfection.  

  1. No Careful Planning
Never go on impulse online marketing. Preparing a blueprint of your business marketing plans will strengthen the foundation of your business. Besides, planning will keep the process of marketing your business more organized, allowing you to backtrack every incremental growth or fall. 


Branding 

  1. Choosing a Bad Name
Just as how one person identifies another person by name, branding your business is an essential part in building your reputation whether in the physical or the virtual world. So, what makes a brand/business name bad?

-  It’s hard to pronounce or even spell.
-  It can easily be forgotten.
-  You’d rather not say it because it’s way too embarrassing to even read it on your mind.

One site lists some of the worst domain names given to some websites you surely would not want to get inspiration from such as:

-  blackhatebook
-  effoff
-  holandshitfestival



  1. Underestimating Design
After enticing people to key in a URL with a good domain name, perhaps the first thing that people will notice is your website design. Nothing can turn them off more than a poorly designed one. Here are some design principles that you need to take well consideration of for creating an effective web design:

- Precedence – meaning, the overall design must lead the reader off an organized path
-  Navigation (take note that horizontal navigation is proven much effective than  vertical)
-  Spacing (line spacing, white space, padding)
-  Typography
-  Form follows function – functional designs and not just for aesthetic purposes
-  Alignment and grid
-  Clarity/sharpness of colors and edges
-  Compatibility (to a wider variety of devices/ operating systems)
-  Coherence of the elements (fonts, colors, etc.)

A clean, simple design is often the key to success. But there’s nothing wrong with thinking out of the box. Just make sure you got yourself a skillful web designer who knows what exactly is he or she is doing.



Social Media Mishandlings

  1. Excessive “Automated Posts”
While creating automated posts can save you a great deal of time, abusing it will lose the meaning of being “social”. 

  1. Poor and Too Personal Posts
There’s a thin line between you as a businessman and your business itself. Learn how to separate the two. Quit regularly posting about where you are right now or what you’re eating and focus more on how your business is doing (achievements, new products, etc.). Social media sites are never open diaries. Besides, no one likes someone who talks about himself most of the time. 

  1. Long Videos
Studies found out that shorter online videos have greater chances of keeping someone’s attention. Plus, a catchy intro and title will surely count.

  1. Concentrating on Facebook Alone
We all know Facebook is the largest and most popular social network. But if you want to widen the online coverage of your business in social media marketing, there are a lot more that can be explored such as Twitter, Stumbleupon, Linkedin, and the one who’s creating the latest buzz, Pinterest.

 
Ethical Concerns

  1. Anonymity
People will easily get discouraged if there are certain concerns that cannot be addressed right away. The easiest solution would be putting up a FAQ section or listing contact information (preferably email address) that actually works and which is updated regularly. 

  1. Racial Issues/ Offending Others
Be considerate enough to gender and race. You don’t want to be the next trending, big news on the Internet who’s accused for creating products which are perceived as patronizing.

  1. Plagiarism
Be it pure content or logos or concepts, plagiarism is a big no-no especially when you’re trying to build up your business name. There’s no meticulous thesis referencing guidelines needed to cite the original owners. You just need to post the links and authors to be able to sleep with more ease.

  1. Spamming
Spamming is an act purely unethical. You might get phenomenal results at first, but in the end you will compromise the trust of ySour (prospective) clients and might even have the possibility to get banned.




Common SEO Mistakes 
 
  1. Not Utilizing Keywords
Keywords are language. They are integral part of the picture in increasing your page ranking. Not utilizing them will be a big loss to building your business website’s reputation.

  1. Ignoring offsite content strategy
Link building campaign is essential for driving success to your online marketing endeavors. When your website has quality offsite back links, search engines like Google, Yahoo, etc. will reward this effort with higher page rankings for your website.

  
Misleading Email

People nowadays don’t trust emails as easily. Create something that’s worth reading instead of those spammy, doubtful e-messages.

The process of marketing your Business in Birmingham Online can be a minefield. One wrong step and all your efforts will be laid down in vain and futility. Acquaint yourself with the balanced knowledge of the don’ts and do’s of online marketing in order to get the most of your marketing you business in Birmingham.

More aboutThe Other Side of the Coin: What NOT to Do When Marketing Your Birmingham Business Online