The Importance of Google+ Page Management

Boosting Social Media Presence: Essential Tips for Small Businesses

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 15:24:46 GMT

For small businesses, a strong social media presence is a must if you are looking to expand reach, build brand awareness, and engage directly with customers. With a thoughtful approach, even small businesses can compete with larger brands online. Here’s a few tips from the digital marketing experts at MORBiZ on how to maximize your small business social media impact.

Define Your Goals and Audience

Starting with clear objectives will help you focus your efforts. Decide whether you’re aiming to drive website traffic, increase brand visibility, or generate leads. Knowing your goals shapes your content, while understanding your audience—considering factors like age, location, and interests—ensures that content resonates. This way, you’ll attract the right followers who are most likely to engage with your business.

Keep a Consistent Brand Image

Consistency across platforms is essential for brand recognition. Use the same colors, visuals, and tone in all your posts. A clear brand voice that’s professional, friendly, or informative (depending on your business) can help you create a connection with your audience and build trust. The more your posts look and feel like “you,” the easier it is for followers to remember your business.

Prioritize Engagement

Social media is all about interaction. Responding to comments, messages, and reviews helps foster a community of loyal followers. When you engage directly with customers, they’re more likely to recommend and return to your brand. You can even run interactive content like live videos, Q&As, or polls to create a two-way conversation and make followers feel valued.

Post Quality Content Regularly

Quality beats quantity on social media. Rather than posting constantly, focus on delivering valuable, relevant content. This could be helpful tips, product updates, or behind-the-scenes looks at your business. Planning your posts in advance with a content calendar can help maintain a steady, consistent presence that keeps your brand top-of-mind.

Track Your Results

Finally, pay attention to analytics. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram provide engagement metrics that reveal what works and what doesn’t. Use these insights to refine your approach, experimenting with different types of content and posting schedules as you go.

A robust social media strategy takes effort, but the rewards are well worth it. MORBiZ is here to help small businesses enhance their digital presence and make the most of social media’s potential to grow their customer base. To learn how we can assist with your social media management, call 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We look forward to delivering an outstanding experience while helping you build your business online and off.

Top 3 Benefits of Targeted Facebook Ads for Small Businesses in Competitive Areas

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 13:00:12 GMT

In medium and big cities, many small businesses often face the challenge of competing against larger, more established brands, as well as other local businesses. One way to stand out is by using Facebook’s advanced advertising tools to target the right audience. At MORBiZ, we help small businesses grow their web presence and their sales through a variety of digital marketing tactics, including paid social meda ads. If you’ve yet to utilize this important tool, here are three of the top reasons why Facebook ads can be a game-changer for your small businesses.

1. Cost-Effective and Flexible Budgeting

Facebook ads offer a highly cost-effective way to reach your target audience, allowing you to set a budget that fits your business needs. Whether you're working with a small or larger budget, you can ensure that every dollar goes toward attracting the right people. Facebook’s ad platform lets you pause, adjust, or scale your campaigns at any time, making it easy to optimize your spending based on real-time performance.

2. Precise Audience Targeting

Facebook’s detailed targeting capabilities allow you to zero in on users based on location, age, interests, behaviors, and more. This is incredibly useful for small businesses operating in competitive areas, as you can ensure your ads reach the people most likely to engage with your products or services. For example, a local restaurant can target nearby users who are food enthusiasts, helping the business rise above local competition.

3. Retargeting for Higher Conversion Rates

Retargeting is a powerful tool that allows you to show ads to people who have previously interacted with your business, whether they visited your website or engaged with your Facebook page. This helps you stay top-of-mind for potential customers, encouraging them to return and convert. In competitive markets, this added exposure can help turn interested browsers into loyal customers.

Paid Facebook Ad Management Services

In high-competition areas, every marketing effort counts. By using Facebook’s precise targeting and cost-effective ad options, small businesses can reach the right audience and stand out from the competition. At MORBiZ, we specialize in helping small businesses grow through smart digital marketing strategies, including small business advertising on Facebook. If you’d like to learn more about this service we encourage you to contact us. Get in touch with our friendly team by calling 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We will gladly provide you an overview of all our web presence services , from custom websites to PPC ads to social media management and more.

5 Digital Marketing Tips for Tree Removal Companies

Thu, 05 Sep 2024 20:09:34 GMT

A strong digital marketing strategy is essential for any tree removal company looking to stand out and grow its customer base. With the right approach, you can improve your online visibility, attract new clients, and build a solid reputation in your community. Here are five digital marketing tips to help your tree removal business thrive online.

Optimize for Local SEO

Appearing at the top of local search results is crucial for driving traffic to your website. Optimize your site for local SEO by incorporating location-based keywords, such as “tree removal in [your city]” or “stump grinding near me,” throughout your content. Additionally, create or claim your Google Business Profile and ensure your NAP (name, address, phone number) information is consistent across all directories.

Create Informative and Engaging Content

Content marketing helps establish your authority in the industry and improves your search rankings. Publish blog posts, how-to guides, and videos that address common questions or concerns related to tree removal, tree health, and maintenance tips. This not only attracts visitors to your website but also builds trust with potential customers who see you as a knowledgeable resource.

Leverage Social Media Platforms

Social media is a powerful tool for connecting with potential customers. Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to showcase your work, share customer testimonials, and post educational content about tree care. Engaging with your audience through comments and messages also builds relationships and encourages word-of-mouth referrals.

Utilize Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising

PPC advertising, such as Google Ads, can quickly generate leads for your tree removal business. By targeting specific keywords and locations, you can ensure your ads reach people actively searching for your services. Regularly monitor and adjust your ad campaigns to optimize performance and maximize your return on investment (ROI).

Encourage Customer Reviews

Positive reviews are crucial for building credibility and trust. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on Google, Yelp, and other relevant platforms. Respond to all reviews—both positive and negative—to show that you value customer feedback and are committed to providing excellent service.

By implementing these digital marketing tips, your tree removal company can strengthen its online presence, attract more local clients, and achieve long-term growth. As a leading digital marketing agency focused on helping small businesses thrive, including tree removal companies, you can rely on MORBiZ to assist with implementing any of these services. To learn more about our services, don’t hesitate to give our friendly team a call at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form to get in touch. We would be happy to answer any questions about our arborist marketing services or provide pricing for our web presence services .

What is the Google Guarantee from Google Local Services?

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 15:52:47 GMT

In the competitive world of small business, standing out online can be challenging. That’s where MORBiZ comes in, utilizing Google Local Services to boost your visibility and build trust with potential customers. This platform is a game-changer for local businesses like roofers, plumbers, cleaners, and electricians, enabling them to connect with customers quickly and efficiently. Let’s dive into why Google Guarantee is an essential tool for getting your small business noticed online.

How Do Google Local Services Ads Work?

Google Local Services ads are designed to put your business at the forefront of local search results. When potential customers search for the services you offer in your area, your business will appear right at the top. The best part? You only pay when a customer contacts you through the ad, making this a cost-effective advertising option.

Benefits of Google Guarantee & Local Services

1. Automatic Google Guarantee

When you sign up for Local Services Ads, your business automatically becomes Google Guaranteed. This status helps you build a strong reputation online, providing potential customers with peace of mind that your business has been vetted and approved by Google. The Google Guarantee badge is prominently displayed on your ads, signaling trustworthiness and quality to potential customers.

2. Pay for Leads, Not Clicks

Traditional pay-per-click advertising can quickly eat into your marketing budget without guaranteeing customer engagement. With Google Local Services, you only pay for phone leads. This means you’re investing directly in customer connections rather than mere clicks, ensuring a higher return on investment.

3. Top Placement on Google

Appearing at the top of Google search results is invaluable for any business. Google Local Services ads guarantee this premium placement, ensuring your business is seen first by potential customers in your area. This visibility can significantly increase the number of inquiries and bookings you receive.

4. Build Trust with the Google Guarantee Badge

One of the standout features of Google Local Services is the Google Guarantee badge. This badge is a seal of approval from Google, indicating that your business is verified and trustworthy. Customers are more likely to book services from businesses with this badge, knowing they are dealing with a reputable provider.

5. Only Pay for Relevant Leads

With Google Local Services, you can set your own budget, service area, and schedule. You’ll only pay for leads directly related to your business and the services you offer, ensuring you’re spending your marketing dollars effectively.

6. Customer Satisfaction Guarantee

If a customer is unhappy with the quality of your work, Google may refund up to the amount paid for jobs booked through Local Services Ads, with a lifetime cap for coverage. This customer satisfaction guarantee enhances your business’s credibility and reassures potential clients that they are making a risk-free decision when hiring you. It’s a win-win situation for you and your customers.

7. Simple Setup and Communication

Setting up Google Local Services ads is straightforward, especially with the help of MORBiZ. We manage everything from setting your budget to handling communications, making it easy for you to focus on running your business. The platform also streamlines communication with potential customers, allowing you to manage bookings effortlessly.

Why Choose MORBiZ for Your Google Local Services Ads?

At MORBiZ, we specialize in making digital marketing simple and effective for small businesses. Our expertise with Google Local Services ensures your business gets noticed, builds trust with customers, and manages bookings with ease. We handle the complexities of the platform, allowing you to enjoy the benefits of increased visibility and customer engagement without the hassle.

Having a robust online presence is crucial for any small business. Google Local Services, backed by the Google Guarantee, is a powerful tool to help you achieve this. Let MORBiZ guide you through the process, ensuring your business gets the attention it deserves and converts more leads into loyal customers. Give us a call at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form to get started .

How to Create a High-Converting Landing Page for Your PPC Campaigns

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 12:06:10 GMT

Creating a high-converting landing page is crucial for maximizing the effectiveness of your PPC (Pay-Per-Click) campaigns. A well-designed landing page can significantly boost your conversion rates, turning clicks into valuable leads or customers. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you design and optimize landing pages that drive conversions and support your PPC campaign goals.

1. Define Your Goal

Before you start designing your landing page, clearly define what you want to achieve. Whether it's collecting email addresses, selling a product, or encouraging visitors to sign up for a free trial, your goal will dictate the design and content of your landing page. A focused objective ensures that all elements on the page work towards a single conversion goal.

2. Craft a Compelling Headline

Your headline is the first thing visitors will see, so it needs to grab their attention and make them want to stay. It should be clear, concise, and convey the main benefit of your offer. For example, instead of a generic headline like “Welcome to Our Page,” use something more engaging like “Get 50% Off Your First Purchase Today!”

3. Use Engaging Visuals

High-quality images and videos can make your landing page more appealing and help convey your message quickly. Use visuals that are relevant to your offer and that support the content on your page. Avoid clutter and ensure that your visuals don’t distract from your main message.

4. Write Persuasive Copy

Your landing page copy should be concise and focused on the benefits of your offer. Highlight how your product or service solves a problem or improves the visitor's life. Use bullet points to break up text and make it easier to read. Ensure that your copy is free of jargon and clearly communicates the value proposition.

5. Include a Strong Call-to-Action (CTA)

A strong CTA is critical for conversions. Make sure your CTA stands out on the page and clearly tells visitors what action to take next. Use action-oriented language like “Sign Up Now,” “Get Started,” or “Download Free Guide.” Additionally, consider using contrasting colors for your CTA button to make it more noticeable.

6. Optimize for Mobile

With a significant number of users accessing the internet via mobile devices, it’s essential to ensure your landing page is mobile-friendly. Test your page on various devices and screen sizes to ensure it looks good and functions properly everywhere. Mobile optimization can greatly improve your conversion rates by providing a seamless experience for all users.

7. Simplify the Form

If your goal involves collecting information through a form, keep it as short and simple as possible. Only ask for essential information to reduce friction and prevent visitors from abandoning the form. A lengthy form can deter potential leads, so stick to basics like name, email address, and perhaps one or two additional fields.

At MORBIZ, we can build your company a beautiful website or individual landing pages to help you attract new customers through PPC campaigns. To learn more about our services, please reach out to our small business digital marketing professionals by calling at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form to get in touch.

3 Tips to Immediately Improve Your Small Business' Web Presence

Sun, 02 Jun 2024 15:56:51 GMT

Maintaining a robust web presence is crucial for small businesses of all types, including service based companies. As your business's online face, a well-optimized website and overall digital footprint can significantly influence customer acquisition and retention. At MORBiZ, we specialize in enhancing the online reach of small businesses. Here are three impactful tips from our experts to help you boost your web presence quickly and effectively.

1. Optimize Your Website for Mobile Devices

With more than half of all web traffic coming from mobile devices, ensuring your website is mobile-friendly is essential. Use a responsive design that adjusts to any screen size, prioritize fast loading speeds by compressing images and minimizing code, and simplify navigation to enhance the user experience. When building small business websites, MORBiZ always ensures they are responsive and optimized for mobile viewing.

2. Leverage Local SEO to Enhance Visibility

Local SEO is crucial for attracting customers in your area. At MORBiZ, we enhance your on and offsite SEO in numerous ways, including creating and updating your Google My Business profile with accurate information, incorporating local keywords into your website content, ensuring consistency of your business’s Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) across all platforms, including social media, and encouraging satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. Focusing on local SEO makes it easier for nearby customers to find your business, increasing foot traffic and local engagement.

3. Create Engaging and Valuable Content

Providing valuable and engaging content attracts visitors and establishes your authority in your industry. At MORBiZ, we will create and manage a blog to address common questions about the goods and services you provide. This not only keeps your customers engaged but it is also an SEO best practice that ensures your content is discoverable. By consistently producing high-quality materials (we’ll do it for you!), you can drive more traffic to your site, keep visitors engaged longer, and improve your overall web presence.

Improving your small business's web presence doesn’t have to be overwhelming, but it does take skill and time. You can rely on MORBiZ to optimize your site for mobile devices, leverage local SEO, and create valuable content, so you can see improvements in visibility and user engagement. To learn more about our web presence services, please give our leading small business digital marketing team a call at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form to get in touch. We look forward to connecting with you.

Simple Tips and Benefits of Video Marketing for Small Businesses

Thu, 25 Apr 2024 15:13:22 GMT

Establishing a strong online presence is essential for any small business looking to thrive. While traditional marketing methods still hold their ground, video marketing has emerged as a powerful tool to engage audiences and drive conversions. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur or a seasoned business owner, incorporating video into your marketing strategy can yield significant benefits. At MORBiZ, we understand the importance of helping small businesses build their digital footprint. Here’s what you need to know about effective video marketing.

Why Video Marketing?

Increased Engagement: Videos have a unique ability to capture attention and evoke emotions, making them highly engaging compared to text or static images.
Improved SEO: Search engines love video content. By incorporating videos on your website and social media channels, you can boost your search engine rankings and attract more organic traffic.
Enhanced Brand Awareness: A well-crafted video can help showcase your brand's personality and values, making it easier for customers to connect with your business on a deeper level.
Higher Conversion Rates: Studies have shown that including a video on your landing page can significantly increase conversion rates. Customers are more likely to make a purchase or take action after watching a compelling video.

Simple Tips for Effective Video Marketing

Know Your Audience: Tailor your video content to resonate with your target audience. Understand their needs, preferences, and pain points to create relevant and valuable videos.
Keep it Short and Sweet: Attention spans are short, so keep your videos concise and to the point. Aim for videos that are no longer than a few minutes to maintain viewer interest.
Tell a Story: Storytelling is a powerful way to captivate your audience and create an emotional connection. Craft a narrative that aligns with your brand and leaves a lasting impression.

Ready to harness the power of video marketing for your small business? MORBiZ is here to help. Our team specializes in assisting businesses like yours in building their digital footprint through strategic digital marketing efforts, including producing videos. Call the web presence professionals at MORBiZ at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form and together we can take your business to new heights.

Why Small Businesses Should Consider Facebook Advertising

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 22:28:06 GMT

As a small business owner, you wear many hats—from managing day-to-day operations to crafting marketing strategies that drive growth. In the digital age, harnessing the power of Facebook advertising can be a game-changer for small businesses looking to reach new heights of success. MORBiZ now offers Facebook ad management, opening up a brand new slew of benefits that you can take advantage of.

Targeted Reach

Small businesses often operate on tight budgets, making every marketing dollar count. With Facebook advertising, you can target your ads with laser-like precision, ensuring they reach the most relevant audience segments. By leveraging advanced targeting options based on demographics, interests, and behaviors, you can maximize the impact of your ads and drive higher conversion rates without wasting resources on uninterested audiences.

Cost-Effective

Budget constraints are a common challenge for small businesses, but Facebook advertising offers a cost-effective solution. With flexible budgeting options and the ability to set custom bidding strategies, you can optimize your ad spend to achieve maximum results within your financial constraints. Whether you're a mom-and-pop shop or a burgeoning startup, Facebook advertising allows you to compete effectively in the digital marketplace without breaking the bank.

Increased Brand Awareness

In a sea of competitors vying for consumers' attention, building brand awareness is essential for small businesses to stand out. Facebook advertising provides a platform to showcase your brand to a vast audience and increase visibility among potential customers. By consistently delivering compelling ad content, you can establish brand recognition and capture the attention of audiences who may not have been aware of your offerings otherwise.

Enhanced Engagement

Engagement is key to building lasting relationships with customers, and Facebook excels in fostering meaningful interactions between businesses and their audience. With a variety of ad formats designed to captivate users, you can create engaging content that encourages likes, comments, shares, and clicks. By sparking valuable interactions, you can deepen customer engagement and loyalty, driving long-term success for your small business.

Facebook Advertising Management for Small Businesses

Facebook advertising offers a wealth of opportunities for small businesses to connect with their target audience, drive sales, and achieve their marketing objectives. From targeted reach and cost-effectiveness to increased brand awareness and engagement, Facebook provides the tools and resources small businesses need to thrive in today's competitive landscape. If you would be interested in exploring Facebook advertising management, call 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form to connect with the small business digital agency MORBiZ and learn how we can help.

Protecting Your Brand: The Importance of Online Reputation Management

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 23:50:41 GMT

There is no denying that a business' online reputation can make or break its success. With consumers increasingly turning to the internet to research products and services before making purchasing decisions, what others say about your brand online can significantly influence customer perception and trust. This is where online reputation management (ORM) comes into play, and it's a critical aspect of digital marketing that businesses cannot afford to overlook.

Monitoring Online Reviews

Online reputation management encompasses a range of strategies aimed at monitoring, influencing, and managing how a business is perceived online. It involves actively listening to what customers are saying about your brand across various online platforms, including review websites, social media channels, forums, and more. By staying vigilant and proactive in managing your online reputation, businesses can safeguard their brand image and maintain customer trust.

The Role of Reviews

One of the key components of online reputation management is monitoring online reviews. Reviews have become a major factor in consumers' purchasing decisions, with studies showing that the majority of consumers read reviews before making a purchase. Positive reviews can significantly enhance a business's reputation and credibility, while negative reviews can have the opposite effect. ORM involves monitoring reviews across platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and industry-specific review sites, and promptly addressing any negative feedback in a professional and constructive manner.

Engaging on Social Media

In addition to monitoring reviews, online reputation management also involves actively engaging with customers on social media. Social media platforms provide a direct channel for businesses to interact with their audience, address inquiries and concerns, and showcase their brand personality. By maintaining an active presence on social media and responding promptly to comments and messages, businesses can demonstrate their commitment to customer satisfaction and build stronger relationships with their audience.

Generating Positive Content

Another aspect of online reputation management is proactively generating positive content about your brand. This can include creating and sharing informative blog posts, producing engaging videos, and participating in industry discussions. By consistently publishing valuable content that showcases your expertise and reinforces your brand values, businesses can enhance their online reputation and establish themselves as trusted authorities in their field.

Ultimately, online reputation management is about taking proactive steps to protect and enhance your brand's image in the digital realm. At MORBiZ, we specialize in helping businesses navigate the complex world of online reputation management and build a strong and resilient online presence . Give us a call at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form to learn more about how our small business digital marketing company can help protect and elevate your brand's reputation in the digital landscape.

FAQ: Why Investing in Digital Marketing Matters for Your Small Business

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 21:59:30 GMT

At MORBiZ we specialize in helping small businesses thrive in the digital landscape. If you're considering partnering with us to enhance your web presence and attract new customers, you likely have questions about the importance of investing in digital marketing and other web presence initiatives. Let's dive into some frequently asked questions:

Why is digital marketing important for my small business?

There’s no way around it, consumers rely heavily on the internet to discover and engage with businesses. Investing in digital marketing, including building a new website and PPC advertising, allows you to reach your target audience where they spend a significant amount of their time – online. It enables you to increase brand awareness, generate leads, and drive sales more effectively than traditional marketing methods.

How can digital marketing benefit my business specifically?

Digital marketing offers numerous benefits for small businesses, including:

Increased visibility: With the right digital marketing strategies, you can ensure that your business appears prominently in search engine results and social media feeds, making it easier for potential customers to find you.
Targeted advertising: Digital marketing allows you to target your marketing efforts to specific demographics, interests, and locations, ensuring that your message reaches the most relevant audience.
Cost-effectiveness: Compared to traditional marketing channels like print or television advertising, digital marketing often offers a higher return on investment (ROI) for small businesses, as you can track and optimize your campaigns in real-time.
Enhanced customer engagement: Through social media, contact forms and other digital channels, you can interact with your audience in meaningful ways, building relationships and fostering brand loyalty.

How can MORBiZ help my business succeed with digital marketing?

At MORBiZ, we understand the unique challenges that small businesses face when it comes to building your digital footprint. Our team of experts is dedicated to helping you navigate the complex world of online marketing and develop strategies that align with your business goals.

Here are a few of the ways that we can help:

Custom website development: We'll design and build a professional website that showcases your brand and engages visitors, providing a seamless user experience across all devices.
Search engine optimization (SEO): We'll optimize your website to rank higher in search engine results, increasing your visibility and driving organic traffic to your site.
PPC advertising: We'll create and manage pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns that target your ideal audience, driving traffic and conversions to your website.
Digital reputation management: Our team can help you gain positive reviews and respond to reviews as well. We’ll also ensure your business information is synced across the web.
Performance tracking and analytics: We'll monitor the performance of our digital marketing efforts and provide detailed analytics, allowing you to make data-driven decisions and optimize your campaigns for maximum effectiveness.

How do I get started with MORBiZ?

Getting started with MORBiZ is easy! Simply reach out to our team to schedule a consultation by calling 855-266-7249 or filling out this contact form . During this initial meeting, we'll discuss your business goals, assess your current web presence, and determine how we can help you build your business online and off with our exceptional web presence services .

7 Tips for Capturing Perfect Photos for Your New Website

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 21:53:57 GMT

When it comes to capturing the attention of a potential customer that lands on your website, you have about half a second. How do you do it? A great first step is to have incredible visuals, which starts with showcasing your products and services in the most authentic way possible. Having a visually appealing website is essential for small service-based businesses, including auto shops, landscapers, and roofers, as high-quality photography plays a crucial role in creating an important first impression. At MORBiZ, we encourage small business owners and managers to capture unique photography that properly captures your endeavors so that we can use this imagery on your custom small business website. Here are our seven tips to help you capture stunning photos for your new website.

Plan Your Shots

Before you start taking photos, plan out what you want to capture. Identify key aspects of your business, such as services, team members, and facilities, and make a list of specific shots you need.

Invest in Quality Equipment

Consider investing in a good camera or hiring a professional photographer. Higher-quality equipment produces sharper, more professional-looking images that will enhance the overall appeal of your website. However, if that’s out of budget, your smartphone will likely take great pictures. Be sure to take a variety of images in both horizontal and vertical formats.

Showcase Your Work

Highlight your expertise by showcasing aspects of your work or before-and-after photos of completed projects. This gives potential customers a clear idea of the quality of your services.

Capture the Details

Pay attention to the small details that make your business unique. Whether it's intricate designs or precision workmanship, capturing these details can set you apart from the competition.

Include People

Adding human elements to your photos can help create a personal connection with your audience. Include photos of your team members at work or interacting with customers to showcase the human side of your business.

Use Natural Light

Whenever possible, take photos in natural light to avoid harsh shadows and unflattering lighting. Position your subjects near windows or doors to make the most of natural light.

Optimize for the Web

After capturing your photos, you will want to send them to MORBiZ so we can optimize them for the web by resizing and compressing them. This ensures fast load times on your website without compromising image quality.

If you’re interested in a beautiful custom website for your business, you can rely on MORBiZ to be a great partner. We’ll create all the necessary content to get your site up and running wonderfully, whether you provide us with photos or not (but we hope you do!). To learn more about our web presence services, including custom websites, please call 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We look forward to helping you build your business online and off.

4 Common Mistakes to Avoid in Small Business Digital Marketing

Sat, 02 Mar 2024 16:17:49 GMT

These days a solid online presence is crucial for the success of any small business. Digital marketing offers countless opportunities to reach and engage with potential customers, but it's essential to navigate this landscape carefully. Unfortunately, many small businesses make common mistakes that can hinder their digital marketing efforts. At MORBiZ, we help businesses avoid these mistakes by taking a customized approach to their web presence needs. As you dive into digital marketing, here’s what not to do!

Failing to Define Your Target Audience

One of the most common mistakes in digital marketing is failing to define your target audience clearly. Without a deep understanding of who your ideal customers are, it's challenging to create content and campaigns that resonate with them. Take the time to research and identify your target demographic, including their age, gender, interests, and pain points. This information will guide your marketing efforts and ensure that you're reaching the right people with the right message.

Neglecting SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) plays a significant role in determining your website's visibility in search engine results. Many small businesses make the mistake of neglecting SEO or implementing outdated strategies. To avoid this mistake, focus on optimizing your website for relevant keywords, creating high-quality content, and building backlinks from reputable sources. Additionally, stay informed about the latest SEO trends and algorithm updates to maintain your website's ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Not Building a Responsive Website

With the majority of internet users accessing websites from mobile devices, mobile optimization is no longer optional—it's essential. Yet, many small businesses overlook this aspect of digital marketing, resulting in poor user experiences for mobile visitors. Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly by using responsive design, optimizing page load times, and simplifying navigation for smaller screens. By prioritizing mobile optimization, you'll provide a seamless browsing experience for all users, regardless of the device they're using.

Not Engaging with Your Audience

Lastly, one of the biggest mistakes in digital marketing is failing to engage with your audience effectively. Whether it's through social media, email marketing, or blog comments, interacting with your customers is essential for building relationships and fostering loyalty. Take the time to respond to comments, answer questions, and solicit feedback from your audience. By actively engaging with your customers online, you'll demonstrate your commitment to their satisfaction and create a more positive brand image.

Avoiding these common mistakes can help small businesses maximize their digital marketing efforts and achieve greater success online.If you’d like a helping hand in the navigation of building an online presence and maximizing the value of your digital marketing efforts, reach out to MORBiZ by calling 855-266-7249 or filling out this contact form . We’d love the opportunity to chat about our approach to web presence and fill you in on how we can help you grow your business online and off.

How a Business Should Respond to Online Reviews; Tips for the Good & the Bad

Wed, 28 Feb 2024 16:04:51 GMT

Let’s face it, online reviews are a critical part of attracting new business. With upwards of 70 percent of consumers consulting online reviews before they make a purchase or visit a business, it is vital that business owners interact with reviewers. While it would be great to maintain a 5 star rating and never have to deal with negative reviews, that often isn’t the case, but a public response will provide an opportunity to still win over new customers. Even positive reviews warrant a response. Here’s our tips for proper online review responses.

How to Respond to Negative Online Reviews

Promptness: Responding swiftly, ideally within 24-48 hours, signals your commitment to addressing concerns promptly. It reassures customers that their feedback is valued and that you are actively engaged in resolving issues.

Empathy: Demonstrating empathy towards the customer's concerns can go a long way in diffusing tension and building rapport. Acknowledge the customer's feelings and let them know that their experience matters to you.

Apologize and Offer Solutions: A sincere apology can help to disarm the situation and show accountability. Alongside the apology, offer concrete solutions or steps to rectify the issue. This proactive approach demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction and can help turn a negative experience into a positive one.

Take it Offline: Providing contact information for further discussion allows you to address the issue privately and prevent further escalation. Encourage the customer to reach out directly so that you can work together to find a resolution that meets their needs.

How to Respond to Positive Online Reviews

Express Gratitude: Express genuine gratitude to the reviewer for taking the time to leave positive feedback. Let them know that their words are appreciated and that their satisfaction is important to you and your team.

Personalize: Addressing the reviewer by name and referencing specific points mentioned in their review adds a personal touch to your response. It shows that you've taken the time to read and understand their feedback, strengthening the connection between you and the customer.

Encourage Repeat Business: Take the opportunity to invite the customer to return for future purchases or services. By expressing your desire to serve them again, you not only reinforce their positive experience but also foster loyalty and encourage future engagement.

Share and Engage: Sharing positive reviews on social media, your website, or other platforms amplifies the praise and showcases customer satisfaction to a wider audience. Additionally, engaging with positive reviewers by responding to their comments or messages further strengthens the relationship and encourages ongoing interaction.

While not every review may be great, your response can be. If you would like assistance managing your online reviews, reach out to MORBiZ. Our digital agency specializes in helping small businesses maximize their digital presence and their web reputation . To learn more, 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form to connect with our team. We look forward to helping you grow your business’ online footprint.

The Benefits of Running Ads on Facebook for a Small Business

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 22:39:33 GMT

With billions of active users, Facebook has emerged as a powerhouse platform for reaching and engaging with potential customers. While organic reach can be valuable, running targeted ads on Facebook offers small businesses a multitude of benefits to amplify their visibility, attract new customers, and drive meaningful results. MORBiZ will soon be rolling out Facebook ad management services to help small businesses reach a brand new audience right in their own community. Here’s five reasons why you should consider running ads on Facebook.

Highly Targeted Audience Reach

One of the most significant advantages of Facebook ads is the platform's robust targeting capabilities. With advanced targeting options, businesses can reach highly specific segments of their target audience based on demographics, interests, behaviors, and even past interactions with their brand. This precision targeting ensures that your ads are seen by the people most likely to be interested in your products or services, increasing the likelihood of conversions and maximizing your return on investment.

Cost-Effective Advertising Solutions

Compared to traditional advertising channels, Facebook ads offer small businesses a cost-effective way to reach a large audience. With flexible budgeting options and the ability to set specific objectives for your campaigns, businesses of all sizes can create ads that fit their budget and marketing goals. Whether you're looking to drive website traffic, generate leads, or boost sales, Facebook ads provide scalable solutions that can deliver measurable results without breaking the bank.

Improved Brand Awareness

Facebook ads offer small businesses a powerful platform to increase brand awareness and visibility among their target audience. By showcasing engaging ad creatives and compelling messaging, businesses can capture the attention of potential customers and introduce them to their products or services.

Enhanced Audience Engagement

Facebook ads enable businesses to foster meaningful engagement and interaction with their audience. By incorporating interactive elements and call-to-action buttons into their ads, businesses can encourage users to make specific moves.

Actionable Insights and Analytics

Facebook provides businesses with comprehensive analytics and insights into the performance of their ad campaigns. From impressions and clicks to conversions, businesses can track key metrics in real-time and gain valuable insights into the effectiveness of their advertising efforts. This data-driven approach allows businesses to optimize their campaigns on the fly, making adjustments to targeting, creative elements, and budget allocation to maximize their results and achieve their marketing objectives.

Running ads on Facebook offers small businesses a multitude of benefits, from highly targeted audience reach and cost-effective advertising solutions to improved brand awareness and enhanced audience engagement. By leveraging the platform's advanced targeting capabilities, immersive ad formats, and actionable insights, businesses can effectively reach and engage with their target audience, drive meaningful results, and unlock new opportunities for growth in the digital landscape. While there are many benefits to running ads on Facebook, there’s one drawback: it takes time to set up and manage. If you find yourself lacking the resources to handle Facebook ad campaigns, reach out to MORBiZ by calling 855-266-7249 or filling out this contact form . The team at our digital marketing agency would be happy to talk to you about how we can manage your Facebook ad campaigns as part of a larger web presence campaign to get you the highest return on investment.

3 Ways to Improve Organic Reach on Facebook

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 22:28:28 GMT

Whether you use it for personal purposes or not, Facebook continues to reign as a powerful platform for businesses seeking to expand their online presence and reach an engaged audience. With its massive user base and diverse demographics, Facebook offers small businesses a prime opportunity to connect with potential customers and stay connected with those who have trusted them since opening their doors. However, as the platform's algorithms evolve and competition for visibility intensifies, maintaining a strong organic reach on Facebook has become increasingly challenging. Here are three effective strategies you can implement to enhance your organic reach on Facebook.

Create Compelling Content

As we often say at MORBiZ, Content is king, and that remains true on Facebook. To capture the attention of your audience, focus on creating content that is relevant, informative, and visually appealing. Experiment with a variety of formats, including photos, videos and live streams, to keep your feed dynamic and engaging. Incorporate storytelling elements to humanize your brand and establish a genuine connection with your followers. Remember to tailor your content to resonate with your target audience's interests. By consistently delivering valuable content, you'll not only attract more followers but also encourage likes, comments, and shares, thereby increasing your organic reach.

Use Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups provide a unique opportunity to foster a sense of community among your audience and amplify your organic reach. Identify relevant groups within your niche, community or industry and actively participate in discussions, share valuable insights, and offer helpful advice without overtly promoting your business. Establishing yourself as a trusted authority within these groups can help boost your credibility and attract followers to your business page, increasing the chance of earning a new customer. Additionally, consider creating and moderating your own Facebook Group centered around topics related to your business. By nurturing a vibrant community of engaged members, you can organically promote your products or services while fostering meaningful connections with your audience.

Optimize Posting Times and Frequency

Timing is crucial when it comes to maximizing organic reach on Facebook. Pay attention to your audience's online behavior and leverage Facebook Insights to identify the optimal times to post content when your followers are most active. By scheduling posts in Meta Business Suite, you’ll be able to see when your audience is most active. Don’t forget though, consistency is key, so aim to maintain a regular posting schedule to keep your brand top of mind, but don’t overdo it.

Improving organic reach on Facebook requires a strategic approach and a commitment to delivering valuable, engaging content to your audience. If running your social media seems like an impossible task among your other day-to-day activities, have no fear. MORBiZ offers assistance with social media management and is continuing to roll out new tools to help our customers. To find out how we can assist with your social media and other online efforts, give our small business marketing experts a call at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . The friendly team at our digital agency is ready to help take your business to the top!

How MORBiZ Develops Custom Content that Resonates with Consumers

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 21:52:26 GMT

When it comes to marketing, one principle stands tall: Content is King. At MORBiZ, we take pride in our dedicated approach to content creation. With a team of skilled human writers who delve into comprehensive research on your company and industry, coupled with strategic keyword planning for SEO optimization, we bring your website to life with engaging and relevant content that truly connects with your audience. Let’s take a detailed look at our content development process.

Thorough Research | The Foundation of Quality Content

Our writers aren't just wordsmiths; they are storytellers armed with knowledge. Before the first keystroke, we invest time in understanding the nuances of your business, which starts with our team working with a business representative to listen to your personal explanation. This groundwork ensures that our content not only informs but also resonates with the authenticity of your brand, forming a genuine connection with your audience.

Strategic Keyword Integration | Elevating Your SEO Game

Visibility is the key to success in the digital landscape, and MORBiZ employs strategic keyword research to unlock that potential. By identifying and integrating relevant terms and phrases into our content, we not only attract organic traffic but also position your business as an authoritative voice in your industry. It's not just about creating content; it's about crafting content that gets your website noticed.

Tailored Content for Every Corner of Your Website

From the homepage to service pages and blogs to social media posts, MORBiZ writers tailor content to suit the unique context of each section of your website and outreach platforms. Our team adeptly adjust the tone and language, ensuring that your audience receives genuine experience as they navigate through your digital space in an attempt to understand your business, products and services. Our goal is to inform, and let them contact you directly.

Content Updates for Evergreen Relevance

Staying relevant is not a one-time effort. MORBiZ is committed to ongoing content refinement, ensuring that your website remains dynamic and current. Regular updates keep your audience engaged while also ensuring that the website remains relevant to search engines.

At MORBiZ, content isn't just a string of words; it's a narrative crafted with precision, care, and a deep understanding of your business. Our human-centric approach, blended with strategic SEO tactics, ensures that your website becomes a hub of engaging and authoritative content. We invite you to contact us to learn more about how we can build a custom small business website that will become the homebase of your web presence. Give our strategic Internet marketing team a call at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form to learn more about our services or to request a free web presence analysis for your business.

The Importance of Online Reputation Management for Small Businesses

Sat, 20 Jan 2024 13:40:17 GMT

Small businesses in particular need to pay close attention to how they are perceived on the internet. By properly managing your online reputation, you can significantly impact your business' growth and success. At MORBiZ, we have a detailed understanding of proper online reputation management, sometimes referred to as ORM. Our team of digital marketing consultants and content strategists can help you take control of your digital reputation to grow your business.

The Influence of Online Reviews on Search Ranking

One of the key factors that highlight the importance of ORM for small businesses is the relationship that exists between online reviews and search ranking. Search engines like Google consider customer reviews when determining the relevance and authority of a business. Positive reviews can boost your business's visibility, leading to higher search rankings and increased traffic, online and off.

Potential customers often rely on reviews to make informed decisions. A business with a stellar online reputation is more likely to attract new customers, while negative reviews can drive them away. It's a digital word-of-mouth that spreads rapidly and can shape perceptions for better or worse.

Understanding how Customers Perceive Your Business

Imagine a potential customer searching for a product or service and coming across your business online. Positive reviews and a favorable online reputation can instill trust and confidence, encouraging the customer to choose your business over competitors. On the flip side, a negative online reputation can create doubt and hesitation, leading potential customers to explore other options. Being able to properly manage those negative reviews, while responding to praise, can help boost how people see your business.

Tips for Improving Your Business's Online Reputation

Monitor Reviews Regularly: Stay on top of customer feedback by regularly monitoring online reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, and social media.

Respond Promptly: Engage with customers by responding promptly to both positive and negative reviews. Address concerns and show that you value customer feedback. It’s a lot of work, but MORBiZ can help.

Encourage Positive Reviews: Actively encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. Consider implementing a review generation strategy to boost your online reputation. We have tools that help solicit positive feedback.

Consistent Branding: Maintain a consistent brand image across all online platforms to reinforce a positive and cohesive identity. This will also boost SEO for your business by ensuring your information is accurate across vital platforms.

Ready to take control of your online reputation? MORBiZ is here to help. Our advanced Webstar Reputation Management tools that include AI-powered solutions will ensure that your online reputation reflects the excellence of your business. Don't let negative reviews hold you back, embrace the power of ORM with MORBiZ. Call us at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form to learn how we can tailor a comprehensive Online Reputation Management strategy for your small business.

Plain & Simple: What is SEO?

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 14:14:30 GMT

When building your own website, or working with an agency to create a website for your business, one term you’re going to hear a lot is SEO. In short, SEO, or search engine optimization, are the steps taken to make your website visible on search engines. Whether you're a small business owner or run a multinational corporation, understanding the basics of SEO is essential for a successful online presence. At MORBiZ, we are skilled at implementing both on-site SEO and off-site SEO tactics to enhance visibility for our customers. Here’s what you need to know about the all-important acronym.

On-Site SEO

When it comes to SEO within your website, consider it the foundation on which everything else is built upon. Here are they key elements of successful search engine optimization.

Keywords: Keywords are the building blocks. Identify relevant ones for each page.
Title Tags: Craft compelling title tags. They're the welcome sign to your content.
Meta Descriptions: Write engaging meta descriptions. Think of them as a sneak peek into your page.
Quality Content: Quality written and visual content doesn’t just enhance the user experience, but improves digital visibility for search engines. Keep content valuable, informative, and updated.
URL Structure: Organize your URL structure like a clear blueprint. URLs should relate directly to the page content.
Internal Linking: Internal links guide users through your site. Link relevant pages as needed to help people find what they are probably looking for.

Off-Site SEO

As the name suggests, off-site SEO focuses on building your website's credibility and authority anywhere but on the website. Think directories, social and beyond.

Social Signals: Share website content on social media for community buzz. It boosts visibility and provides a direct link back to your site that can be shared far and wide.

Online Reviews: Positive online reviews build trust. Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews on Google, Yelp, social media and other channels people seek this type of info.

Digital Directories: Make sure your business’ online listings are accurate on all digital directories. Consistent information will help to improve search results.

Backlinks: Seek quality backlinks. They're like recommendations from other websites.

At MORBiZ, we build websites from the ground up for our customers, allowing us to employ a variety of proven SEO tools that will help your business be found by customers who need your goods and services. In addition, we manage off-site SEO in the form of reputation management , social media and more. If you’d like to find out how MORBiZ can help boost your web presence with an affordable digital marketing campaign for your small business, call us 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We look forward to connecting and helping you take your business to the next level.

Pros vs. Cons of Outsourcing Your Small Business Website Development and Management

Thu, 04 Jan 2024 13:34:42 GMT

There is no denying that a well-designed website and effective digital marketing strategy can significantly impact your brand's visibility and customer engagement. However, the decision of whether to hire a digital marketing agency like MORBiZ for website development or handle it in-house is a critical one. On the surface, you can spend a little more to ensure a quality outcome, or you can save and maintain absolute control of the project, but the truth runs much deeper. Let’s explore the pros and cons of both approaches and find the right option for your business.

Pros of Hiring a Digital Marketing Agency:

Expertise and Experience

MORBiZ staffs absolute experts in the realm of web development and specializes in catering to the online marketing needs of small businesses in many sectors. We have experienced professionals who stay updated on industry trends, ensuring your website and campaigns are cutting-edge and effective.

Cost-Effective

Hiring an agency can be more cost-effective than building an in-house team. Agencies already have the necessary tools, software, and expertise, eliminating the need for businesses to invest in these resources.

Time Efficiency

Agencies are equipped to deliver results quickly. Their streamlined processes and dedicated teams ensure timely completion of projects, allowing businesses to focus on their core activities.

Scalability

Agencies can scale their services according to your business needs. Whether you need a small website or a more comprehensive platform to detail your goods and services, we have the flexibility to adapt to your growth.

Access to Advanced Tools

MORBiZ utilizes cutting-edge tools and technologies, giving your business an advantage in terms of analytics, SEO, and campaign management.

Cons of Hiring a Digital Marketing Agency:

Less Control: Businesses may feel they have less control over the development process and the day-to-day management of campaigns, as agencies handle these aspects externally.

Dependency

Relying on an external agency can create dependency issues. If the agency faces challenges or goes out of business, your business may be left scrambling to find alternative solutions. Thankfully, MORBiZ has been in business more than a decade, proving its stability.

Costs

While agencies can be cost-effective, some businesses may find the upfront costs higher than anticipated. It's essential to thoroughly understand the pricing structure and ensure it aligns with your budget.

At MORBiZ, our goal is to deliver a cost-effective website solution that meets the needs of our customers. Furthermore, we can provide comprehensive management of your site, as well as PPC campaigns, assist with social media management and so much more. To learn why SMBs across the country have been turning to us for more than ten years, give MORBiZ a call at 1-855-266-7249 or send us a message using this contact form . We look forward to helping you grow your business with a comprehensive local web presence campaign that boosts your bottom line.

The Power of PPC and How a Pro can Maximize Your Efforts

Tue, 12 Dec 2023 15:30:41 GMT

In the field of digital marketing, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising has become a cornerstone for small businesses aiming to boost their online presence. While the DIY approach might seem tempting, partnering with a seasoned professional can be a game-changer for your business. At MORBiZ, we work closely with business owners to help them take full advantage of this sure-fire advertising technique, all without breaking the bank. Here’s what you can expect when we partner on your PPC ad campaigns.

Maximize ROI Like Never Before

Achieving a solid return on investment (ROI) is the ultimate goal of any advertising campaign.W We bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the table, ensuring that every penny you invest generates meaningful returns. Our advanced strategies optimize your ad spend, targeting the right audience at the right time to maximize conversions. How do we do it? Our PPC experts understand the nuances of keyword research, bid management, and ad copy optimization. We then follow the data to adjust and optimize campaigns in real time, ensuring you’re always getting the most out of your ad dollars.

Craft Engaging Ads that Convert

Our team of PPC marketers are skilled at crafting compelling ad copy that resonates with your target audience. They go beyond generic templates, tailoring messages that speak directly to the desires of your potential customers. From attention-grabbing headlines to persuasive calls-to-action, every element is meticulously curated to drive meaningful engagement and conversions.

Secure Higher Placement and Visibility

Achieving a high ranking in search engine results is paramount for PPC success. We stay on top of the ever-evolving rules and algorithms that govern ad placements, ensuring your ads appear prominently when and where it matters most. You’ll be impressed with our ability to use strategic bidding techniques, ad extensions, and ad scheduling to secure prime positions that guarantee maximum visibility.

When you need to make sure your advertising budget is being utilized as best as possible, trust MORBiZ to be your partner in PPC advertising. With more than 15 years experience and hundreds of happy customers, you’ll be thrilled with our ability to deliver outstanding results. To learn more about our services, please reach out to us by calling 1-855-266-7249 or send us a message using this contact form . We look forward to helping you achieve your goals!

What Customers Look for on a Website when Searching for a Service

Mon, 04 Dec 2023 21:50:32 GMT

In the vast landscape of the digital marketplace, your business website is often the first point of contact between you and potential customers. As a small business digital marketing company, MORBiZ understands the critical role that an effective website plays in attracting and retaining customers. When we design and build websites, we know that the following elements are critical to turning looky-loos into paying customers.

Clear Service Descriptions

One of the primary reasons visitors land on your website is to understand the services you offer. Clearly articulate what your business provides, emphasizing the value and benefits customers can expect. As a small business website builder, we work with business owners to develop concise and engaging language to clearly communicate your offerings.

Service Area Information

Customers want to know if your business caters to their geographical location. Including a service area section on your website helps establish trust and relevance. Clearly define the areas you serve, whether it's specific neighborhoods, cities, regions, or a broader scope. This information is crucial for local businesses, as potential customers are more likely to engage with a service that operates in their vicinity.

Reviews and Testimonials

In the age of online shopping and service-seeking, customer reviews are powerful influencers. Positive testimonials from satisfied clients build credibility and trust. Feature a dedicated section for customer reviews on your website, and encourage clients to share their experiences. On our websites, we showcase existing reviews while helping to secure new positive reviews.

Quality Images

A picture is worth a thousand words, and this holds true for your website. High-quality, relevant images can significantly enhance the user experience. Include visuals that showcase your services, team, and any unique aspects of your business. Professional photographs of completed projects or satisfied customers add authenticity and help potential clients envision the value they'll receive.

Contact Information and Calls to Action

Make it easy for customers to get in touch with you. Clearly display your contact information, including a phone number, email address, and physical address if applicable. Implement strong calls to action (CTAs) throughout your website, guiding visitors to take the next steps, whether it's filling out a contact form, making a call, or requesting a quote.

Mobile-Friendly Design

In an era dominated by smartphones and tablets, a mobile-friendly website is non-negotiable. Ensure that your website is responsive and provides an optimal viewing experience across various devices. A mobile-friendly design not only improves user satisfaction but also positively impacts your search engine rankings.

Easy Navigation

A well-organized and intuitive navigation structure is essential for keeping visitors engaged. Simplify the user journey by categorizing your services logically and creating a straightforward menu. Implementing a search feature can also help users quickly find what they're looking for, contributing to a positive overall experience.

MORBiZ is dedicated to helping small businesses grow by developing high quality web presence campaigns that start with a custom website. With decades of experience among our staff, we can tailor our solutions to meet the needs of your business, whether you’re a contractor, a retail shop, an auto repair center or a different sort of service provider. To learn more about our small business Internet marketing services, please call 1-855-266-7249 or send us a message using this contact form . We look forward to helping you grow your business.

How to Maximize Holiday Season PPC Budgets for Service-Based Businesses

Tue, 21 Nov 2023 14:00:15 GMT

The holiday season isn't just for retailers – service-based businesses like auto shops, roofers, and contractors, can also capitalize on the festive fervor through strategic Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising. As a small business owner in the service industry, optimizing your PPC budget during the holidays is essential to attract clients and boost end-of-year revenue. The PPC experts at MORBiZ, a small business digital marketing agency that offers a host of services, offers these tips to maximize your holiday advertising budget.

Highlight Seasonal Services

Tailor your PPC campaigns to showcase holiday-specific services relevant to your industry. For auto shops, this might include winterization specials or holiday travel check-ups. Roofers and contractors can emphasize winter home maintenance or special discounts for pre-scheduled projects during the holiday season.

Emphasize Emergency Services

During the holidays, unexpected issues can arise, making emergency services in high demand. Allocate a portion of your PPC budget to promote your availability for urgent situations. Highlight 24/7 service, quick response times, and any special promotions for emergency callouts to capture immediate attention.

Create Compelling Ad Copy

Craft ad copy that resonates with the holiday spirit while clearly conveying the value of your services. Use festive language and emphasize the convenience and reliability of your business during a time when many potential clients are juggling numerous commitments.

Geo-Targeting for Local Reach

Service-based businesses often rely on local clientele. Optimize your budget by focusing on hyper-local targeting. Use geo-targeting features to ensure your ads are seen by potential customers in your service area, maximizing the impact of your budget on a concentrated and relevant audience.

Leverage Seasonal Keywords

Update your keyword strategy to include holiday-specific and seasonally relevant terms. This ensures your ads are visible to users actively searching for services related to the festive season. Consider terms like "winter roofing inspection" or "winter auto maintenance" to align with seasonal needs.

For service-based businesses, the holiday season presents a unique opportunity to connect with potential clients and boost year-end revenue. By tailoring your PPC strategy to highlight seasonal services, emphasizing emergency availability, and optimizing ad copy for the holiday spirit, your business can make the most of its budget during this festive time. Trust MORBiZ, the experts in small business digital marketing, to assist in crafting custom campaigns that align with your service offerings and ensure an excellent return on your ad spend. To learn more about our Internet marketing services and web presence campaigns that include PPC management, please call 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We look forward to helping your business thrive.

4 Marketing Tips to Help Your Business Avoid a Seasonal Slowdown

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 13:18:37 GMT

As winter's chill settles in, businesses in industries like roofing, siding, landscaping, and home improvement, may find themselves facing a slowdown in customer demand. But the winter season doesn't have to be a period of hibernation for your business. At MORBiZ, we help businesses hone their digital marketing strategies so they can thrive during the winter months — and all year long. Here’s our effective digital marketing tips tailored for small businesses that may see a seasonal drop in sales and services.

Optimize Your Website for Seasonal Services

Update your website to highlight winter-specific services. For roofers, emphasize winter roof inspections and repairs. Landscapers can showcase snow removal services and winter lawn care. Home improvement contractors might want to focus on interior renovations or winter-specific projects. Ensure your website is mobile-friendly and has clear calls-to-action to make it easy for potential customers to contact you.

Leverage Social Media

Social media platforms provide an excellent opportunity to engage with your audience. Create compelling content that showcases your winter services, shares seasonal tips, and highlights completed projects. Use platforms like Facebook to show off your work and share informative articles while consistently engaging with your local community.

Run Seasonal Promotions

Entice customers with winter-specific promotions. Offer discounts on winter maintenance services, package deals for home improvements, or special rates for off-peak hours. Use targeted digital advertising on platforms like Google Ads to reach potential customers searching for winter-related services.

Invest in Local SEO

Optimize your website for local search by including location-specific keywords in your content, meta tags, and headers. Claim your business on local directories, and ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information is consistent across all platforms. Local SEO efforts can help you appear in relevant local searches, increasing your visibility to potential customers.

While the winter season may bring a natural slowdown for certain industries, strategic digital marketing can help your small business thrive all year long. When you partner with MORBiZ to enhance your web presence , we’ll help you maintain a consistent customer stream month after month, no matter what industry you’re in. From generating seasonal specific content for your website, to running PPC advertising focused on winter maintenance tasks, our experts do it all.We invite you to give our friendly small business digital marketing team a call at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form to learn more about our extensive services.

4 Digital Marketing Tips for a Successful Holiday Season

Wed, 25 Oct 2023 21:07:06 GMT

The holiday season, generally stretching from late October through the New Year, presents a unique opportunity for small businesses to thrive. With the right digital marketing strategy, you can make the most of this festive time, but it takes careful planning and execution to capitalize on the cheer being spread this time of year. At MORBiZ, we understand the challenges faced by small businesses, and we're here to help you maximize your holiday marketing efforts.Here are four essential holiday digital marketing tips to help your small business stand out all season long.

Plan Early and Strategically

No matter what goods or services you offer, success in holiday marketing begins with careful planning and a strategic approach. Start your preparations well in advance to ensure a smooth holiday season. Define clear objectives for your marketing campaigns, identify your target audience, and create a content calendar for holiday-themed content, sales and follow up tactics. Allocate your budget wisely by focusing resources toward your highest performing outreach channels. This may include PPC advertising , local radio ads, mailers, social media or in store signage.

Optimize Your Website for the Holidays

Your website is your digital storefront, and it never hurts to dress it up for the holidays. If you’re working with a website design and management agency, such as MORBiZ, be sure to inquire about enhancing your website to attract and convert visitors into customers through fresh holiday banners or special content. Another great option for MORBiZ customers is to utilize the blog to highlight holiday-specific products, sales or services that end with clear calls to action.

Leverage Social Media

Social media is a powerful tool for engaging with your audience during the holiday season. Create a festive atmosphere by sharing holiday-themed content, images, and videos. If you are social savvy, consider running holiday contests or giveaways can boost engagement, and be sure to respond promptly to comments and messages to provide excellent customer service. Consider using paid social media advertising to reach a wider audience.

Embrace Email Marketing

Email marketing plays a pivotal role in nurturing leads and keeping customers informed about your holiday offers. Personalize your greetings and send exclusive holiday deals to your email subscribers as a token of appreciation. Create a sense of urgency by adding expiration dates for limited-time offers in your emails, and ensure your emails are mobile-responsive.

The holidays are a prime opportunity to connect with your audience and boost your bottom line, and with the right strategy, your small business can thrive during this festive time of the year. If you need assistance with your digital marketing efforts or want to explore how we can help you further, get in touch with the friendly team at MORBiZ by calling 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We’d love to share more about how MORBiZ assists small businesses in building and enhancing their online presence. We wish you a prosperous and joyous holiday season!

5 Digital Marketing Tips for Arborists & Tree Removal Companies

Mon, 16 Oct 2023 21:57:51 GMT

Arborists and tree removal companies, like all businesses today, can benefit significantly from a strong digital marketing strategy. Whether you're an established tree care company or just starting out, implementing smart marketing strategies for an arborist can help grow your business, just like you help to grow trees. At MORBiZ, we love helping tree care businesses find their digital footing and establish roots in their community through specific online tactics that we’ve proven will nourish companies young and old. Here’s our digital marketing tips for adding more rings to your tree care business.

Optimize Your Website for Local SEO

Your website is often the first point of contact for potential customers. Ensure it's well-optimized for local search engine optimization (SEO). This means using relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and alt tags that focus on tree services in your specific area. Include your location prominently on your website and make sure your contact information is easy to find.

BONUS: Don’t forget about offsite SEO, such as ensuring your online directory listings are accurate.

Build a Strong Social Media Presence

Social media is a valuable tool for arborists. Create profiles on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to connect with your audience. Share informative and engaging content, including photos of your work, tree care tips, and information about your services. Engage with your followers by responding to comments and messages promptly.

Harness the Power of Content Marketing

Content marketing is a potent tool for arborists and tree removal companies. Regularly publishing high-quality, informative content on your website as blogs not only helps position you as an industry authority but also improves your search engine rankings. Consider creating articles on topics such as tree care tips, tree disease prevention, or the importance of professional tree removal. Share this content on your social media channels to reach a wider audience.

Encourage Online Reviews and Testimonials

Positive online reviews and testimonials can significantly boost your credibility and reputation. Encourage your satisfied customers to leave reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, or industry-specific directories. Respond to reviews, both positive and negative, in a professional and customer-centric manner to demonstrate your commitment to service excellence. Potential customers often rely on these reviews when making their decisions.

Invest in Pay-Per-Click Advertising

While organic methods like SEO and content marketing are vital, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising can provide a more immediate boost to your online visibility. Google Ads is the most prominent option, as it allows you to target specific keywords and geographic areas, ensuring your ads reach a highly relevant audience. Create compelling ad copy to entice potential clients. With careful budgeting and monitoring, PPC can deliver a strong return on investment.

Just as we rely on healthy trees for oxygen, shade, fruit and beauty, a healthy arborist digital market plan will ensure people can find your business. Of course, tackling these tasks takes time and effort, which you’re likely already applying to your day job. By partnering with MORBiZ to handle your tree removal marketing and web presence, we’ll handle everything from from designing a custom tree services website to managing your PPC advertising and more, while you continue to deliver exceptional services to your community. To learn more about our local digital marketing services regarding Internet marketing for arborists and tree removal businesses, call 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We look forward to helping you branch out your business (OK, no more tree puns!).

Why are Google Reviews Important?

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 21:55:39 GMT

When it comes to building a strong online reputation for your business, one of the best opportunities is to earn positive Google Reviews. How do Google Reviews help a business? With Google being the search giant that it is, having a strong presence on its platform can put you in front of more potential customers. But digital reviews are not only about search engine optimization (SEO). At MORBiZ, we have found that businesses with a large quantity of positive online reviews can benefit from the many powers of Google Reviews, such as the following.

Competitive Advantage

In many industries, small businesses vie for the attention of the same pool of potential customers. Here's where Google Reviews provide a significant competitive edge. When customers compare businesses in search results, they are more inclined to opt for the one with a higher rating and more positive reviews. Thus, building a strong online presence with an abundance of positive reviews can set your business apart from the competition.

Improved Search Engine Optimization

In the intro we mentioned that online reviews are not only about SEO, but they certainly help! In fact, Google Reviews can play a substantial role in shaping a business' search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. Google's search algorithm factors in numerous variables when determining search rankings, and the quality and quantity of reviews are among them. Amassing a higher number of favorable reviews can substantially enhance your business' visibility in local online search results, potentially driving more organic traffic to your website.

Trust and Credibility

In the digital realm, trust and credibility are paramount. When customers seek products or services online, they often turn to Google to discover local businesses. A multitude of positive Google Reviews can instill trust in your business. People tend to rely on the experiences of others who have engaged with your products or services directly. Positive reviews serve as endorsements from satisfied customers, affirming your reliability and the quality of your offerings. Conversely, a dearth of reviews or a low rating may discourage potential customers from selecting your business.

Get Real Customer Insights

One of the best benefits of online reviews is the real feedback you get from your actual customers. By perusing these reviews, you can gain a deeper understanding of what your customers value about your business and where there may be room for improvement. This feedback can be channeled into refining your products, services, and overall customer experience. Furthermore, responding to reviews, whether they are positive or negative, demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction. Engaging with reviewers allows you to address concerns publicly, potentially turning a negative experience into a positive one. It also underscores your willingness to listen to feedback and make improvements based on customer input.

Increased Conversions

The ultimate aim of any small business is to convert potential customers into paying ones. Positive Google Reviews can serve as a compelling motivator, persuading potential customers to take action. Whether it's making a purchase, scheduling an appointment, or contacting your business, the trust established through reviews can significantly boost conversion rates.

While there are many benefits to receiving Google Reviews, the key word in the previous sentence is receiving. Without reviews, you won’t be able to take advantage of them. That’s where MORBiZ comes in. Our team is skilled at helping businesses earn positive online reviews. If you’d like to learn more about our web presence campaigns for small businesses, please give our friendly team a call at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . Together, we can take your business to the next level.

5 Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Digital Marketing Budget

Wed, 27 Sep 2023 19:05:24 GMT

Let’s face it, there is no one size fits all answer when it comes to digital marketing. This is especially true for small businesses that need to ensure every dollar counts. By carefully preparing your marketing budget, you can stretch it to achieve numerous goals, from exposure to lead generation. With the assistance of a knowledgeable digital agency like MORBiZ, you will be impressed with just how far your online marketing budget can go. Here’s a few things to consider as you work the numbers.

Define Clear Objectives

Before diving headfirst into digital marketing, it's crucial to define clear objectives for your small business. What do you want to achieve with your online presence? Is it brand awareness, lead generation, increased sales, or something else entirely? By identifying your goals upfront, you can work closely with the MORBiZ team to develop a tailored strategy that aligns with your objectives. This ensures that your marketing efforts are focused and effective.

Budget Allocation

Budget allocation is a critical aspect of digital marketing success. Our team can help you determine where to allocate your budget for maximum impact. This includes deciding how much to invest in services such as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. A well-balanced budget will help you reach your target audience effectively.

Invest in a Professional Website

Your website is often the first point of contact between your business and potential customers. Investing in a professional, custom website is not just a recommendation; it's a necessity. MORBiZ will design and build a website that not only looks great but also functions smoothly, provides valuable information, and encourages visitors to take action.

Content is King

Quality content is at the heart of successful digital marketing. Regularly creating and sharing relevant, informative, and engaging content is essential for attracting and retaining your audience. Our content professionals will help you develop a content strategy that includes well written landing pages, blog posts and social media updates. This content will not only showcase your expertise but also improve your website's search engine ranking through SEO to help drive traffic.

Measure and Adjust

To ensure excellent results, It's essential to continuously measure the performance of your online marketing efforts and be ready to make adjustments as needed. We can provide valuable insights regarding website traffic and conversion ratesI. This data-driven approach ensures that your marketing budget is used effectively and efficiently.

If you are seeking the assistance of a digital agency that will help you maximize your marketing budget, turn the pros at MORBiZ . For more than a decade we have been working with small businesses in numerous sectors to grow their bottom line through tailored web presence campaigns that attract customers in their communities. To learn more about our hyper local digital marketing services, please call us at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form to connect with our team!

How Local Businesses can Build a Strong Relationship with Their Community

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 18:51:12 GMT

Small businesses are the backbone of local communities. They provide essential goods and services, create jobs, and contribute to the unique character of a neighborhood. To thrive, small businesses need the support of their communities, and in turn, they have a significant role to play in shaping the well-being of those neighborhoods and towns. At MORBiZ, we are major proponents of small businesses, and our hyper-local digital marketing team wanted to offer these ideas to help business owners find new ways to engage and connect with their community and customers to ensure those relationships thrive.

10 Tips for Building Community Relationships for Small Businesses

Get Involved: Actively participate in community events, fundraisers, and local organizations. This not only shows your commitment to the community but also provides opportunities to connect with residents.

Support Local Causes: Invest in the betterment of your community by supporting local charities, schools, and nonprofits. Sponsor or participate in events that align with your values and mission.

Collaborate with Other Businesses: Partner with neighboring businesses for joint promotions or events. Collaboration fosters a sense of community among local entrepreneurs and can lead to shared success.

Offer Educational Resources: Share your expertise by offering workshops, webinars, or informative content that benefits your community. This can position you as a trusted resource and authority in your field.

Listen and Respond: Take the time to listen to the needs and feedback of your customers and community members. Address their concerns and adapt your business practices accordingly.

Communicate Transparently: Keep your community informed about changes or developments in your business. Transparency builds trust and shows that you value open and honest communication.

Create Inclusive Spaces: Ensure that your business is welcoming and accessible to all members of the community. Consider diverse customer needs and preferences.

Celebrate Local Culture: Embrace and celebrate the local culture and traditions of your community. Incorporate elements that resonate with residents into your business.

Show Appreciation: Express gratitude to your community for their support. Simple gestures like thank-you notes or customer appreciation events can go a long way.

Adapt to Changing Needs: Be flexible and adaptable to changing community needs and trends. Staying relevant is essential for long-term success. While MORBiZ offers digital marketing solutions, we understand how important it is to connect offline too. By actively engaging with and supporting your local community, you not only strengthen your business but also contribute to the well-being and prosperity of the place you call home. As your web marketing partner, you can expect MORBiZ to care about your businesses and provide exceptional resources, just as you do for your business. To learn more about our web presence campaigns , please call 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We look forward to connecting with you!

The Importance of a Google Maps Listing for Small Businesses

Fri, 01 Sep 2023 18:40:33 GMT

While websites are undoubtedly a crucial part of building a strong online presence, another key element is the power of a Google Maps listing. With the majority of consumers turning to the internet to find local businesses and services, having a well-optimized Google Maps listing is a necessity. At MORBiZ, we manage this listing for our customers, ensuring they can be found online to drive business offline. Here’s a few of the main reasons a correct Google Maps listing is so critical.

Enhanced Local Visibility

A Google Maps listing acts as a virtual front door to your business. When potential customers search for products or services in their vicinity, a well-optimized listing ensures that your business shows up prominently on the map. This increased visibility means you have a better chance of attracting nearby customers who are actively seeking what you offer.

Trust and Credibility

Think of your Google Maps listing as an online business card. It provides essential information such as your address, phone number, website link, and customer reviews. Having a complete and accurate listing instills trust in potential customers. Reviews from satisfied clients act as endorsements, further boosting your credibility.

Mobile Convenience

In the era of smartphones, people are constantly on the move, relying on their devices to find nearby businesses. A Google Maps listing makes it incredibly convenient for users to locate your establishment while they're out and about. A well-optimized listing with accurate location details ensures that potential customers can easily find your business on their mobile devices.

SEO Benefits

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) isn't limited to just websites. Google Maps listings also play a role in local search rankings. When someone searches for a product or service related to your business in your area, a well-optimized listing increases the likelihood of your business appearing in the local search results. This can drive organic traffic to your website and physical store.

Without a Google Maps listing that has accurate information, you are surely missing out on attracting new customers. The small business digital marketing professionals at MORBiZ can set up and manage your listing for you, ensuring local consumers are able to find and contact your brick and mortar business. To learn more about this service and the rest of the extent of our expert web presence campaigns , please give us a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form to reach out. We look forward to hearing from you!

Why Consistent Internet Directory Listing Information is Crucial for Small Businesses

Fri, 25 Aug 2023 23:12:41 GMT

Let’s face the truth, the Internet is where people go first when searching for goods and services. With potential customers turning to the web for almost every need, from buying home supplies to scheduling maintenance services for their vehicle, having accurate and consistent contact information across all listing directories such as Google, Yelp and Bing, is paramount for any business. This means making sure your phone number, website address, physical address, if applicable, and other contact info matches on every listing site. With many, many sites automatically filling in this information, it’s easy for it to get jumbled. Let’s dive into why accurate directory listing info is so vital to getting found online.

The Significance of Accurate Contact Information

Imagine this scenario: a potential customer is interested in your small business's product or service. They search for your business online and find multiple listings on different directories. However, each listing displays different contact information – different phone numbers, addresses, and even business names. The customer's trust is immediately eroded, and they might even assume that your business is not reliable or professional.

Consistent contact information is the cornerstone of establishing trust and credibility. It ensures that potential customers can reach out to you without any hassle, whether they find your business on Google Maps, Yelp, Yellow Pages, or any other directory. When your contact information is uniform across these platforms, it not only instills confidence in potential customers but also improves your search engine rankings, making your business easier to find online.

What Happens if a Business has Inconsistent Listings?

Inaccurate and inconsistent contact information can lead to a myriad of problems for small businesses. Here's a closer look at some of these issues:

Missed Opportunities: If customers can't reach you due to incorrect contact information, you're essentially turning away potential business.
Customer Frustration: Inaccurate listings lead to customer frustration. If they can't find your correct phone number or address, they might give up altogether or turn to a competitor with more accessible information.
Negative Reputation: Inconsistent listings can harm your reputation. Customers might perceive your business as disorganized, unreliable or believe it to even be fraudulent.
SEO and Ranking Impact: Search engines prioritize businesses with accurate information. Inconsistent listings can confuse search algorithms, resulting in lower search engine rankings and decreased online visibility.

What are Directory Clean-Up Services?

MORBiZ offers comprehensive directory clean-up services that ensure consistent and accurate contact information across all relevant listing directories. By partnering with us to complete Internet directory listing clean up we will not only help improve your business reputation and search ranking, but save you time and money. It takes many hours to claim and edit listings that are incorrect. While you spend that time doing what you do best, which is running your business, allow us to take this burden off your hands and bring you all the benefits of consistent directory listings. Give MORBiZ a call at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form and we will be in touch shortly! We look forward to discussing our web presence solutions that are designed to enhance your business online and off.

Common Internet Scams that Target Small Businesses

Sat, 19 Aug 2023 13:41:56 GMT

As small businesses grow their online footprints, they may become targets for various internet scams that can lead to financial loss, data breaches, and reputation damage. Staying informed about these common types of scams is crucial for safeguarding your business and ensuring its longevity. At MORBiZ, we want you to stay protected, so we’ve outlined a few small business scams below, as education is often the best weapon against any sort of breach.

Phishing Attacks

Phishing remains one of the most widespread online scams. Scammers send deceptive emails, messages, or links that appear to be from legitimate sources like banks, vendors, or government agencies. They aim to trick you into revealing sensitive information, such as passwords, credit card numbers, or login credentials. Train your team to scrutinize email addresses and URLs, and never click on suspicious links.

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

BEC scams involve attackers impersonating high-ranking company executives or vendors to manipulate employees into initiating unauthorized wire transfers or divulging sensitive information. Always verify any financial request through a secondary communication channel, such as a phone call, before taking action.

Fake Invoices and Payment Scams

Scammers may send fabricated invoices or emails claiming payment is overdue. They impersonate known suppliers or vendors, tricking businesses into transferring funds to fraudulent accounts. Implement a rigorous verification process for all payment requests and encourage your team to confirm invoice details before making any payments.

Tech Support Scams

In tech support scams, fraudsters impersonate technical support personnel from reputable companies, claiming your systems are compromised. They persuade you to grant them remote access to your systems or pay for unnecessary software. Always verify the legitimacy of such claims through official company channels before granting any access or making payments.

Social Engineering

Social engineering scams involve manipulating individuals into divulging confidential information or taking certain actions. Scammers may build rapport with employees over time, posing as colleagues, clients, or even friends. Train your team to be cautious about sharing sensitive information, even if the request appears to be from a familiar source.

Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware attacks involve malicious software that encrypts your data, rendering it inaccessible. The attacker demands a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key. Regularly back up your data offline and educate your team about avoiding suspicious downloads or attachments to prevent falling victim to ransomware attacks.

Directory Listing Scams

Scammers may contact small business owners, offering paid directory listings or advertising services promising increased visibility. Always verify the legitimacy of such offers and thoroughly research the company before committing any funds.

Investment Scams

Be cautious of unsolicited investment opportunities promising guaranteed returns. Research thoroughly and consult with financial professionals before committing your business's funds to any investment.

By being aware of these digital small business scams, you can protect your company and your own well being. At MORBiZ, we build highly secure websites for small businesses and perform a variety of other web presence services to help them safely grow online. As your digital growth partner, you can count on us to keep your business safe! Give us a call at 855-266-7249 or submit this contact form to learn more about our services!

What's Included in an All-Inclusive Web Presence Campaign from MORBiZ?

Sat, 12 Aug 2023 12:07:52 GMT

In a world driven by digital interactions, establishing a robust online presence is no longer a choice, but a necessity for small businesses striving to succeed. MORBiZ's comprehensive Web Presence Campaigns offer a strategic toolkit designed to elevate your brand's visibility, customer engagement, and overall growth, both online and off. Below, we explore the primary components of our campaigns and the distinctive advantages each facet brings to the table.

1. Fully Customized & Responsive Marketing Website: Your website serves as the virtual gateway to your business. A responsive design is paramount, ensuring that your website is flawlessly accessible and functional across various devices. With MORBiZ's expertise, a cutting-edge, search engine optimized (SEO) and responsive website tailored to your unique business identity is crafted, leaving a lasting impression on visitors and fostering trust and credibility, while inciting action through language, graphics and forms.

2. Geo-Targeted Google Pay-Per-Click Campaign: Navigating the intricate landscape of online advertising can be daunting, but MORBiZ's geo-targeted Google Pay-Per-Click (PPC) campaign simplifies the process. By strategically placing your business at the forefront of search results, this campaign optimizes your advertising budget while connecting you with a localized audience actively seeking your products or services.

3. Social Media Setup for Facebook and Google: The digital era has reshaped how businesses interact with their audience, making social media a pivotal component of brand communication. MORBiZ streamlines your brand's social media presence by setting up and optimizing profiles on platforms like Facebook and Google.

4. Google Maps Setup and Management: Discoverability is a cornerstone of online success, especially for local businesses. MORBiZ's expertise ensures your business is accurately and prominently represented on Google Maps, simplifying the journey for potential customers trying to locate your physical establishment.

5. Monthly Blog with Posts to Facebook: Consistent, valuable content is a driving force behind online engagement and customer retention. MORBiZ's monthly blog posts, shared on Facebook, not only keep your audience informed but also position you as an industry authority, attracting new prospects and fostering trust. This service also maximizes our SEO efforts both on and off your custom website.

6. Optional Voice-Over-Video Collage with Video Marketing: Video content holds unparalleled power in conveying your brand's essence succinctly and effectively. With the option of a voice-over-video collage, MORBiZ empowers you to craft compelling videos that narrate your brand's story, showcase products, or provide informative insights, captivating audiences across platforms.

7. Upload Video to YouTube, Your Site, and 35+ Top-Ranked Sites: Should you opt for a video, it’s important to know that content dissemination amplifies the impact of our efforts. MORBiZ's video publication campaign takes your video beyond conventional channels, distributing them across 35 top-ranked websites. This not only enhances visibility, but also augments our off-siteSEO endeavors.

8. Optional Internet Directory Cleanup: Online directories play a pivotal role in local search engine optimization (SEO). To ensure potential customers find accurate information, MORBiZ offers the option of cleaning up and optimizing your business listings across various directories, establishing a cohesive digital footprint.

A comprehensive web presence campaign from MORBiZ is ultimately designed to grow your bottom line by making your business more visible to local customers who need your goods and services. If you’d like to learn more about our digital marketing services for small businesses, please reach out to our friendly and knowledgeable team by calling 855-266-7249 or drop us a note using this contact form . Thanks for considering MORBiZ as your Internet marketing partner, we look forward to making a positive impact for your business.

Common Website Management Mistakes Small Business Owners Should Avoid

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 13:17:29 GMT

While you may spend more time scrolling through social media, a classic website still serves as a vital lifeline for small businesses of all types. However, in the quest for online success, many small business owners inadvertently fall into website management pitfalls that can harm their digital presence, user experience, and overall business growth. At MORBiZ, we address common website mistakes by building custom sites from scratch to help small business owners maximize the ROI of their marketing efforts. Is your website suffering from any of the following?

Ignoring Mobile Responsiveness: One of the most significant mistakes is neglecting to optimize a website for mobile devices. With the majority of users accessing the internet through smartphones and tablets, a non-mobile-friendly website can lead to a poor user experience and reduced search engine rankings.

Outdated Content and Design: Failing to update website content and design regularly can give visitors the impression that your business is stagnant. Keep your website fresh and relevant with updated information, engaging visuals, and current design trends to make a positive first impression on visitors.

Ignoring SEO Best Practices: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial for driving organic traffic to your website. Neglecting SEO best practices, such as using relevant keywords, creating high-quality content, and optimizing meta tags, can hinder your website's visibility in search engine results.

Complex Navigation: Confusing website navigation and a cluttered website layout can frustrate visitors, leading them to leave your site before finding the information they need.

Slow Loading Times: In the age of instant gratification, slow-loading websites can drive visitors away. Optimize image sizes, leverage caching, and choose a reliable web hosting service to ensure your website loads quickly across all devices.

Lack of Contact Information: A common mistake is burying or omitting contact information, making it difficult for potential customers to reach you. Display your contact details prominently on every page, including phone numbers, email addresses, and physical addresses. Implement a user-friendly contact form to make it easy for visitors to get in touch.

Not Monitoring Website Analytics: Failing to track website performance through analytics can lead to missed opportunities for improvement. Utilize tools like Google Analytics to monitor visitor behavior, popular content, and conversion rates. Analyzing this data will help you make informed decisions to optimize your website and enhance its effectiveness.

Creating and managing a business website is no simple task. At MORBiZ, we take this chore off the hands of business owners and managers and create high functioning, SEO friendly websites that generate leads day after day. While you do what you do best, leave it to MORBiZ to handle your small business website management. To get started with a free quote for the cost of a new website, give our team of digital marketing pros a call at 855-266-7249 or submit this contact form and we will be in touch. We look forward to providing you with a great experience!

What is a Call Tracking Number and Why Should My Business Use One?

Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:57:11 GMT

Today, businesses are constantly striving to enhance their marketing strategies and improve customer interactions. One valuable tool that can help achieve these goals is a call tracking number. While the concept might sound technical, it's actually a simple yet powerful solution to track and measure incoming phone calls. The digital marketing professionals at MORBiZ offer this option to our customers. Not only does it help us illustrate the return on investment of our Internet marketing services, but it offers a host of other advantages.

What is a Call Tracking Number

A call tracking number is a unique virtual phone number that forwards incoming calls to your existing business phone number. The magic lies in its ability to gather insightful data about these calls, such as their sources, durations, and more. It can even allow you to record calls, which can help with training and quality control. What are the other benefits of call tracking numbers?

Benefits of a Call Tracking Number

There are several benefits to allowing MORBiZ to set up a call tracking number as part of your web presence campaign. They include:

Measure Web Campaigns: Assigning unique call tracking numbers to our online campaigns (like on your MORBiZ website, ads or social media), will help you understand how much traffic our services are generating.
Know your ROI: With call tracking, you can calculate how much each marketing effort costs per lead and determine the return on investment for each campaign.
Improve Customer Service: Call recording options lets you listen to how your staff interacts with customers. You can identify areas for improvement and provide better customer service.

A call tracking number is a powerful tool to optimize your marketing, improve customer interactions, and grow your business. By using a call tracking number with your MORBiZ web presence campaign, we will be able to accurately report how well our services are working for you. To learn more about the use of call tracking and our other small business Internet marketing services, please call 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . With our monthly reporting via call tracking and other statistics, you'll be able to make smarter decisions based on real data to help you achieve your desired growth.

Key Elements of a Successful Small Business Website

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 14:19:18 GMT

There is no denying that a strong online presence is crucial for the success of small businesses, both online and off. A well-designed and functional website serves as the foundation for establishing credibility, attracting potential customers, and ultimately driving business growth and revenue. At MORBiZ, we know which elements are key to creating a successful website for a small business. Below, we discuss some of the vital building blocks we utilize when creating sites.

User-Friendly Navigation

User-friendly website navigation is essential to ensuring that visitors can easily find the information they need. Use clear and intuitive page names and a logical page hierarchy. Refrain from implementing multiple drop down menus, which can make it difficult to move about the site. It’s wise to limit your site’s pages to no more than six, if possible. Remember, the goal is to make it effortless for users to navigate through your website, encouraging them to explore further and engage with your business.

Responsive Design

While many sites are designed in a computer, they need to be easily readable and functional on a smartphone, especially given most people use their handheld device to surf the web. Sites designed and published by MORBiZ are optimized for computers, tablets, and smartphones. A mobile-friendly website not only enhances user satisfaction but also improves your search engine rankings.

Relevant Content

Content is king, and this holds true for small business websites as well. Implementing engaging and informative content that resonates with your target audience will assist with search results and ensure customers find the information they need. Written and visual content should highlight your products and services, outline your values and help potential customers understand why they should choose your business over the competition.

Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs)

A successful small business website guides visitors towards taking specific actions. Use clear and strategically placed call-to-action buttons to prompt users to contact you via phone or email, or to make an appointment. The CTAs should stand out and be easily recognizable, using persuasive language to encourage conversions.

Contact Information

Make it easy for potential customers to get in touch with you by prominently displaying your contact information, including phone number, email address, and physical address if applicable. A contact form is a great way to get people to connect with you via email.

Testimonials

Showcasing positive testimonials from satisfied customers will help build trust and credibility with new users. Including testimonials helps potential customers gain confidence in your business and increases the likelihood of them reaching out to you.

At MORBiZ, we know how vital a quality, responsive website is. Our small business Internet marketing experts build websites from scratch to help our customers grow their business online and off. As the base for a larger web presence campaign, we also offer PPC campaigns and social media management, ensuring we cover all the bases. To learn more about our services, or to request a quote for the cost of a new website for a small business, please call 855-266-7249 or use this contact form to get in touch with our helpful team!

5 Effective Digital Marketing Tips for Home Improvement Contractors

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 16:25:10 GMT

A strong online presence is essential for home remodeling companies seeking to attract new customers in their local service area. By implementing effective digital marketing strategies, you can differentiate your business and generate valuable leads. Below, the contractor marketing pros at MORBiZ share five actionable tips to help home remodeling and construction companies earn new business through digital marketing.

Optimize Your Website for Search Engines

Boost your visibility in search engine results by optimizing your website. Conduct keyword research and strategically incorporate relevant keywords into your content, meta tags, and URLs. Improve loading speed, ensure mobile-friendliness, and create engaging content that offers value to your visitors.

Utilize Local SEO Strategies

Target local customers by optimizing your online presence for local searches. Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing, ensuring consistency in your business name, address, and phone number across all directories. Encourage positive customer reviews, as they influence local search rankings.

Leverage Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising

Reach your target audience through targeted PPC advertising. Conduct keyword research to identify relevant search terms, create compelling ad copy, and direct users to relevant landing pages. Monitor campaign performance to maximize ROI and generate quality leads.

Harness the Power of Social Media

Utilize social media platforms to showcase your work, engage with potential customers, and build brand awareness. Choose platforms that align with your target audience, share high-quality images and videos of your projects, provide tips and inspiration, and encourage user-generated content. Promptly respond to comments and messages to build trust and nurture relationships.

Implement Content Marketing Strategies

Establish your expertise and credibility through content marketing. Create informative blog posts, articles, and guides addressing common homeowner questions and challenges. Share before-and-after project stories, design trends, and practical remodeling tips. Incorporate visually appealing media to make your content engaging and shareable.

General Contractor Marketing

By implementing these tips you are sure to boost your business’ online visibility and earn new leads. Undoubtedly, marketing takes much time and effort. While you focus on running your business, you can rely on MORBiZ to handle the general contracting digital marketing needs. We can assist with all of the above and so much more, including building you a brand new website that will maximize your web presence . We encourage you to give us a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form to connect. We’d be happy to discuss the wants and needs of your home improvement business and let you know how we can help!

Pros and Cons of Working with a Digital Agency to Manage a Small Business Website

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 15:45:51 GMT

With consumers increasingly relying on the internet to discover and engage with businesses, having a well-designed and optimized website is paramount. However, managing a website can be a complex and time-consuming task, especially for small business owners with limited resources. This is where a digital marketing agency like MORBiZ can step in to provide expert guidance and support. Here’s our take on the pros and cons of working with a digital agency for small business website management.

Pros of working with a digital agency:

Professional Expertise: Digital agencies specialize in web design, development, and online marketing. By working with a digital agency, you gain access to a team of professionals who possess extensive knowledge and experience in their respective fields. They stay up-to-date with the latest trends, best practices, and algorithms, ensuring that your website remains relevant and competitive.

Time and Cost Efficiency: Outsourcing your website management to a digital agency allows you to focus on running your business while leaving the technical aspects to the experts. This saves you valuable time and enables you to allocate your resources more efficiently. Hiring and training an in-house team can be expensive, but with an agency, you get access to a whole team of experts at a fraction of the cost.

Holistic Approach: At MORBiZ, we offer a comprehensive approach to managing your website. We take into account all aspects of your online presence, including website design, development, search engine optimization (SEO), content creation, social media management, Google Ads and more. This integrated approach ensures that all elements work together seamlessly to deliver optimal results.

Advanced Tools and Technologies: We invest in the latest tools, technologies, and analytics platforms to enhance our service offerings. By partnering with MORBiZ, you gain access to these resources, enabling you to gather valuable insights about your website's performance, track conversions, and make data-driven decisions to improve your online presence.

Cons of working with a digital agency:

Relinquishing Control: While giving up control of your website can be a concern for some business owners, it's important to choose a reputable agency that understands your vision and works collaboratively with you to achieve your goals.

Communication and Alignment: Maintaining effective communication with a digital agency is crucial when it comes to maximizing the quality of the online campaign. At MORBiZ we strive for upfront, constant communication to ensure your ultimate success.

For small business owners, partnering with a digital marketing agency to manage their website and overall web presence can be highly beneficial. To learn more about the above benefits and more, connect with the friendly team at MORBiZ, a Washington state based Internet marketing agency that partners with small businesses around the country to grow their digital footprint and their bottom line. Please call 855-266-7249 or submit this contact form to connect with the experts at our web marketing agency!

Hyper-Local PPC Campaigns: Tips and Best Practices

Sat, 10 Jun 2023 12:51:09 GMT

In the world of digital marketing, hyper-local PPC (Pay-Per-Click) campaigns have emerged as a powerful strategy to target specific local audiences and drive targeted traffic to small businesses, particularly brick and mortar ones. By utilizing location-based targeting and crafting tailored ad experiences, businesses can maximize their visibility among local consumers. The PPC experts at MORBiZ, a hyper-local digital marketing agency, offer the following tips for those venturing into the world of local PPC advertising.

Define Your Hyper-Local Target Audience

Clearly identify the specific geographic area, demographics, and interests of your audience that align with your business objectives. By understanding your audience's needs, preferences, and search behaviors, you can create highly relevant ad campaigns that resonate with them.

Conduct Comprehensive Keyword Research

Keyword research plays a pivotal role in the success of any PPC campaign. For hyper-local campaigns, focus on identifying location-specific keywords that are relevant to your business and target audience.

Optimize Ad Copy for Local Relevance

Crafting compelling ad copy that speaks directly to the local audience is vital. Be sure to incorporate location-specific language or mention nearby landmarks or attractions. Illustrating local relevance will increase click-through rates.

Implement Geotargeting Strategies

Geotargeting is a powerful tool in hyper-local PPC campaigns. Use location settings to target specific cities, regions, or even set radius-based targeting around your business's physical location or service area.

Regular Monitoring and Optimization

Consistent monitoring and optimization are crucial for the success of any PPC campaign. Analyze key performance metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and cost per conversion. Use this data to improve performance by optimizing underperforming keywords and ad copy.

Hyper-local PPC campaigns offer immense potential for businesses looking to target their local markets more effectively. It should be noted, an effective campaign takes lots of time and skill to implement and manage, but is undoubtedly worth it. If you want to take advantage of local PPC ads without having to stress about the education and time involved to manage a successful PPC campaign, reach out to MORBiZ. As a part of our hyper-local web presence campaigns, we offer Google PPC advertising management for small businesses. To learn more about this and our other Internet marketing services, please call 855-266-7249 or submit this contact form . We look forward to helping you grow your business!

How to Create a Strong Online Presence for Your Local Business

Sat, 10 Jun 2023 12:20:23 GMT

Let’s face it, establishing an online footprint is essential for the success of local businesses. Doing so allows businesses to reach a wider audience, build credibility, and drive more customers to their doorsteps. At MORBiZ, we are pros at helping small and medium sized businesses connect with potential customers in their service area by developing a strong hyper-local web presence. Here’s our tips for building web visibility that will boost your business online and off.

Start with an Awesome Responsive Website

Creating a user-friendly website is crucial for your online presence. Opt for a clean and intuitive design with easy navigation. Ensure that your website is mobile-friendly (responsive), as a significant portion of users browse on smartphones and tablets. Include clear contact information and a prominent call-to-action to encourage conversions. Fill your website with engaging content that showcases your products or services. Use high-quality images and videos to enhance the visual appeal. Incorporate local keywords and phrases to improve search engine visibility. Utilizing other SEO tactics will further enhance your site’s findability.

Google Business Profile

It is important to take ownership of your Google Business Profile, as this is often what will pop up in search results when people search for your products or services. After claiming it, optimize it to ensure all information on it is correct, including contact information, hours of operation and your business name.

Leveraging Social Media

Whether you like it or not, social media is a must for most types of customer facing businesses. Identify the social media platforms where your target audience is most active and create business profiles or pages on those sites. Maintain consistent branding across all social media channels, including logos, colors, and messaging, as well as usernames. Regularly post relevant content that resonates with your audience. Respond promptly to comments, messages, and reviews to build customer trust and loyalty. It’s important to note that many people find businesses for the first time on social media.

Implementing PPC Ads

Pay-Per-Click ads are a surefire way to increase the chances of being found online. It’s not a turnkey solution, as you’ll need to define your goals for PPC advertising, whether it's driving website traffic, generating leads, or increasing sales. Then you will want to continually refine your target audience based on demographics, location, interests, and search behavior. Maintaining these ad platforms can be time consuming, but are well worth the effort. It’s a great idea to work with a PPC pro to ensure you don’t waste ad money learning PPC techniques.

There are many ways to grow your web presence, including optimizing profiles on Yelp, YellowPages, Angie and other places, depending on your niche. Another tactic includes earning positive reviews on your online profiles. Ultimately, creating a strong online presence for your local business requires a multi-prong approach that includes website building, social media, reputation management and so much more. It’s a lot of work, but at MORBiZ, we handle it all. If you’d like to learn more about our web presence services, please call 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We’ll gladly answer any questions you have and help you build the business you’ve always dreamed of.

Why Online Reviews Matter and How to Get Customers to Leave Them

Fri, 26 May 2023 18:44:03 GMT

In today's digital age, online reviews, including Google reviews, have become an integral part of the consumer decision-making process. Before making a purchase or choosing a service provider, customers often turn to online reviews to gather insights and gauge the reputation and quality of a business. The small business digital marketing experts at MORBiZ understand how important garnering positive reviews can be for all types of companies. Below we discuss why they’re necessary and what a business can do to get more people to post quality reviews.

Why do Online Reviews Matter?

Let’s take a look at a few of the reasons why you want customers to leave you reviews on Google, Yelp, Facebook and other reputable places online.

Building Trust and Credibility: Online reviews serve as powerful social proof, providing potential customers with real experiences and opinions from others who have used your products or services. Positive reviews act as endorsements that build trust and credibility for your brand.

Enhancing Visibility and SEO: Online reviews play a significant role in search engine optimization (SEO) and local search rankings. Search engines consider the quantity, quality, and freshness of reviews when determining the credibility and relevance of a business.

Influencing Purchase Decisions: Online reviews directly influence purchase decisions. When consumers read positive reviews, they are more likely to trust your business, feel confident in their choice, and proceed with a purchase or making an appointment. Conversely, negative reviews can deter potential customers and lead to lost opportunities. By actively managing and responding to reviews, including negative ones you can shape the narrative around your brand.

Tips to Encourage Customers to Leave Reviews

Now that we understand the importance of online reviews, let's explore effective strategies to encourage customers to leave them.

Provide a Quality Customer Experience: The foundation of positive reviews is excellent customer service and delivering a solid product or service.

Request Reviews: Don't be afraid to ask your satisfied customers to leave a review. Use signage in your brick and mortar location to request reviews or if possible, send emails or make asks on social media. In your ask, include links to your Google review page.

Offer Incentives or Rewards: Some businesses opt to have raffles or give out other products for those who leave reviews.

Engage with Reviews: Actively monitor and respond to reviews, both positive and negative. Express gratitude for positive feedback and promptly address any negative experiences. This demonstrates your commitment to customer satisfaction and builds trust.

Online reviews have a significant impact on the success of your digital marketing efforts. They enhance your brand's reputation, boost visibility, and influence purchasing decisions. At MORBiZ, we can help your business garner reviews directly on your website built by our Internet marketing professionals. We also can showcase reviews on your website built by MORBiZ to illustrate your commitment to customers and help improve SEO. To learn more about how we can boost your online reputation, give the team at MORBiZ a call at 855-266-7249 or submit this contact form . We look forward to hearing from you.

Tips for Service-Based Local Businesses to Maximize the Social Media Marketing Efforts

Thu, 04 May 2023 18:53:00 GMT

There is no getting around it, social media is a part of our lives whether we like it or not. Whatever the platform, be it Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik-Tok or otherwise, people use these channels to socialize and engage with friends, family and yes, even businesses. As a small business owner, it’s important to remember that even though social media is a global media monstrosity, when used correctly it can be a powerful tool for reaching your local audience and potential customers. The small business Internet marketing pros at MORBiZ recommend following these creative tips that can help you improve your local social media marketing efforts:

Focus on local keywords and hashtags:

Just like on your website, you can SEO your social. Use local keywords and hashtags in your social media posts to help ensure that your content appears in the search results of people in your region.

Collaborate with other local businesses:

Partnering with other local businesses to cross-promote each other's services is a great way to attract local shoppers. You can share each other's posts on social media, or even offer a joint promotion or discount.

Share customer reviews and testimonials:

Sharing positive customer reviews and testimonials on social media to show off the quality of your service is one of the best ways to illustrate your dedication to providing quality services, products and experiences. This can help to build trust with potential customers in your local area.

Create engaging content:

Perhaps this is a no brainer, but creating content that is relevant for your local audience will keep them engaged and make them more likely to follow you -- and then buy from you. This could be anything from creating and sharing a local events calendar to publishing a behind-the-scenes look at your business.

Use video marketing: Video is a highly engaging form of content and can be a great way to showcase your services. You can create short videos that demonstrate your services or offer tips and advice related to your industry. With most social channels offering video upload capabilities, this can be a highly effective tool for capturing new customers’ attention. Remember, even short content, such as less than 15 seconds, can be very impactful.

Run social media ads:

Paid social media ads can be highly targeted to reach your local audience. You can create ads that target people in your area who are interested in your services.

Work with local influences or figures:

If you’re able to connect with local influencers, such as reputable bloggers or regional celebrities, to create social content, you’ll instantly boost credibility and get lots of new eyes on your products and services.

Social media is no longer just a platform for silly GIFs or keeping up with your old friends. Today, these channels are vital marketing and advertising platforms for all types of businesses. At MORBiZ, our social media marketing team can help you set up and manage your small business Facebook page and provide a host of ideas to generate a following that engages and buys! To learn more about this part of our hyper-local web presence package, please call 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form to get in touch with our SMB web marketers. Our digital agency looks forward to helping you grow your business online and off.

Does a Business Need a Responsive Website? Yes!

Sun, 30 Apr 2023 15:12:02 GMT

In today's fast-paced digital world, having a responsive website has become a must-have for any business looking to succeed online. A responsive website is a website that is designed to adapt to different screen sizes, ensuring that it looks and functions properly on all devices, from desktop computers to smartphones.

In other words, a responsive website is a website that is able to adjust its layout and content to fit the screen size of the device it is being viewed on. This means that users can easily navigate the website and access the information they need, regardless of the device they are using, be it a computer, smartphone or table.

What are the benefits of a responsive website?

There are several benefits to having a responsive website. For one, it can improve the user experience, making it easier for people to interact with your website and access your content. It can also increase engagement and reduce bounce rates, as users are more likely to stay on your website if it is easy to use and navigate.

Another advantage of having a responsive website is that it can improve your search engine rankings. Google and other search engines prioritize websites that are mobile-friendly and responsive, meaning that if your website is not responsive, you may be missing out on potential traffic and customers.

In addition, having a responsive website can help future-proof your business. As new devices and technologies emerge, a responsive website will be able to adapt to these changes, ensuring that your website remains accessible and functional for years to come.

Build a Responsive Website for a Small Business

At the end of the day, a responsive website is an essential part of any modern digital marketing strategy. By ensuring that your website looks and functions properly on all devices, you can improve the user experience, increase engagement, boost your search engine rankings, and future-proof your business.

At MORBiZ, a small business digital marketing agency, we specialize in building hyper-local websites that are responsive, beautiful and user friendly on all devices. If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of a responsive website, or get a quote for the cost of a new website for a business, call 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form to connect with the MORBiZ team. Our Internet marketing experts understand how crucial it is to connect with people where they are, which is on their phones, computers or tablets! So let’s create a website that does exactly that for your company.

What are the benefits of paid Google Ads campaigns for small businesses?

Thu, 27 Apr 2023 14:59:47 GMT

Google Ads (formerly known as Google AdWords) is one of the most popular and effective digital advertising platforms in the world. With its advanced targeting options, vast reach, and powerful analytics tools, Google Ads has become a go-to choice for businesses of all sizes looking to increase their online visibility, generate leads, and drive conversions.While there are many benefits to using Google Ads, the MORBiZ digital marketing pros have placed focus on four key advantages of investing in paid Google Ad campaigns.

You Can Achieve Targeted Advertising

One of the biggest benefits of using Google Ads is the ability to target your ads to specific audiences. With Google Ads, you can target your ads based on a range of factors, including location, demographics, interests, and search terms. This means you can create highly targeted ads that are more likely to be seen by people who are interested in your products or services.

For example, if you own a local restaurant, you can target your ads to people who are searching for "restaurants near me" or "Italian restaurants in [your city]." This will ensure that your ads are only shown to people who are actively looking for a restaurant in your area.

It’s Cost-Effective

Another major advantage of using Google Ads is that it can be a cost-effective way to advertise your business. With Google Ads, you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. This means you can set a budget for your ad campaign and only pay for the clicks you receive.

Furthermore, you can set a maximum bid for each click, which means you can control how much you spend on each click. This makes it easy to stay within your budget and ensure that you are getting a good return on your investment.

You Get Measurable Results

One of the biggest advantages of using Google Ads is the ability to track and measure your results. Google Ads provides detailed analytics that allow you to see how many people are clicking on your ads, how much you are spending, and how many conversions you are generating.

You can also track other important metrics, such as bounce rate, time on site, and conversion rate. This means you can see exactly how your ad campaign is performing and make adjustments as needed to improve your results.

Ultimately, Google Ads Boost Visibility

Finally, Google Ads can help boost your visibility and increase your online presence. When you run a Google Ads campaign, your ads will be shown at the top of the search engine results pages (SERPs). This means that even if your website is not ranking highly in the organic search results, you can still get your business in front of potential customers.

Google Ads are a great way to put your ad dollars to work, but to ensure you maximize your return on investment, you will want to work with an expert digital ad agency that specializes in Google Ads management. That perfectly describes the pros at MORBiZ who have been helping small businesses attract new customers online and off for more than a decade. If you’d like to learn how we can boost your revenue with a Google Ads campaign connected to a hyperlocal marketing website , give us a call at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We look forward to maximizing your online marketing efforts.

Why website speed matters for small businesses

Fri, 24 Mar 2023 20:16:52 GMT

When surfing the Internet for pleasure, website speed may seem like something we take for granted, but when it comes to consumerism, every second matters. The speed of your website can significantly impact user experience, search engine rankings, and ultimately, your bottom line. At MORBiZ, a small business digital marketing firm, we build websites with exceptional load time on mobile and desktop. Why do we take it so seriously? Let’s dive in.

Better User Experience (UX)

In today's fast-paced world, users expect websites to load quickly. In fact, research has shown that 40% of users will abandon a website if it takes more than three seconds to load. Slow website speed can also result in a poor user experience, leading to increased bounce rates, decreased engagement, and lower conversion rates.

Think about it - if a user clicks on your website and it takes too long to load, they're likely to become frustrated and move on to your competitor's website. On the other hand, if your website loads quickly, users are more likely to stay engaged, browse your content, and take action, like scheduling an appointment.

Improved Search Engine Rankings

In addition to impacting user experience, website speed also plays a significant role in search engine rankings. Way back in 2010, Google announced that website speed would become a ranking factor in its algorithm. Since then, website speed has continued to play a crucial role in placing high in search results with Google leading the charge in prioritizing fast-loading websites because they provide a better user experience.

Industry Examples

Let's consider some examples of how website speed can impact user experience and search engine rankings for specific types of small businesses:

Roofing Companies : A roofing company's website that loads slowly could result in frustrated users who move on to competitors offering the same services. On the other hand, a roofing company that invests in website speed optimization can improve its search engine rankings, making it easier for users to find its services online.
Auto Repair Shops : A slow-loading website for an auto repair shop could result in potential customers leaving the site before booking an appointment. Whereas an auto shop with a fast-loading website will achieve improved online visibility, attract more customers, and ultimately, increase revenue.
Arborists : A slow-loading website for an arborist could lead to potential customers cutting ties, yelling timber and moving on to a competitor (see what we did there?). Again, a fast arborist website will result in more leads and booked appointments.

Slow website speed can lead to decreased engagement, lower conversion rates, and even cause a drop in revenue. To avoid this, it’s necessary to partner with a digital marketing company that builds lightning fast websites, like MORBiZ! For more than a decade we’ve been helping local businesses across the country build their local web presence to attract and retain customers in their own communities. To learn more about our services, or to request a consultation for a new small business website, call MORBiZ at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form and we will be in touch!

The importance of mobile-friendly websites for local businesses

Wed, 15 Mar 2023 20:08:56 GMT

In today's digital age, more and more people are accessing the internet through their mobile devices. With the rise of smartphones and tablets, mobile internet usage has surpassed desktop usage, and this trend is only expected to continue. As a result, having a mobile-friendly website is no longer a luxury for businesses - it's a necessity. At MORBiZ, our small business digital marketing experts specialize in building mobile websites that help drive traffic both online and off. Here’s what you need to know about thinking small… small screens, that is, when it comes to designing a website for a local business.

What is a mobile website?

First and foremost, a mobile-friendly website is one that is optimized for viewing on mobile devices. This means that the website's design, layout, and functionality are all tailored to provide a seamless user experience on smartphones and tablets. Mobile-friendly websites are designed with smaller screens in mind, and they typically have simplified navigation, larger text, and easy-to-use buttons. Today, one of the best methods of web design involves creating a responsive website, which is a website that adapts to the size of the screen it is being viewed on.

Benefits of a responsive website

One of the primary benefits of having a mobile-friendly website for a local business is that it can help increase website traffic and improve search engine rankings. Google and other search engines have been placing increasing importance on mobile-friendly websites, and they now favor websites that are optimized for mobile devices in their search results. This means that if your website is not mobile-friendly, it may be harder for potential customers to find you online.

In addition to improving search engine rankings, having a mobile-friendly website can also help you attract and retain customers. Studies show that mobile users are more likely to leave a website if it is not optimized for mobile devices. By providing a mobile-friendly website, you can ensure that your visitors have a positive experience and are more likely to stay on your site, engage with your content, and ultimately convert into customers.

With a mobile website, you can make it easy for your current and potential customers to get in touch with you directly. With one touch calling, direct linking to maps and simple to use contact forms, your customers will have no issue connecting with your business when using a mobile-friendly website. Let’s face it, our society is on the go. We need to keep up!

Building a mobile website

Having a mobile-friendly website is crucial for local businesses that want to succeed in today's digital landscape and fast paced consumer driven marketplace. A mobile responsive website can help increase website traffic, improve search engine rankings, attract and retain customers, and make it easy for customers to contact you. If your website is not currently mobile-friendly, it's time to make the necessary changes and ensure that your business is ready for the future. Reach out to the team at MORBiZ by calling 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We can’t wait to chat about the online marketing goals you have for your business.

How to Spot a Domain Expiration Scam

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 16:50:41 GMT

Domain expiration scams are a common tactic used by cybercriminals to exploit website owners and businesses. In these scams, the scammers send emails or letters to website owners, claiming that their domain name (for example: yourdomain .com) is about to expire and offer to renew it for a fee, often a rather high one. Unfortunately, these people have no means nor intention of actually renewing your domain. In the end, many people fall for these scams and end up paying for a nonexistent service. At MORBiZ , our clients have come to us after receiving snail mail and emails claiming their domains are going to expire. We’ll explain how to spot this scam below, but first more about how they work.

What are Domain Expiration Scams?

It’s important to understand that your website’s domain will indeed expire at some point, and your registrar will reach out to inform you that it is time to renew. However, domain expiration scams are typically emails or letters that are made to appear like a legitimate domain company, such as GoDaddy, is reaching out, when in fact they are not. The scammer will usually claim that your domain name is about to expire, and if you don't act quickly, you'll lose your domain name. They will then offer to renew your domain name for an inflated price, sometimes as much as 10 times the normal cost.

How to Identify Domain Expiration Scams

The first thing to do when you receive an email or letter claiming that your domain name is about to expire is to check the sender's email address or the company's website. Scammers will often create fake email addresses or websites that look like that of legitimate domain registrars, so it's important to double-check.

Another red flag is the language used in the email or letter. Scammers will often use urgent or threatening language to try to get you to act quickly, such as "Your domain is about to expire - act now or lose it forever!" Legitimate domain registrars will never use this type of language and they will provide plenty of advanced notice to give you time to renew the domain properly.

How to Avoid Domain Expiration Scams

The best way to avoid falling victim to domain expiration scams is to be vigilant and follow these tips:

Keep track of your domain's expiration date: Most domain registrars will send you a reminder email when your domain is about to expire, so make sure to keep track of the expiration date and watch out for any emails or letters that arrive before that date.

Check the sender's email address: Make sure the email or letter is coming from a legitimate domain registrar. Scammers will often use fake email addresses or websites to trick you into giving them money.

Look out for urgent or threatening language: Scammers will use language designed to scare you into acting quickly.

Use a reputable domain registrar: If you host your own website, stick with reputable domain registrars such as GoDaddy or Google Domains. These companies have a proven track record and are less likely to engage in fraudulent activities.

Domain expiration scams can be expensive and frustrating for website owners, but by following the above tips you can prevent them from affecting your business. When you trust MORBiZ to manage your website, you’ll never have to worry about your domain expiring or even having to consider if a strange email is from a scammer or not. We manage our clients’ websites using secure registrar services and ensure they remain valid year after year. Should you receive an email about your domain’s expiration date, feel free to contact our hyper-local web marketing company and we’ll help you determine if it is real or not.

How Can a Small Business Benefit from Blogging?

Fri, 24 Feb 2023 20:50:39 GMT

Small businesses often face the challenge of standing out in a crowded digital marketplace. With limited resources and budget, it can be challenging to compete with larger, established brands. However, blogging can be a cost-effective way for small businesses to build their reputation in their community and grow their digital footprint. Let’s explore how small businesses can benefit from regular blogging and how leading small business digital marketing agency MORBiZ can help.

Building Your Brand with Blogging

Blogging is an effective way to build your brand by establishing your business as an authority in your industry. By providing informative and valuable content to your audience, you can build trust and credibility. This, in turn, can help you attract new customers and retain existing ones.

To build your brand with blogging, you need to create content that is relevant to your target audience. This can be in the form of how-to guides, industry news, or tips and tricks pertaining to your field. By publishing content that resonates with your audience, you can establish yourself as an industry thought leader.

Another way to build your brand with blogging is by using your blog to showcase your products or services. You can create product reviews or tutorials that showcase your offerings. By doing this, you not only provide valuable information to your audience but also promote your products and services.

SEO Benefits of Blogging

In addition to building your brand, blogging can also help you improve your SEO efforts. Search engines like Google love fresh, relevant, and valuable content. By regularly publishing blog posts, you provide search engines with new content to index, which can improve your search rankings.

To get the most SEO benefits from blogging, you need to optimize your blog posts for search engines. This includes using relevant keywords in your post titles, headings, and throughout your content. You should also include meta descriptions and tags, as well as internal and external links to relevant content.

How MORBiZ can Help

Blogging can require a significant investment of time and resources. For small businesses, this may prove to be a challenge, especially if they have limited staff and budget. A digital marketing agency like MORBiZ can help small businesses by providing the expertise needed to develop and execute a successful blogging strategy. Our team of skilled content writers craft custom blogs for our clients, which are SEO rich and reader friendly. We then publish those blogs on your website as well as on social media channels, maximizing their ability to grow your online presence.

If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of blogging or any other digital marketing services offered by MORBiZ, please give our friendly team a call at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . Our digital marketing agency looks forward to demonstrating how our custom services can help grow your business both online and off.

5 digital marketing tips for roofing contractors

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 16:34:59 GMT

Digital marketing has become an essential tool for businesses to reach their target audience and stay ahead of the competition. As a roofing contractor, you need to reach out to potential customers who are searching for your services. Here are five digital marketing tips that can help you grow your roofing business:

Develop a Strong Online Presence: A well-designed website and active social media profiles can help you establish your brand and connect with potential customers. Make sure your website is easy to navigate, mobile-friendly, and contains all the relevant information about your business, such as your services, portfolio, and contact information.
Optimize for Local Search: Optimizing your website and online profiles for local search engines can help you reach potential customers in your area. This includes adding a consistent business name, address, and phone number (NAP) to your website and other online profiles. Be sure to use relevant keywords in your content for maximum SEO .
Use High-Quality Images and Videos: Visual content can be more effective in grabbing people's attention and showcasing your work. High-quality images and videos can help potential customers get a better idea of your services and the quality of your work.
Utilize Paid Advertising: Paid advertising, such as Google Ads, can be a great way to reach potential customers who are actively searching for roofing services. Target your ads to people in your local area, and use keywords and phrases related to roofing to attract the right audience.
Encourage Customer Reviews: Encouraging customers to leave positive reviews on your website and online profiles can help build trust and credibility with potential customers. Respond to both positive and negative reviews to show that you value your customers' feedback and are committed to providing quality services.

By implementing these digital marketing tips, roofing contractors can reach potential customers, build their brand, and grow their business. As the roofing industry continues to evolve, it is important to stay up-to-date with the latest digital marketing strategies to stay ahead of the competition. MORBiZ can help you do just that by assisting with all of the above and so much more. As experts in digital marketing for roofing companies, our web presence professionals will help you grow your customer base and your bottom line. Reach out at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form and our team will gladly answer any questions you may have about our small business Internet marketing services.

Maximize Sales with these Seasonal Marketing Tips

Mon, 06 Feb 2023 15:36:51 GMT

Seasonal digital marketing is an essential aspect of promoting your business and maximizing sales during specific times of the year. To ensure the success of your seasonal campaigns, it's essential to adopt the following best practices. If you need any assistance implementing these ideas, don’t hesitate to contact the small business web marketing pros at MORBiZ. We offer a variety of products that can help improve traffic online and off all year long.

Plan in advance: To take full advantage of seasonal opportunities, it's crucial to plan ahead. Start by identifying key dates and events relevant to your business, such as holidays, special events, or product launches. Then, create a plan for your digital marketing campaigns, including email marketing, social media, and other tactics.
Use eye-catching visuals: Seasonal marketing is all about creating an emotional connection with your target audience. The use of eye-catching visuals, such as festive graphics, colorful images, and animation, will help your message stand out and grab attention.
Offer special promotions: During seasonal events, customers are often on the lookout for discounts, special deals, or limited-time offers. Consider offering a discount on your products or services, or a limited-time promotion to encourage customers to make a purchase.
Utilize social media: Social media is an essential tool for reaching customers during seasonal events. Utilize platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to share seasonal updates, promotions, and engaging content. Utilize social media influencers to help spread the word about your business.
Personalize your messaging: Personalized marketing campaigns are more effective than generic ones. Use data such as purchase history and customer preferences to create tailored messages that speak directly to your target audience.
Optimize your website: Your website is a crucial aspect of your digital marketing efforts. Make sure it's optimized for seasonal events by updating content, adding festive graphics, and adjusting your navigation.
Measure your results: Measure the success of your seasonal digital marketing campaigns by tracking key metrics such as website traffic, social media engagement, and sales. Use this information to optimize your campaigns and improve your results in future seasons.

Seasonal digital marketing requires careful planning, attention to detail, and an understanding of your target audience. By following these best practices, you can effectively reach your customers, drive sales, and build brand awareness during key times of the year. To learn how MORBiZ can assist with your online marketing efforts, give our web presence professionals a call at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We look forward to connecting with you and developing a fantastic digital marketing plan.

5 Ways to Improve Local SEO

Fri, 27 Jan 2023 22:41:35 GMT

Local SEO, short for search engine optimization, is the process of optimizing your website and online presence to rank higher in search engine results for specific geographic locations. At MORBiZ, we work with businesses to build their online presence by focusing on local SEO. In doing so, we are able to increase visibility among potential customers by driving more traffic to a custom built small business website. This boost in online presence can translate into improved sales, thus boosting the bottom line. Here are five tips to improve local SEO utilized by the experts at our small business web marketing agency.

Optimize for Local Keywords: One of the most important steps in local SEO is to optimize your website for local keywords. These are keywords that include the name of your city, state, or region. For example, if you own a restaurant in Los Angeles, you should include keywords like "Los Angeles restaurant" or "best restaurant in Los Angeles" throughout your website. This will help search engines understand that your business is located in Los Angeles and should show up in search results for people searching for restaurants in that area. When developing a new website, MORBIZ writers custom craft content that will resonate with local consumers.
Create and Verify a Google Business Profile Listing: Google Business Profile is a free tool that allows you to create a listing for your business on Google. This listing will appear in Google Maps search results and in the "Local Pack" section of Google search results. It's important to claim and verify your business listing on GBP to ensure that your business information is accurate and up-to-date. You can add photos, hours of operation, contact information, and other details to your listing to make it more informative and engaging for potential customers. As part of a MORBiZ web presence campaign, we will manage this process entirely.
Encourage Customer Reviews: Positive customer reviews can be a powerful tool for improving your local SEO. Google, Yelp, and other review sites are highly trusted by consumers and can have a significant impact on your search visibility. Encourage your customers to leave reviews by making it easy for them to find your business on review sites and by providing excellent customer service. Each website built by MORBiZ makes it easy for customers to read and leave positive reviews.
Build Local Backlinks: Backlinks are links from other websites that point to your website. These links are important for SEO because they indicate to search engines that other websites consider your website to be valuable and relevant. Building local backlinks can be a powerful way to improve your local SEO. You can get listed in directories such as the Chamber of Commerce or local business associations, or you can reach out to other local businesses and ask for a link exchange. MORBiZ offers assistance with online directly listings.
Optimize for Mobile and Speed: With the increasing popularity of mobile devices, it's more important than ever to make sure that your website is mobile-friendly. This means that your website should be easy to navigate and read on a small screen. Google also favors fast loading websites and may penalize sites that load too slowly. MORBiZ websites are responsive, ensuring they load quickly on all types of devices.

By following these five tips, you can improve your local SEO and increase visibility for your business among potential customers in your area. Remember to be consistent and patient, as it takes time to see results. By working with MORBiZ to improve your local SEO with a hyper-local web presence campaign, you’ll see results in the form of improved traffic and sales. To learn more about our efforts, or to request an estimate for the cost of a new website from our small business Internet marketing experts, please give us a call at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We look forward to helping your business thrive online and off.

How to Protect Yourself from Common Scams

Sat, 21 Jan 2023 16:28:39 GMT

It’s a sad but true reality that some people will do just about anything to steal information to take advantage of others. Scammers can be tricky, but with the right knowledge and tools, you can protect yourself from their unlawful tactics. Here are some common scams to lookout for followed by a few ways to keep yourself safe.

Utility Shut Off Scam

If someone says your service will be shut off unless you pay them, double check with the utility company before sending any money.

Online Shopping

When shopping online, stick to reputable websites and pay with a credit or debit card. This way, if something goes wrong, you have options for recourse.

Pay Yourself Scam

If someone pretending to be from your bank asks you to transfer money to yourself, don't do it until you've verified their identity.

Grandparent Scam

Scammers may impersonate a loved one in crisis and ask for money. If you receive a call like this, verify the situation with other family members before sending any money.

Tech Support Scam

Never give access to your device to someone you don't know. Scammers may pretend to be tech support and collect personal information.

Romance Scam

Be cautious when sharing personal information with someone you've met online, as scammers may use fake profiles to gain your trust and ask for money.

Here are some additional tips on how to protect yourself from scammers:

Do your research: Before making a purchase or giving out personal information, research the company or individual to ensure they are legitimate. Look for reviews and check for any red flags.
Use anti-virus software: Keep your computer and mobile device protected by using anti-virus and anti-malware software. These programs can help detect and prevent malware and viruses that can be used by scammers to gain access to your personal information.
Be suspicious of unsolicited calls or emails: Scammers may contact you through phone calls, emails or text messages. Be suspicious of unsolicited communications and do not provide any personal information.
Use strong passwords: Scammers may try to gain access to your accounts by guessing or stealing your passwords. Use strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts and change them regularly.
Be cautious of free trials: Scammers may offer free trials for products or services, but then charge you for the full service without your knowledge. Read the fine print and be aware of any hidden fees or charges.
Don't click on links or download attachments from unknown sources: Scammers may send you emails or text messages with links or attachments that can install malware on your device or steal your personal information. Don't click on links or download attachments from unknown sources.
Keep your personal information private: Scammers may try to gather your personal information through social media, so be careful about what you post online. Keep your personal information private and be cautious about sharing it with anyone.
Report suspicious activity: If you suspect you've been a victim of a scam, report it to the appropriate authorities, such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or your local police department.

To keep yourself safe, it's important to guard your personal information, be suspicious of unsolicited communications, use strong passwords, be aware of hidden fees, and keep your personal information private. If you suspect you've been scammed, report it to the appropriate authorities. Remember to always take a moment to verify who you are talking to and think about what they are asking for. At MORBiZ, we value your personal information and want to do all we can to keep our customers and the community at large safe. If you have questions about how we protect our client’s websites, be sure to give us a call at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form and we will be in touch.

5 Small Business Statistics to Know in 2023

Tue, 17 Jan 2023 13:40:29 GMT

Did you know that 99.7 percent of all businesses in the United States are considered small businesses by the Small Business Administration? While big tech companies and brand name businesses that you likely rely on every day generally grab the headlines, its your friends and neighbors who are truly keeping the community thriving. At MORBiZ we salute the efforts and sacrifices of small business owners across the country in all different sectors. To show our appreciation, we collected these 5 small business stats that paint a picture of the commercial landscape of 2023.

1. 180,000 New Small Businesses

In the last year approximately 180,000 more small businesses opened than closed in the United States. This illustrates an outstanding recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic and shows entrepreneurship is alive and well in our country.

2. Millennials Own 7 Percent of Small Businesses

According to Forbes, millennials make up 7 percent of small business ownership and Gen Z comes in at just one percent. The rest are owned by Baby Boomers and Gen X’ers. However, the average age to start a business is 35, so in time those numbers are sure to shift.

3. Nearly Half the Employed U.S. Popular Work for Small Businesses

A whopping 46.4 percent of employees in the US punch their time cards at small businesses. Interestingly, about 80 percent of small businesses have no employees besides the owner. In addition, just 16 percent of small business have between 1 and 19 employees.

4. Half of All Small Businesses Fail Within 5 years

This is a scary but true fact, and one that’s held steady for some time. While a multitude of reasons contribute to businesses closing, unfortunately, a lack of marketing is often one of the primary causes. Even in areas that have demand for a product, if a business isn’t being found or seen, it isn’t contributing to the local economy or making money.

5. Nearly 1 out of 3 Small Businesses Don’t Have a Website

Despite a world that is more digital every day, about 30 percent of small businesses still don’t utilize a website for marketing or sales. If your business falls into that category, there’s also a higher chance it will also be a part of that 50 percent that fail.

At MORBiZ, we take pride in helping small businesses grow their footprint online and off by creating beautiful, responsive websites as part of our local SEO and web presence campaigns . To find out how our digital marketing and content team can boost your revenue, give us at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form and we will be in touch. Let’s make 2023 the year that your business thrives and adds to the good stats of small business in America.

3 Digital Marketing Must Haves for Small Businesses in 2023

Sun, 25 Dec 2022 15:17:08 GMT

It’s hard to believe it’s already 2023! It seems like just yesterday Apple introduced the iPhone, Facebook was for college kids and the local telephone company delivered a big yellow book with everyone’s phone number in it to every door in town. Yet, here we are. Unfortunately, many companies, big and small, are still using tactics from the aforementioned era. If that describes your business, here’s a few quick tips to ring in 2023 with enhanced digital marketing tools.

Build Responsive Website

One of the most critical components of many online marketing efforts is a website. But these days, you don’t need just one website, you need three -- or more! Why? Because people use different devices to browse the web and each size of device needs its own use and functionality! One for computers, one for tablets and one for smartphones. That sounds like a lot of work, right? Truth is, when working with a small business web marketing company like MORBiZ, we can build a single, highly functional website that is responsive. A responsive website is one that adapts to the device the site is being viewed on. This improves user experience (UX) across the screen spectrum, ensuring no potential customer has a hard time navigating your website.

Utilize Effective Local SEO Tactics

For small brick and mortar businesses that rely on people coming through their doors, it may seem strange that online marketing is even a part of their plan. However, people seeking goods and services in their community generally start their search on the Internet. Without proper local search engine optimization, generally referred to as local SEO or hyper-local SEO for neighborhood oriented businesses, potential customers could walk right by on their way to a business that did implement such tactics. In short, local SEO involves crafting content on your website that reflects your location. This includes using proper tags, metadata and offsite SEO too, such as on Internet directories (Google listings) and social media (Facebook). Learn more about local keywords for geo-targeted SEO here!

Track Conversions

It’s important to measure the performance of your marketing efforts by tracking conversions. If your business doesn’t sell products online, but instead attracts business through online tools, there’s a few different ways to track the success of your website and marketing efforts. One is by using an email contact form that tracks how many people use it. Comparing this with total website visitors will help you understand your conversion rate.

Another way to track the number of people finding you online is with the use of a call tracking number. This is a secondary phone number that forwards to your original, but allows you to view usage statistics, record phone calls and understand where calls are coming from. At MORBiZ, we offer monthly analytics that illustrate the performance of our efforts to our customers, which includes contact form conversion numbers and tracking number statistics.

Digital Marketing in 2023

If enhanced digital marketing is your 2023 New Year’s resolution, reach out to the small business web marketing pros at MORBiZ. We will help you rise from the stone ages of digital marketing to become a prominent business online and off. To learn more about our web presence tactics, or to request a digital marketing cost estimate, call us at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form and we’ll reach out to you soon. We look forward to helping you achieve your Internet marketing goals in 2023.

Be Aware of these 6 Common Holiday Scams of 2022

Sun, 25 Dec 2022 15:04:35 GMT

As the 2022 holiday season kicks into high gear, many people’s spending, shipping and giving habits tend to shift too. While their intent is often good, there is no shortage of naughty folks attempting to take advantage of the hectic time of the year. While you finish up your seasonal shopping, be aware of these 2022 holiday scams that could turn your happy holidays into a financial holi-daze.

Fake Online Stores

As you go about your online shopping, make sure that you’re visiting reputable stores. A new way for scammers to bait shoppers is by setting up fake stores online that closely replicate popular retailers. Signs a store is fake includes deep discounts on all products, no contact information, poor grammar and low resolution images. Shopping on these types of fake stores can result in having your credit card stolen or you may send money for a gift that will never show up.

Charity Scams

Sadly, scammers are taking advantage of those trying to give to credible causes. How? By creating fake charity websites or setting up fraudulent crowdsourcing campaigns. These scams can be over the phone or online and use hard-sell tactics. Always do your research about the campaign organizer before giving to a cause you’re not familiar with.

Fraudulent Shipping Notifications

A popular 2022 scam includes fake shipping notifications for items you certainly never purchased. These may come via email or text, and generally include a link to update shipping and payment information. If you’re unsure what the email or text is referring to, it’s fake. Make sure to keep track of the items you do order and use legitimate tracking from USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc to keep tabs on your packages.

This is an example of a fake shipping notification. Note the improper grammar. We’ve hidden the link for your protection.

Too Good to be True Pricing

If you come across a website that has pricing for products that seems unbelievable, it probably is. Whether they are trying to replicate a different site or label the site as an authorized reseller, chances are it really is too good to be true. Ordering such an item can result in giving up your credit card info or paying for something that will never arrive.

Gift Card Scams

With gift cards being a great gift for many, a common holiday scam in 2022 includes fake gift cards. It’s wise to never purchase gift cards from anyone or anywhere except an authorized seller. Scammers will often sell gift cards on digital forums and social media that have zero value.

Social Media Seller Scams

Social media marketplaces are often full of fraudulent ads for fake products, all designed to steal your personal information. You may find organic ads or paid ads for fake items on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and so forth. If a link takes you to a strange website, chances are, you shouldn’t purchase anything from it.

This holiday, the team at MORBiZ wants you to stay safe online and off. We hope that you have a safe and happy holiday and a fantastic New Year. If your New Year’s resolution includes improving your business’ digital footprint, count on the small business Internet marketing pros at MORBiZ to design a custom web presence campaign that will boost your bottom line. To learn more, call us at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form and we’ll reach out to you soon!

What is a MORBiZ Web Presence Campaign?

Sat, 17 Dec 2022 15:04:19 GMT

We often get asked, ”What does MORBiZ do?” The short answer is we drive sales for small and medium sized businesses by helping them get found more easily online. How we do that is a bit of a longer answer that involves explaining the digital marketing tactics that we combine into a hyper-local web presence campaign. We’ve been developing and refining our web presence campaign packages for more than a decade, which has allowed our team of expert Internet marketers to create a streamlined service designed to generate fantastic return on investment. So what is included in a MORBiZ web presence campaign? Let’s take a closer look, shall we?

Learning Your Business

The first step in developing a quality web presence campaign is learning about our new customer’s business. We are not only interested in your products, services and location, but your history, mission and goals too. We want to create a package that properly represents your business. Once we have a true understanding of your business, we’ll dive into campaign creation.

Customized Responsive Website

Using the info that we gathered, our team of writers, designers and SEO experts will go to work to build a beautiful, responsive website for your business. Unlike other digital marketing agencies that build site after site using similar language, bullet points and old school stock images, we build everything from scratch. Your site will look and function wonderfully across all browsers and devices. Better yet, it will be easy to find thanks to our extensive search engine optimization efforts. Furthermore, we add new content at least monthly to ensure your site remains fresh and fully optimized.

Google Business Profile Management

In addition to building and managing your website, we will ensure your Google Business profile is properly utilized as well. This is a vital piece of any discovery efforts, as Google is the largest search engine out there. We’ll sync your website and your Google profile for the best local web search results.

Google Ad Campaigns

Our team will also manage your Google Pay-Per-Click, or PPC ads, which are often integral to any successful digital marketing campaign. Our goal is to provide the best possible results for the budget that you set.

Social Media Assistance

We take it a step further by providing Facebook management services. If your business does not have a Facebook page, we will create it for you. If it does, we’ll walk you through how to make us an admin. Once we have access, we will optimize the profile and add valuable content that will drive website visitors.

Additional Features

Our team offers a host of other options to enhance your web presence campaign, such as call tracking and recording, Internet directory clean up services, review solicitation and video marketing services. Ultimately, we want to create a marketing plan that exceeds all of your expectations.

Monthly Reporting

Once a MORBiZ hyper-local web campaign is up and running, we offer monthly analytics to show you exactly how it is performing. Using tools like Google Analytics®, you’ll learn who is visiting your site and how they’re finding it so you can ensure that our efforts are working for you. If you’d like to learn more about MORBiZ web presence campaigns, or are interested in learning about digital marketing costs, don’t hesitate to reach out to our friendly team. You can give us a call at 855-266-7249 for immediate assistance or submit this contact form and we will be in contact with you shortly. We want to make sure you have all of the information that you need to make an informed decision regarding your business’ Internet marketing efforts.

Top Digital Marketing Mistakes that are Easy to Fix

Sat, 10 Dec 2022 15:34:56 GMT

There’s no getting around it, marketing is hard. Like, really, really hard. No matter what industry you’re in or what location your business resides at, marketing is tough. As the landscape of marketing continues to evolve thanks to constant technological advancements, it’s becoming even more challenging, with more factors to consider year after year. So don’t be too hard on yourself if your marketing strategy isn’t yielding the results that you hoped for. Chances are, making some minor adjustments can help you hit your goals. That’s especially true if you’ve fallen victim to these common digital marketing mistakes.

1. Not Being Active on Social Media

In the scope of digital marketing, social media plays a major role. If you don’t have profiles for your business on at least Facebook, you need to change that now. Being active on social media not only provides another place for your business to be discovered, but it’s also where you can grow customer relationships and your social profiles can help boost SEO. Be sure to link them to your website!

2. Not Conducting Keyword Research

It is vital that your website and landing pages are flush with content, but more importantly, that content has to be optimized. Do your research to find the most relevant keywords for your business and then use them in your content to help get found! That’s SEO 101!

3. Poor Mobile Optimization

More people surf the web and seek goods and services on their smartphone than on their desktop, laptop or tablet. It’s vital that your website is responsive or otherwise optimized for mobile users, otherwise you will lose them in less than five seconds.

4. Not Blogging

Why do you need a blog? Well first off, you’re reading a blog right now, which may be why you came to the MORBiZ website in the first place. A blog helps to generate content for SEO, sharing on social and proving you are a thought leader in your field. However a blog also keeps your website fresh and search engines like Google appreciate that. This results in higher search ranking.

5. Forgetting a Clear Call to Action (CTA)

Having a beautiful website and a great website is wonderful, unless it has no function. Don’t forget to include calls to actions, or CTAs, in your content and on your website. A CTA can be an ask to call, fill out a contact form or sign up for a newsletter.

6. Not Having a Conversion Tool

Similarly, make sure you have a way to let customers contact you through the website, ideally with a no nonsense contact form. If desired, you can collect their email addresses, if you wish, to send promotional materials and other company news later on.

7. Poor Website Design

One of the most harmful components of a digital marketing campaign is a website that is difficult to navigate, read or otherwise use. Ask friends, relatives and customers to provide feedback on your website if you’re unsure about its user experience (UX). If it proves to be a nuisance to use, it may be time for a new website.

Not every business owner is a marketing professional, as it requires a lot of effort. Chances are, you’re focused on providing services day after day. If you do try your hand at digital marketing and it isn’t working as you’d hoped, the team at MORBiZ is ready to lend a hand. Our expert digital marketing agency utilizes a variety of tactics to help our clients land at the top of Google search results. Want to learn more about how? Give our small business Internet marketing company a call at 855-266-7249 or submit this contact form and we’ll be in touch!

4 Tips to Create a Memorable Brand On and Offline

Fri, 18 Nov 2022 16:14:22 GMT

Whether you’ve been in business for decades or are just starting out, branding is as important as ever. Why? With the Internet making business ever more discoverable, promoting a cohesive brand across all of your on and offline channels will help people identify your business no matter how they find you. So, if you’re ready to define or redefine your company’s image, here’s 5 basic steps to creating a memorable brand for any type of business.

Understand Your Own Identity - Your services don’t necessarily define your image, but they do play a vital role in understanding how your branding may look. When trying to understand your own identity you need to seek the reason behind your actions. Why do you do what you do? What motivates you and your partners? What’s your drive? Knowing the answers to these types of questions will help you define or redefine your business’ identity.
Define Your Target Audience - It’s easy to want to sell your goods or services to everyone, but is everyone really your customer? If you’re an auto shop, you service local drivers, so they at least need to have a car. But do you specialize in certain types of cars? If you cater to only luxury European autos, you’ll likely have a different branding experience compared to a shop that services more common everyday commuters. Understanding your audience will help you craft your brand imaging.
Create a Consistent Visual Image - When it comes to visual branding, it’s easy to look at trends and fall in love. However, if you like something everyone else is doing, so will your potential clients and you won’t stand out from the crowd. It’s also important to choose imagery, colors and fonts that look good both online and off so you can be consistent no matter where people are finding you. If someone comes across your business online, you ought to have the same logo and colors on your website as you do on your building.

Creating a beautiful logo is no easy task and often requires working with an agency that specializes in such. By supplying them with the answers to the above, including you identity and your audience, you;ll be able to create a memorable visual branding portfolio for logos, shirts, social media and beyond.

Maintain Brand Guidelines - Once you have developed a brand voice and image, it’s important to stick to them. Creating brand guidelines can help your marketing team, if applicable, ensure that they’re always staying true to the business’ identity.

One of the toughest parts about branding or rebranding is setting up a website that matches the tone of your business. At MORBiZ, we build custom small business websites that radiate our clients’ branding. From logos and colors to voice and messaging, we work closely with business owners to ensure that their new website perfectly depicts their personalities, goods and services. To learn more about our process for building a website for small business, or to request a quote for our web presence services, please give us a call at 855-266-7249 or submit this contact form and we’ll be in touch!

7 SEO Best Practices According to Google

Sat, 12 Nov 2022 16:00:15 GMT

Google is unquestionably the world’s leading search engine. To be blunt, if you want your website to rank high in its search results, listen to the search engine optimization (SEO) advice they may offer. Over the last two decades Google has continued to refine its SEO tips to inspire creators to develop more user friendly content. In fact, that is the first of seven Google SEO guidelines as outlined on their official blog .

Create helpful, reliable, people-first content - The best way to get your website to rank in the top search results is to build a user-friendly website stocked with helpful and original content.
Search Words - Identifying key words and phrases that people use to seek your goods and services is a priority. Once you understand how people search for your products, use those terms in the content, including in the main title and heading, as well as alt text and website link text.
Crawlable Links - Make sure any links on your website can be followed by Google.
Tell People About the Site - Google recommends being active in communities where you can inform “like-minded people” that your site exists. Like-minded may refer to those who are seeking your products or services.
Content Best Practices - Google offers a variety of guidelines for images, videos, structured data and other forms of content. It’s wise to follow these for best results.
Use Site Features - You can enhance how your site appears on Google search by enabling certain features that make sense for your site. This includes site name and site search options.
Hide Certain Content - If your site hosts content that should not appear in search or that you want to remain hidden for whatever reason, make sure to follow the appropriate method for controlling the appearance of content in Google Search.

Building a small business website that ranks well in Google takes time and practice, something not a lot of business owners have. If you’re looking for top results from your website (pun intended), it’s a good idea to work with a Google Partner like MORBiZ. As part of our Google Certification, we complete annual certification tests in Google ads, mobile advertising, display advertising and Google analytics. As a result we have direct access to Google training and support and can dramatically improve your overall web and mobile presence.To learn more about how we build high ranking SMB websites, or to request more information about our web presence services, please call us at 855-266-7249 or us this contact form to connect. Our goal is maximizing your success online and off.

Do People use Computers or Mobile Devices More Often to Browse the Internet?

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 14:26:05 GMT

Over the last two decades the Internet has evolved from a sort of jibbity-jab of will-it-arrive-in-the-mail online retailers, questionable bloggers and never-heard-of-it-before tech companies to the ultimate resource for acquiring just about anything, from trivia knowledge to real estate. No longer are people jumping online to be part of some quirky community, but to find real products and services, including items that have nothing to do with the web.

A successful website will turn those looky-loos into paying customers. To make that happen, it’s important to understand how consumers are viewing your business. We’re not talking about when they arrive on the street, but how they see your business online based on what type of device, such as a computer, phone or tablet, that they use. Why is this important? Because screen size matters when creating a positive online experience.In 2019, 53 percent of web browsing occurred on mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, with the majority of that occurring on the later handheld oracle. All this is to say that if your business website is not optimized for mobile, you are almost certainly losing customers.

Mobile Vs. Computer Conversion Rates

While more people are browsing the web on mobile devices, those who are still using computers convert to paying customers at higher rates. One 2019 study by BraodbandSearch found that desktop and laptop users had a conversion rate of 4.14 percent. For tablet users, that dropped to 3.36 percent and fell to 1.53 percent for those using smartphones. What this tells us is that people on computers are more likely seeking products they need immediately, while smartphone users are more passively shopping. That said, it’s easy to look at these numbers and understand how important it is to develop a responsive website, as customers will appear across the device spectrum.

What’s More Important, Desktop Websites or Mobile Websites?

For users, there are plenty of advantages to being able to surf the web on their phone, primarily convenience. However, small screen size and constant interruptions can make using a phone less appealing. The advantage of using a computer is generally an improved experience, as many websites are initially built on a desktop, setting a user experience (UX) precedent for other devices. The disadvantage is of course size and connectivity, which limits where and when someone can use the device or browse the web on one.When looking at how people use the Internet, one point of data that is easy to see is that there are users who surf the web using all types of devices. This points to a need for creating a responsive website for your business.

A responsive website is one that automatically adapts to the size of a screen. Creating such a site is no easy feat, especially for someone without web building experience. To create such a site for your business, it is wise to parnet with an experienced web developer, such as the professionals at MORBiZ. Our small business Internet marketing experts build unique websites for all types of B2C and B2B business that offer real world services and often have brick and mortar locations. To learn more about how our team can enhance your web presence, or to request a quote for the cost of a new website for a business, don’t hesitate to call us at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . The entire MORBiZ crew looks forward to helping your business grow online and off.

Small Business Website Updates: Refresh or Restart?

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 16:11:28 GMT

When you open up your small business website, does it feel like you just traveled back to the ancient Internet? Are there bright flashing graphics? Does the site have zero responsiveness? Are there images that load one pixel at a time? Yep, that would be an Internet time capsule, that’s for sure. It also means that if you want your business to remain relevant in the online sphere, it’s time for a small business website upgrade. Ultimately, you have two choices, refresh your current site, or ditch it all and build from the ground up. Let’s look into the pros and cons of each option.

Benefits of Refreshing Content

If you opt for website refresh, you’ll likely save money and perhaps a bit of convenience, all depending on if you are capable of performing the duties yourself or hiring out the update. When refreshing a website, you can maintain the overall look and feel of a site, if that’s what you’re going for, while enhancing its SEO. It may also be more affordable to hire a web designer and content writer to refresh a website, however, they need to be able to access the backend of the site to perform their services. If access has been lost, this can be nearly impossible. Also, depending on the age and platform of the site, it may not be responsive, meaning it won’t show up properly on a smartphone, which is where most people are using the Internet these days.

Drawback of a Content Refresh

Refreshing an old website may not result in much overall enhancement in terms of user experience or appearance. This can prevent your website from ranking well in search results. In addition, if the website was built in HTML or other coding language, it is becoming increasingly expensive to maintain.

Benefits of Building a New Small Business Website

Building a new website for a small business that is living in the Internet dark ages is likely the way to go. Starting from scratch allows for limitless possibilities in terms of design and content, which is really the way to go today. A brand new website will maximize the user experience, allow for proper content and SEO and ensure the website is responsive, again meaning it will appear properly on any size screen. Another great benefit of building new is that you can hire a whole team to craft and manage your website on a platform that encourages updates on a regular basis, making sure your site continues to rank highly in Google.

Drawbacks of a New Website

There are a few minor drawbacks to building a new website, primarily it may be a technical process that many people are unfamiliar with. Changing your website host and implementing a new domain name may sound tricky, but when working with a professional digital marketing agency, all that will be taken care of for you.

At MORBiZ , we build small business websites that are beautiful, responsive and search engine optimized. These are all key aspects that create an engaging user experience designed to turn looky-loos into customers. To learn more about our web presence plans and to see examples of small business websites, please call the friendly MORBiZ team at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form and we’ll reach out to you. We’d be happy to share website costs and other information that will help you make an informed decision regarding your business’ digital marketing strategy.

How to Write Content for SEO

Fri, 21 Oct 2022 15:56:27 GMT

For most businesses, a website serves multiple purposes. While it may be the place where you detail products and services, schedule appointments or share funny cat memes, it’s also how you attract new customers. However, to get new visitors to your site, they first must find it -- and that’s where search engine optimization, or SEO for short, comes in. There are a variety of SEO tactics out there, but writing content for SEO is one of the most important aspects of building a website that is search friendly. To help your site rise through the (search) ranks, follow these SEO tips utilized by the editorial staff at MORBiZ , a leading small business Internet marketing agency.

Define its Purpose

Content is a relatively vague word when it comes to materials published on a website. On the site it could be a landing page, a video, a blog post, a white paper, or even sharing customer reviews. Offsite SEO content could refer to social posts, press releases or even guest blogs on other sites, all of which should link back to your primary website. It’s important to pinpoint the purpose of your content so you can craft it in a manner that suits the audience. Whether onsite or offsite, the following tips will help improve your website’s search ranking.

Keywords are Crucial

A part of planning your content includes identifying the keywords that you want the content to show up for in search. Think about how consumers would search for your product or service. For example, if a person in Seattle needs a new roof, they may search for “roofers in Seattle” or “roofing company near me.” Sprinkling relevant keyword terms into your content in an organic fashion will enhance the probability of it being found on Google. Using synonyms or rearranging the wording, such as “Seattle roofer” instead of “roofer in Seattle” can also improve the relevance of keywords.

Use Varying Lengths of Content

When writing content of any type, make sure it is at least 250 words so that it will be properly indexed by search engines. Other than that, there’s no magic number to reach for. Some content can be 400 words and another 1,500. Write enough to complete the thought, but don’t write so much that you bore the reader and lose engagement.

Insert Headers & Titles

Adding headers or section titles to your content will help search engines understand exactly what it’s about, which can improve search. It also makes it easier for human eyes to scan, improving the user experience.

Don’t Forget Images, Alt Text and Links

When publishing content, adding an image can improve SEO, especially when it includes Alt Text, a text description of the graphic that includes some of your keywords. Within the written content of your new post, you should also link to other relevant content.

Set Content Creation Goals

Now that you’ve crafted a perfect piece of content, make sure to do so regularly to keep your website fresh. Search engines, particularly Google, like seeing new content, and posting blogs and other types of materials on a routine basis will also greatly enhance your chances of being found for various keywords.

If creating content that is SEO friendly sounds like a daunting and time consuming task (it can be!), trust the team at MORBiZ to deliver high quality materials that will improve your website’s search ranking. Our team of small business content marketers and web presence professionals understand the ins and outs of search engine optimization, which helps us raise our clients above their competition. To learn more, or to find out about the price for building a new website, please call our helpful team at 855-266-7249 or submit this contact form and we’ll be in touch. We look forward to connecting and assisting with your company’s growth.

3 Simple Traditional Marketing Tactics You Can’t Forget

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 21:56:04 GMT

In our digital world, it is important to remember that there is a lot happening off screen. And for the small business owners who understand that a majority of your customers may now be finding you online, don’t forget that participating in marketing strategies that have nothing to do with the Internet can drive sales higher than ever before. In fact, many traditional marketing opportunities are proven to drive new business. Check out these three ways to keep new customers rolling through your doors.

Print Advertising & Billboards

There are many places to advertise locally, such as newspapers, door hangers, and even some restaurant menus. When you put your ad dollars into a local resource, the community will respond in kind, recognizing your business’ name when they drive by or see an ad elsewhere (including online). In addition, billboards are a great way to put your brand in front of thousands of people per day.

Host an Event

A great way to engage with the community and build brand awareness is to host an event in your business, if space allows. Events can be a fun way to meet your neighbors while exposing your company to new customers. Depending on your operation, you could hold an open house, a tour of your facility, a product or service demonstration or even a community talk given by the business owner or another leader.

Update Store Signage

The signs inside and outside your store can say a lot about your business. If they are outdated or otherwise unappealing, people are more likely to pass by your business without giving it a second thought. This is true for indoor and outdoor signage. While it’s the exterior ones that may draw people in, interior signage will keep them there.

At MORBiZ , we encourage our customers to utilize a variety of marketing tactics, both offline and on. When it comes to digital marketing, we’re here to steer the ship, ensuring your business’ web presence is enormous. We do this by building custom websites, performing paid ad management and assisting with your social media, among other tactics. To learn more about our small business Internet marketing products, please give MORBiZ a call at 855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We look forward to helping you grow your business online and off!

How to Choose Images for Your Business Website

Mon, 03 Oct 2022 21:28:21 GMT

As they say, a picture says a thousand words. While what those words are may not be known exactly, the tone of the image can certainly dictate the interpreted language. That’s why it is important to consider any photographs for a business website. However, it is not just the message of the photo you need to consider. Knowing how many, what sizes and where to place photos is also key to designing a beautiful, functional and user friendly website. Here’s a few tips to consider when selecting images.

Purpose of Photos on a Website

Photographs are a great way to inform consumers of your products and services, but they have other functions as well. They break up the words, allowing for a more pleasant user experience. They also have SEO benefits, which we’ll talk more about below. While there are many benefits of photographs on a website, using too many, or not enough, or the wrong sized images, can harm the site’s look and usability.

Number of Images

There is no perfect number for images, it’s more about finding a balance that works for your site. If you sell lots of products and need images of them, you’re going to have more photos than a site based on services rendered. Just consider the fact that too many pictures and the site can feel busy, pushing users away. On the other hand, not enough and the site may feel word heavy. Working with a small business web designer, such as the team at MORBiZ, will ensure that balance is found.

Shapes and Sizes of Images

Different areas of the website will require different shapes and sizes of pictures. For example, your home page banners should be at least 1600 pixels across to ensure a crisp appearance on most screens, 2000 pixels is even better if available. Your interior and content images should be at least 500 x 500 pixels, although 700 or higher will offer a much better appearance.

Hidden Language

Utilizing ALT text for images will enhance SEO, while also allowing a proper image description to show up if the image doesn’t load for some reason. Ultimately ALT text is a key factor for search engines as they generate search results, so make sure it offers accurate context of the picture. This language is also beneficial for those with sight issues who use reading applications to understand the content of a website.

Can’t Choose? Consider a Gallery Page

If you have many images to choose from and you just don’t want to let them go, whether you believe they are vital to the customer experience or showcase your business’ skills, employees or otherwise, a gallery page is a great way to go. Adding a gallery to a website prevents the overuse of images elsewhere, while ensuring you get to share content that the world deserves to see!

At MORBiZ , we develop sites that implement beautiful imagery in a manner that benefits usability, SEO and overall appearance. If you’d like to learn more about how our team of small business Internet marketers build websites, give us a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . Our web presence professionals would be happy to answer any questions you may have about the use of images or other site content.

Common Digital Scams to Look Out For!

Sat, 24 Sep 2022 12:58:47 GMT

These days, it’s vital to be aware of your online surroundings. As we move deeper and deeper into a digital world, cybercriminals are adapting and evolving their evil methods to take advantage of unsuspecting victims. By understanding what types of digital scams are out there, you’ll be more apt to avoid them. Here are a few of the most common scams conducted over the Internet, phone and text messaging.

Email Scams

This is an organization’s plan for publishing digital content. This strategy must include the goals of each type of content (blogs, social posts, articles, landing pages, videos and so forth), as well as an understanding of what ties all the content together.

SMS Texting Scams

If you receive an unsolicited text with a link or requesting login information for any website, do not click on it or respond to it. You’re best off blocking the number and if your phone has a spam report option, use it.

Phone Call Scams

Chances are, you’re tired of receiving phone calls from unknown numbers. It seems like there is no escape, but remember to stay vigilant and screen every call you get. Anybody asking for information, posing as a family member you never knew existed or claiming to have the authority to put you in jail if you don’t pay, a classic IRS scam, deserves to be hung up on.

QR Code Scams

QR codes that link to fraudulent websites are one of the most recent digital scams to find their way into the mainstream. If you come across a QR code sticker in a strange place, it’s best not to scan it.

Online Shopping Scams

When searching for products online, make sure you’re buying them from a legitimate source. Online scammers will sell products that you’ll never receive, and collect your payment information as well.

Online Dating Scams

While you’re looking for love, don’t fall into the trap of a possible date asking you to help with monetary needs. If a person you’re flirting with, but have never met, asks you to send them money, don’t.

Crypto & Investing Scams

As crypto and online investing become more and more popular, as do scams surrounding them. Don’t fall for crypto prizes, giveaways or bogus investment opportunities. Only purchase stocks, crypto and other similar products from official sources.

At MORBiZ, we care about our digital community and hope that you find this information helpful. We’re doing our part by building secure websites that protect users. To learn more about how our digital marketing agency is helping small businesses grow across the USA, please give us a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We look forward to discussing your needs and letting you know how we can meet them.

10 Digital Marketing Terms You Need to Know as a Small Business Owner

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 20:25:12 GMT

Whether you’re a blossoming marketer or someone just trying to better understand the field as a business owner, knowing certain terms can ensure you sound like a pro as you navigate the realm of digital marketing. Perhaps to do that, we must first ask, What is digital marketing?

The short answer: digital marketing, also known as Internet marketing or online marketing, is the act of promoting goods and services via digital communication, including email, websites, paid advertisements, social media, online videos and other Internet based marketing channels and products.

There are numerous components of successful online marketing campaigns. Whether you sell hard goods and services or offer a virtual product, the following short list of digital marketing terms will enhance your understanding of the goals, practices and outcomes of online efforts.

Content Strategy: This is an organization’s plan for publishing digital content. This strategy must include the goals of each type of content (blogs, social posts, articles, landing pages, videos and so forth), as well as an understanding of what ties all the content together.

Conversion Rate: This is the rate at which a potential customer completed a certain action, such as signing up for a newsletter or purchasing a product. This is calculated by dividing the overall size of the audience with the total number of those who took the action.

CPC (Cost Per Click): A pricing model that measures how much each click on a paid ad costs.

Call-to-Action: Language or graphics in your content that prompt the audience to complete a specific action, such as calling directly, downloading a file or filling out a contact form.

Funnel: The process of taking a lead from looky-loo to paying customer. This generally involves a multi-tier process which starts with the

• Top of the Funnel: Where you build trust with quality content to motivate visitors to move to the --
• Middle of the Funnel: Where a potential customer comes to better understand the problem(s) they are having and continues to do research or reaches out directly as they are pushed toward the --
• Bottom of the Funnel: Which is where they go from lead to customer, sometimes via personal consultation.

KPI: A Key Performance Indicator is a quantitative metric that measures performance of a specific digital marketing campaign component. It is popular to make KPIs SMART, or Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound.

Keywords: Specific words used in content to improve SEO and web advertising. By using tools to research how a customer searches for a specific product or service, keywords can be identified. It is important not to overuse keywords, as this can actually harm SEO.

Lead Generation: The practice of educating potential customers in return for qualitative information in return, such as email address or phone number.

Lifetime Value: An estimated worth of a customer over the life of their relationship with a business. For a single customer this is calculated by adding total average revenue per sale in a month and multiplying it by how many months in a row a customer remains active.

Target Audience: This is the ideal customer for a business. As the understanding of a target audience becomes more clear, the digital marketing strategy will shift based on demographic habits.

This list is certainly not all encompassing, but it will give you a solid understanding of the goals of digital marketing. As experts in the field, the MORBiZ team works closely with business owners to produce online campaigns and content strategies that result in improved traffic and higher bottom lines. To learn more about our products and processes, or to request an estimate for the cost of improving your business’ web presence, please give us a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . Our Internet marketing team looks forward to chatting with you about your digital promotion goals and letting you know how we can meet them.

5 Ways to Build Community Around Your Small Business

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 14:13:59 GMT

When it comes to making a name for your local business, your marketing efforts don’t have to follow a traditional route. While a beautiful website and a great overall online presence is essential, given that most people shop for products and services online these days, there are other things you can do to show your biz is all about making an impact on the community. Here’s a few ways you can attract new customers by connecting with your neighbors.

Sponsor a Youth Sports Team
Many local kids’ sports leagues rely on small businesses for uniforms and other gear. Sponsoring a team is not only a great advertising opportunity, but it also supports healthy activities for the youth in your town.

Host an Open House
No matter what sort of business you operate, an open house is a great way to engage with your neighbors and inform them of your products and/or services. Consider offering light bites and drinks, conduct demonstrations and have games available. These types of events generally draw a healthy crowd. Be sure to shake some hands!

Offer Discounts to Local Heroes
How you define heroes is up to you, but by providing a discount, such as 5 percent or 10 percent off for teachers, first responders, veterans or otherwise, indicates that you care about those who are making an impact on the town in which you have built your business.

Tell Your Story Via Local News
Many local newspapers seek stories of triumph. If you or your business has an interesting start up story, consider pitching it to the local news. Not only will the piece help them fill their columns, it will put your business right in front of their readers.

Staff Volunteer Days
A great way to illustrate that your business is engaged with the community is to hold staff volunteer days. Helping out at a local food bank, animal shelter or other organization is sure to have an impact on the org and your business.

At MORBiZ, we love seeing small businesses engage with their communities. Our goal is to help you connect online so you can do business offline. To learn more about our web presence services, such as custom small business website building, give our small business Internet marketing agency a call at at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We look forward to connecting!

5 Popular Website Design Trends for Small Businesses

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 13:58:18 GMT

If it is time for a new website, it’s time to reimagine what websites can look like and how they can function. Rapid advancements in design and technology have made it nearly necessary to refresh websites that haven’t been touched in a few years. At MORBiZ, we build cutting edge small business websites that are modern, engaging and easy to use. Here’s a few of the trends we love.

Moving Text
Triggered text that bounces, scrolls or slides into place is a great way to draw attention to a certain area or headline of a website. This element adds a more dynamic feel to a page that may otherwise be stagnant.

Static Background Images
Wait, didn’t we just agree that things that move are more interesting? Yes, but there’s always exceptions to the rule, and static backgrounds are in! Having a photo or other graphic that stays in place while text or other items scroll over it as the user moves down the page keeps the site flowing.

Simple Contact Forms
Keep your contact forms minimal! Think name, email, phone and message for the fields. Adding too many questions or requiring excessive information can scare would-be customers away.

Floating One Click Calling
A call to click button that remains on the page is a great way to remind users that they can quickly reach the business. This is great for responsive websites, as most people surf the web from their phone anyway. However, this button often functions on computers as well, since most people sync their devices or use computer apps to allow phone calls.

Video Banners
For a fantastic effect, consider adding a video banner on your home page. While it may slightly increase load time, this element is highly engaging and can quickly capture visitors’ attention. Need a video for your banner? MORBiZ can help with that too .

Are you ready to up your website game? MORBiZ is ready to go to work for you. Our team of professional small business Internet marketers create beautiful, user friendly websites that set trends. Our fully custom websites are sure to wow! To learn more about our sites, and to request more information about our other web presence services, please call 855-266-7249 or use this contact form to connect with our friendly team.

4 Types of Marketing Content Every Website Needs

Wed, 14 Sep 2022 13:32:08 GMT

Content is king, or so they say. Who are they exactly? Marketers! That’s us. At MORBiZ, we view content as an essential element of every successful web presence campaign for any type of organization. That’s why we take the time to get to know our small and medium sized business clients so that we can craft custom content for their new websites that will attract new audiences and keep current customers engaged. Here’s a look at four types of marketing content that we encourage all business owners to incorporate into their websites to enhance its chances of being found in search.

Blog Posts
Right now, you’re reading a blog post. Pretty cool, isn’t it? Blogs are a versatile form of content that can be shared widely on social media. In your blog, you can talk about almost any topic related to your business (or share pictures of cute animals) to attract and retain customers. It is important that written content such as blogs utilize the most current SEO best practices to maximize their chances of showing up in search results.

Video Content
Have you noticed how Google offers video results at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs)? However, properly optimized videos don’t only do well in search, they can help put a face to your brand, making it easier for new customers to reach out.

How to Guides
Whether as part of your blog or a separate page, adding how-to guides related to your goods and services is a magnificent method of attracting new customers via search. It is important that these guides are highly specific. Instead of “How to know if your car needs repair,” break it down even further, like “How to know if your car needs exhaust repair.” This type of guide will ensure people concerned about exhaust leaks or other troubles will find your page, just be sure to geo-tag it.

User Generated Content
Many associate user generated content (UGC) with social media content. When it comes to websites, or businesses that are not ultra active on social, UGC can still be implemented to help visitors better understand your brand, story and existing customer base. One of the best types of UGC to add to a website are positive customer reviews. These are great for showing new customers how you treat clients and conduct your services.

At MORBiZ, we implement many types of marketing content into our custom small business websites to help boost search ranking and conversions. If you would like to request an estimate for the cost of a business website and Internet marketing package, please give MORBiZ a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We look forward to helping to improve your business’ web presence!

Amid Inflation, Consumers will Continue to Support Small Businesses that do this

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 19:42:18 GMT

As prices for everything from milk to gas skyrocket, there is some good news for small business owners; surveys show that 70 percent of consumers plan to continue supporting their favorite local companies amid record inflation. While the silver lining may be thin, it is certainly an important statistic, especially as we crawl out of the devastating pandemic era. The sad reality is that many communities lost mom and pop shops of every industry in the last two years, so it’s vital that we band together to keep those that did survive afloat during the current economic crisis.

While businesses and consumers alike face rising prices, many business owners also find themselves dealing with supply chain issues and labor shortages across virtually every sector. While these issues are slowly on the mend, the truth is that prices are high and will likely remain high for quite some time. If you run a small business, it may be a difficult decision to hike up costs, but it's likely a must to survive. When the time comes to do so, many consumers are asking for just one thing: be transparent.

Since raising prices is nearly inevitable, it is important to be upfront with your customers about doing such. It can be a shock to many when they return to a business for a product or service and are charged a higher cost than they’re used to without any warning. In fact, surveys show that 90 percent of consumers say that simply being honest about rising prices will keep them coming through the door or ordering online.

How can you let your customers know about inflated prices? Use all your channels. Add pricing information to your website, write a blog, share social media posts and put up signage in your business that lets people know that prices are on the rise. Your honesty will prevent sticker shock from setting in when the bill comes, in turn keeping your customers happy and ensuring they return to you time and time again.

It has never been more important to support small businesses. At MORBiZ, we’ve made it our mission to help them thrive by enhancing their online reputation and building out beautiful, responsive websites. If you’d like to learn more about the services provided by our professional web marketers, please call us at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . Our team loves being able to help small businesses thrive and we’ll do everything we can to support yours.

Do Videos Improve Website Traffic

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Modern Internet marketing strategies involve numerous moving parts, from written website copy to social content and eblasts. These days, there is another important component to driving web traffic: video content. For many years, video has been a scary addition to the marketing toolbox for many small business owners due to equipment requirements and pricing. Fortunately, the smartphone and online editing software has changed all that. While it still takes time and skill to be able to tell a story with film, scratch that, we mean that digital video files, it’s a wise investment as video can drastically boost web traffic. No time to make a video? The team at MORBiZ is always happy to help. Here’s 3 reasons why you should make a video today!

Video content on websites can improve search ranking

Did you know that Google owns YouTube? Yep. And that little fact could send your website straight to the top of search results? How? Google feeds searches video content over text based sites, especially when that video is hosted on YouTube and your website. In short, having branded videos on your website can move your site up in search results.

Quality videos can create backlinks

If people love your video, they’re going to share it again, and again and again. We’re not just talking about shares on social media either. While getting views on Facebook and other social platforms is great, the real SEO benefit comes from backlinks. A backlink is established when someone links to your site from their own, such as on a blog or review site, or another industry website. When Google creates search results, it looks at the number of backlinks certain content has to determine if it is reliable or not. The more backlinks the better, and video can boost that number!

Consistent video encourages long term engagement

Entertaining or educational video content will keep people engaged and on your site. The longer they are there, the more likely they are to move down your sales funnel. If you’re able to produce videos on a regular basis, all the better. New videos will bring people back to your site over and over and over.

Get Help Making Marketing Videos

Creating videos is easier now than it was in years past, but it still takes time, effort and a bit of skill. At MORBiZ, we generate search engine optimized video content that improves our clients’ search ranking and overall web presence. If you’d like assistance creating marketing content for a small business, we’re here to help! To learn more about our small business web marketing services, we encourage you to give us a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We would be happy to answer any questions you may have or provide a quote for our professional web presence services. Be sure to check out our own recent video below!

What is a keyword and how does my small business use it?

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 17:51:38 GMT

If you’re in the process of learning how to build a website or generate content online, you’re likely coming across the term keyword over and over again. While your first question may be, “what is a keyword?” you can only get to that answer if you know the answer to “What is a keyword?” While the dictionary definition or a keyword is, “ an informative word used in an information retrieval system to indicate the content of a document,” there’s a bit more to it than that. The information retrieval form we will be covering in this blog is the Internet, or more specifically, search engines. Search engines seek out specific words that are entered by users to identify helpful results. This is why it is important to use short-tail keywords, mid-tail keywords and long-tail keywords. Let’s look at some examples of each of these types of keywords

Short-tail Keywords

Sometimes referred to as a head keyword, a short-tail keyword is generally a quite broad term that is popular to use in search. This means that they have a lot of competition. In practice, a short-tail keyword is no more than one or two words. While difficult to rank for, they are crucial to use in your relevant content. Example: new roofing

Mid-tail Keywords

To enhance your SEO efforts, you must use keywords that are usually three to four words in length; these are known as mid-tail keywords and offer a bit more description regarding the subject of the search. They remain competitive, but open the doors to more specifics regardings your goods and services. Example: new shingle roofing, or, new roofing quotes

Long-tail Keywords

To gain ground in search results, you need to attempt to use long-tail keywords, which can be 5 or 6 words or more sometimes. These keywords are much more specific than their shorter counterparts. With the right long keywords you’ll generally earn a higher conversion rate. Example: Costs for GAF shingle roofing installation.

Geo-Targeted Keywords

While Google and other search engines generally take a user's location into account, geo-targeted keywords are critical for local businesses. These are essentially any short, mid or long tail keywords with a location attached to them, ideally one where your potential customers would be seeking your business. Example: new roofing installation in Chicago.

Finding the right keywords can be a time consuming challenge, but it is one that must be undertaken to ensure your business appears in search results. At MORBiZ, we work with small and medium sized businesses to enhance their web presence using a variety of tactics, including keyword research and crafting SEO rich content. To find out how we can help your business grow online and off with expert small business website building and other Internet marketing tools, please give us a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We look forward to connecting with you and sharing our recipe for successful web marketing.

7 Offline Marketing Tips to Grow Your Local Business

Mon, 13 Jun 2022 17:48:37 GMT

Hey, what’s a digital marketing company doing writing about offline customer acquisition tactics? Well, even though the team at MORBiZ specializes in helping small businesses with their online presence, our ultimate goal is to help them grow in the world that isn’t hidden behind a screen. While the web has certainly made it easier to reach a large audience, conducting offline marketing can help you capture even more customers. Here’s our offline marketing tips to help you grow your small business.

Media Pitches to Local Publications

Small newspapers and magazines that focus on local communities love to share stories about business owners new and old. Whether you’re celebrating a grand opening or a 50 year anniversary, or have other news to share with the community, connect with a local reporter that can share your story!

Coupons

Running coupons in print publications can bring new customers into your shop and turn them into repeat customers.

Sandwich Boards

A sandwich board, basically a small A-frame sign, outside your shop or on a nearby street corner, can point would-be passerby toward your business. Whether it’s a permanent sign or a chalkboard with a fresh message every day, this small investment could lead to new business.

Direct Mail

Have you considered sending out a mailer? While more spendy than some of these other ideas, it’s a great way to grow awareness of your business.

Posters/Flyers

Hanging up flyers isn’t just for local bands. If your area grocery stores or other community hubs still have bulletin boards, use the space to advertise your business.

Business Cards

Don’t forget to place business cards at your checkout area. These are simple for people to grab and helps them remember who to turn to next time they need your goods or services.

Branded Items

Giving out small branded items like pens, keychains or even sunglasses will help get your name out in the community.

While you’re covering your bases offline, allow MORBiZ to help you grow online. Let’s be honest, a vast majority of shoppers begin their search for a service provided on Google. Our team of small business Internet marketers excel at helping local businesses show up in search results on the world wide web for consumers in their community. To learn more about our services and our web presence solutions , please give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or use this contact form to connect!

Tips on how to SEO Website Content in 2022

Fri, 20 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT

If one thing about search engine optimization is true, it is that steadfast rules are hard to nail down when it comes to content creation. Figuring out what works best for your content will often come down to experimentation with content styles, publishing timelines and how it gets shared and searched for. That said, our team of small business web marketing experts at MORBiZ have developed an actionable list of tips that we use to enhance SEO on the small business websites we build and manage. Feel free to implement these on your site too!

How long should content be for SEO?

One of the primary questions surrounding SEO is content length. The truth is, it’s nice to have a variety. There is no hard and fast formula, but our experience indicates that blogs and other additions should be at least 300 words.

What types of keywords are best for SEO?

Most content should focus itself on an individual keyword, and it should be used sparingly throughout. In a piece that is around 500 words, you’ll likely want to use your exact keyword, that is the term that people are likely to search for when seeking your product or service, about three times in the content and in the headline, if it makes grammatical sense. Consider using synonyms of your keyword if space allows, but be careful not to overstuff the content.

Should I use section headlines to improve SEO?

For longer pieces, it is wise to use H2 tags as paragraph or section headlines, especially if they explain something specific or answer a question. For example, look at this blog post!

Do internal links help with SEO?

Linking to relevant content on your website can boost SEO. Try to use anchor text (the linked text) that is similar to the piece you’re creating. Hey, check out this blog on common website mistakes that hurt SEO . See what we did there?

Are images beneficial for SEO?

Including at least one image with your content can certainly help SEO efforts, especially if you add appropriate keyword rich alt text.

How often should new content be published for SEO purposes?

This is another hot topic when it comes to maximizing SEO. At least one unique blog per month can keep a website fresh and indexed in major search engines. Adding one per week can greatly enhance your chances of being found for certain keywords.

At MORBiZ, we place great value on SEO efforts. Every custom website we build undergoes scrutinous keyword research and receives a full scrub to ensure it’s optimized to the max. By crafting unique content and regularly adding new blogs and updating existing pages, we help our clients rank high in local search results. If you’d like to learn more about our small business SEO and web presence services, don’t hesitate to give our friendly team a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We look forward to helping your business grow online and off!

What Should a Local Arborist Website Include?

Mon, 09 May 2022 18:48:11 GMT

Are you a certified arborist looking to grow your client list? A new tree services website is certainly a step in the right direction. To ensure you get a website that is attractive as the work you do, it’s important to work with a professional small business Internet marketing team, such as MORBiZ, that can build and maintain a successful website for you. When you work with us to launch a new website, we’ll make sure that it is fully optimized for success. Here’s how.

Building a Tree Services Website

An arborist generally offers a variety of services for residential or commercial clients. The first step in crafting a successful site is identifying exactly what they are.

Tree Services Outline - When working with a small business web marketing agency to build a new website, it’s vital to share exactly what your services are. This includes jobs you do that are both major and minor, ranging from stump grinding and tree trimming to complete tree removal.

Pages for Top Arborist Services - Based on your conversation regarding the services you provide, the website should include three to four pages built out around your top pages. Creating simple to understand navigation is key, so make the page titles concise. For example, a page navigation bar could read:

Home - Tree Removal - Tree Trimming - Tree Services - Stump Grinding - Blog - Reviews

Arborist Blog - Perhaps you noticed in the suggested navigation titles that we included a blog. This is a necessary component for any small business website, as it allows for new content to be easily added. That content helps improve search engine optimization and keeps your site indexed on Google.

Reviews - Additionally we added reviews. Adding reviews to your site is not just about sharing what others think of your business, all though that is helpful. A reviews page should also allow people to leave a review of your business on your Google page, as this can boost search ranking.

Enhance with SEO

When you work with MORBiZ to build a new arborist website, we will conduct keyword research and add geolocation information to help boost your website’s visibility within your service area. Our dedicated small business marketing team has a thorough understanding of on and off page search engine optimization tactics that will ensure the success of our customers’ new websites.

Are you ready to grow new roots for your tree services business? Call our team of web presence pros a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form to tell us about your goals. We’d be happy to offer a free estimate for the cost of a new website for a small business. Our Internet marketers are ready to answer any questions that you may have or begin the build of your new website.

3 Fast Ways to Grow Your Small Business Social Media Following

Mon, 09 May 2022 18:43:42 GMT

It is undeniable the impact that social media has had on our global society. From news distribution to well, just about everything else, it is hard to not see how it affects us all. That everything else includes the way that people shop or search for services. As a small business owner it is vital to utilize this online tool to connect with and grow your potential customer base. While there are paid advertising opportunities, utilizing social media can be completely free. Making it a zero risk investment, aside from the time necessary to set up and manage it. If you’re just getting started, or looking for ways to optimize social media for your company, check out these tips from the small business web marketing experts at MORBiZ.

SEO for Social Media Profiles

One of the great things about social media profiles is that they can show up in search results on Google and other engines. This means when people search for your business, profiles can take up more real estate on the search results page. However, to get those types of results, you’ll need to search engine optimize your profiles. This will boost the chances of your profiles showing up, even if the searcher isn’t using your business name.

To optimize your profiles make sure that you use your proper business name across every profile and keep contact information consistent. Then take advantage of any space where you can add additional information. Fill out the about us, more info and location settings. In the about section, use keywords that represent your business, including products and services you offer.

Understand Your Audience & Post Times

Most social media platforms offer a variety of analytics to help you improve your social media experience. For example, on Facebook, you can see who your primary audience is in terms of age, gender and location. This can help you best understand who is attracted to your business and then generate content that caters to them. Additionally, using scheduling via Facebook’s Creator Studio, you will find suggested posts times, which is when Facebook recognizes as the most active times for your audience. By posting at these times, you’ll likely receive the highest levels of engagement.

Be Active on Social Media

Speaking of posting, it is important to be active on your channels to maintain a connection with your past, current and future customers. Social media isn’t just about adding new content to your page via text, photo and video (though you should be doing so regularly), it’s a way to communicate directly with your followers. Be sure to respond to messages and comments so people see that you’re actively engaged.

Social media is a two way form of communication that allows you to connect with those who have an interest in your business. If you want to take full advantage of Facebook for your business, connect with MORBiZ,the experts in small business Internet marketing. As part of our full service web presence packages we will set up and manage your Facebook page, adding to your digital footprint. To learn more about how we grow businesses online and off, please call 855-266-7249 or use this contact form to connect with us! We look forward to speaking with you about our Internet advertising opportunities.

These Common Website Navigation Mistakes can Ruin User Experience & SEO Efforts

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Website navigation is critical! Not only does it help users move around your site, but it actually helps them find the site in the first place (when properly built out!). Websites with user friendly and informative navigation tend to see lower bounce rates and higher conversions. Be on the lookout for these website navigation flaws. If your site has any of them, fix it fast before users bounce for good.

What is Website Navigation?

Navigation is the internal link structure of a site. It helps users move from page to page and find the information that they are looking for, ideally with ease. Navigation includes the linked page names and their URLs,as well as internal links within the content and images.

What are Common Website Navigation Mistakes?

Improper Content Hierarchy: Studies show that the users react strongly to the order of items in a list, placing the most importance on the first item and the second most importance on the last. Make sure these two positions in your navigation are filled by integral pages on your site.

Generic Navigation Labels: Don’t use page names like “Products” or “Services.” Instead, be specific. Use things like “Residential Roofing” and “Commercial Roofing” as these names are easier to understand both by humans and search engines.

Excessive Navigation Buttons: By limiting your menu options, you make sure that every page is seen by users. They won’t scan the navigation and miss something that is important. It is a good practice to keep menus below seven items and ideally under five.

Location, Location, Location - Don’t try and place your navigation somewhere other than common places. This means either across the top of the page or down the side. This of course changes to a menu button on a responsive website.\

Building websites is hard, but building websites well is even harder. At MORBiZ, we construct high quality websites for small businesses that are designed to be found, inform and convert. This starts by crafting user and search friendly navigation. If you’d like to learn more about how we can create a small business website that is as beautiful as it is functional, please give us a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We look forward to helping you build your business online and off.

How to Turn Website Traffic into Foot Traffic in 2022

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT

No matter what business you’re in, without a website, you’re missing out on potential customers. Long gone are the days of placing an ad in the Yellow Pages and watching the crowds roll in. With competition increasing annually in every sector, active marketing online is the best way to attract and maintain customers. Why? Simply because nearly every search for goods and services starts online, primarily on Google. Without a website, or with a poorly designed website, there is a good chance the only people coming into your shop are repeat customers or the occasional passerby. If that’s enough for you, excellent! But for most, that may not be the best way to grow your business in 2022.

Where Does Website Traffic Come From?

When a consumer needs a new product or service and they’re unsure where to get it, they are much more likely to turn to Google than to a friend to find the information. This is true for auto shops, roofers, general contractors, landscapers, beauty salons, restaurants and pretty much any other business. If you don’t have an online presence, primarily a quality website, there is no online traffic to try and convert to foot traffic.

Must Have Small Business Website Features

Once you do have a website up and running, it needs to have certain features and functions to maximize its ability to send people from your site to your shop or call for your services.

Responsive Design: Most searches are completed on a mobile device, yet most websites are built on a computer. Your website needs to be responsive, meaning the site adapts to the size of the screen. This will make it more user friendly for a majority of website visitors.

Great Navigation: Essential to any website is user friendly navigation. These are the page names and their URLs. However, these names should also be SEO friendly, meaning they are descriptive in a manner that people would search for their names. Think “auto repair” not “services.”

Useful Information about Products & Services: Make sure to clearly explain what you do. Your content also needs to be search engine optimized, meaning it contains words and phrases that people would search for. These terms should also include geographic information, like “brake repair in Memphis.”

Contact Form or Quick Contact Button: Make it easy to get in touch with your location. Have your phone number, address and hours, if applicable, listed at the top of your page and incorporate a contact form on your home page. On mobile, the phone number should be a click-to-call button.

Map to Location: Make sure to include a map to your business on your website if you have a physical location. This can make it easy for people on the road to quickly get directions to your business.

Converting Web Traffic to Foot Traffic

At MORBiZ, we build user-friendly small business websites that include all of the above and so much more. These tools help your brick and mortar business be found online and then get people to visit or call you in the physical world. To learn more about the importance of having a digital presence for your real-world services, please give us a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form to connect with our small business Internet marketing professionals. We are happy to answer any questions you may have or offer additional information about the importance of having a quality website.

How Important are Online Directories for Small Businesses?

Tue, 22 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Step one in creating a strong online presence is building an outstanding website for your small business. Yet, your homepage likely isn’t going to be of much use if nobody can find it. That’s where online directories come in. These sites, essentially digital yellow pages, are places where you can list your business’ info, including name, address, phone number and website. Doing this may seem mundane, but it has a host of benefits. But first we must ask, where do we find them?

What are Online Directories?

There are hundreds of online directories, also known as an online citation site. Some you’re likely very familiar with, such as Google, Bing, Yelp, YellowPages, City Pages, Apple Maps, Angie, Foursquare and others. However, there are many others that often fly under the radar or offer niche listing categories, such as those only for roofers, dentists, lawyers or auto shops. Finding these sites and building out your online directory listing offers many benefits that all help grow your bottom line.

What are the Benefits of Setting Up Online Directory Listings for a Small Business

There are several benefits to claiming and building online directory listings for your business, here’s just a few of the top ones.

Reduce Paid Ad Spend: If your website is showing up more often organically, especially on Maps, people are less likely to click on a PPC ad. This increases traffic and decreases the amount you are spending on advertising.

Improve SEO: As search engines develop search results, they seek as many data points as possible to ensure an accurate response to a query. The more places your business is listed with accurate information, the more likely your business will show up high in organic search.

Earn More Spots in Results Pages: Aside from simply having your business ranking improve in search, your business could actually take up more than one spot. Imagine having your paid ad show up on top, Map listing show next, your website be a top result, followed by a Yelp listing or other directory listing. That’s some serious Internet real estate! Ultimately, claiming directory listings maximizes your web presence.

With so many directory listings, it can be time consuming to claim existing listings and ensure they contain accurate information, as inaccuracies can harm SEO. On top of that, you likely need to create new listings on directories where automation hasn’t occurred. It’s a lot of work, but well worth it in the long run. At MORBiZ, we can handle this time consuming task for you as part of our ultimate web presence package. By claiming and creating web directory listings, we make sure your compnay not only gets found online, but gets found a lot! Give our small business Internet marketing experts a call at 1-855-266-7249 or use this contact form to learn more about our services. We look forward to helping you grow your business both online and off.

Does My Roofing Company Need a Website?

Sun, 27 Feb 2022 02:39:05 GMT

When a company provides services that have little or nothing to do with the Internet, it can be hard to justify investing in a website. However, as a small business owner, the value of a website must be investigated. Even if your company receives excellent word of mouth referrals and continues to invest in other forms of advertising, such as radio or TV commercials or billboards, there’s a good chance you’re still missing out on loads of potential customers. At MORBiZ, we’re advocates for small businesses like local roofing contractors. We’ve made it our mission to help them grow by crafting custom small business websites that attract new customers day after day.

Benefits of a Roofing Company Website

In today’s day and age, most people jump online via a computer or smartphone when they begin shopping for a product or service, including roofing. Simply put, if your business does not have any web presence, you’re missing out on customers. Let’s talk more about that and the other benefits of building a roofer website for your business.

Get Found Locally: As mentioned, people shop for all types of services on their computer and smartphone. If you’re not online, there is no chance of becoming their service provider. It’s important to understand that just because it’s called the world wide web, we implement tactics that ensure your website is found by real consumers in your region, city or neighborhood. This hyperlocal geotargeting prevents calls from people outside of your service area.
Share Services: Your website is where you can outline all the work that you do. This is especially important if you offer specialty services that your competitors don’t, such as gutter installation or emergency roof repair.
Provide Contact Info: You can list multiple ways for customers to contact you on your website, such as phone, email contact form or even live chat.
Post Reviews: Did you know that your business is likely already online, regardless if you have a website, thanks to automated online review websites? With a website, you can have control over which reviews are shared.
Show Off Your Work: Are you proud of the work you do? Show it off! Adding images to your site is a great way to attract new customers.

Building a Roofing Contractor Websites

If you’ve yet to invest in a roofing company website, or if you’re due for an upgrade, it’s vital to work with a small business Internet marketing expert to ensure the new site provides an ample return on investment. At MORBiZ, we thrive on helping our customers attract new business by building high performance, beautiful custom roofer websites. To learn more about the benefits of building a website for a small business, or to receive a free estimate for the cost of a new roofing company website, please give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We can't wait to help you grow your business online and off.

5 Great Ways to Boost Search Ranking

Sun, 27 Feb 2022 02:19:25 GMT

What is the best way to improve your website’s search ranking? At MORBiZ, we’ve found there is no singular answer, as it depends on the condition of the site and the effort that goes into maintaining it. To make the most of your site in its current state, our web presence experts have put together a couple tips to help you rise through the ranks. Remember, it takes a lot of time and patience to achieve many SEO goals, so don’t hesitate to reach out to our team of small business search engine marketing (SEM) experts to learn how we can be a part of your online and offline growth.

Focus Content on a Specific Keyword

When it comes to creating Google friendly content, it’s important to balance keywords with the language that we use every day. For the highest placement in search, conduct keyword research to understand what your audience would want to read about. Once the primary keyword is identified, use it and several related options in your writing. While content ought to sound natural, also implement terms people use when searching for goods or services.

Optimize Images

When adding images to your website, make sure they are search engine optimized. This includes resizing the image, using alt tags, optimizing the image file name and using unique imagery. Don’t forget a search friendly caption!

Responsive Design

If your website is not yet responsive, meaning it adapts to the size of the device it is being viewed on, you’ve got some technical catch up to perform. Every website built by MORBiZ is responsive, ensuring you never lose a customer due to a poor user experience on your site. Since some 80% of Google searches are done on mobile devices, Google rewards responsive design.

Update Low Performing Pages

Using a variety of audits you can identify website pages that are underperforming. Stats that may indicate this include low organic search traffic, pages with low word counts or pages that simply have outdated information. Updating old and low performing content to improve relevancy and keywording can boost SEO for any website page.

Add Fresh Content Regularly

Aside from updating old content, it’s important to regularly add new content to a website so Google continues to index it. Consider adding a blog to your website if one is not currently present, as this is an excellent channel for content production focused on your expertise. No time for blogging? Every MORBiZ website receives fresh content on a regular basis to maximize its reach, offering you a hands off approach to expert content production for your business.

At MORBiZ, we work diligently to ensure our clients are found at the top of search results using a variety of SEM techniques.To do so, we build custom small business websites that are search engine optimized in every possible manner, from the coding to the content. To learn how a MORBiZ marketing website can boost your online presence , give our small business web marketers a call at 1-855-266-7249 or use this contact form. We look forward to helping you grow your business online and off.

Should a Small Business Use Call Tracking?

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 21:46:26 GMT

As a small business owner, it’s important that every one of your marketing dollars is put to good use. One strategy that can measure the success of your advertising budget is using a call tracking number. At MORBiZ, we offer this service for our clients as a way of measuring ROI, but there are other benefits to implementing a unique phone number within a web presence campaign. If you’d like to learn more about the advantages of call tracking for small businesses, don’t hesitate to give our Internet marketing professionals a call.

What is Call Tracking?

Call tracking can be used for a variety of purposes, such as call monitoring and recording. At MORBiZ, we use a call tracking number to do just that in each web presence campaign we create. This allows our team to review incoming calls to the call tracking phone number, ensuring that you only receive quality inquiries from potential customers. This information then helps us continually improve your web presence campaign, ensuring you’re not getting calls for goods and services that you don’t even provide.

Allows Monitoring of Campaign Success

By using a unique call tracking number for your web presence campaign, we are able to monitor calls that come in as a result of our marketing efforts. Recording and monitoring calls helps us to enhance your MORBiZ website and other campaign attributes, such as paid ads, social media posts and your Google My Business listing, to ensure you’re only receiving qualified leads. This also allows us to properly attribute conversions, that is callers who become customers, to our campaign efforts, giving you direct evidence of your return on investment.

Records Calls for Improved Customer Experience

Not only does a call tracking number help you understand how you’re attracting customers, but when the calls are recorded, you can also learn how your in-house representatives are handling queries. Recorded calls are a great way to improve customer service and conduct routine training to ensure your team is putting their best foot forward with every call.

Call Tracking for Small Businesses

In short, call tracking for small businesses helps monitor marketing success and customer service. If you’d like to learn more about how MORBiZ utilizes call tracking to help businesses grow online and off, please give our Internet marketing professionals a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . Our web marketing team would be happy to offer a free web presence analysis of your business and provide you with the information you need to make an educated decision about your marketing efforts.

7 Tips to Create a Stellar Small Business Website

Tue, 08 Feb 2022 21:43:19 GMT

Building a website is hard work, but as an entrepreneur, you’re used to the grind. However, as a small business operating on a local scale, you may be wary of setting one up, especially if you’re used to walk-ins and word of mouth referrals. However, times have changed, especially in the last few years. More and more people are searching for businesses from home and a quality website is a must have to attract new customers. Check out these tips from our professional web marketers on how to create a perfect business website.

Get a Solid Domain Name

The domain name, which is what falls between the www. and the .com is also referred to as your website address. A good domain name not only represents your business and services, but is a key part of SEO, more on that later. Short, easy to remember and simple to spell domains are best!

Write a Great Introduction

People need to know what you do as soon as your site loads, as attention spans are growing exceedingly short these days, especially when a screen is involved. Create a home page banner and introductory text headline that states your business name and services that sits at the top of your page

Easy to Find Contact Info

Your business physical address, if you have one, as well as phone number, email or contact form and social media links should live at the top and bottom of your page. The faster this info can be found, the quicker you’ll have a new customer.

Clear Website Navigation

When crafting the pages for your website, make their names clear and concise. Avoid excessive page counts by combining services into one page. For example, if you run an auto shop, instead of having pages for brake repair, engine repair and transmission repair, have one page for auto repair and use the others as page headings if those are your specialties.

Create Engaging Content

Content is king when it comes to connecting with customers. Every word, photo and graphic on your website matters, so make them count. Adding new content regularly, such as in the form of a blog, can also prove valuable for connecting with customers and improving SEO, which we talk about next.

Search Engine Optimize!

Search engine optimization, generally referred to simply as SEO, is the process of enhancing a website’s content so it has better chances of ranking high in search results on Google and other search engines. This includes using keywords in content, meta tags, alt data, crafting proper page titles and much more. Proper SEO takes time and effort, but working with an SEO expert can prove extremely beneficial for your bottom line.

Make it Mobile

If your website does not feature responsive design, meaning it doesn’t adapt to the size of the screen it is being viewed on, you’re going to lose a lot of customers. Far more than 50 percent of web searches are now completed on mobile devices, so designing your website to function correctly on smartphones and tablets is a must.

Creating a website that works is hard enough, building one that functions amazingly is incredibly difficult. While you focus on running your business, trust the team of Internet marketing professionals at MORBiZ to build a small business website that will grow your business and your bottom line. To learn more about our web presence packages, or to request a free estimate for a new website, give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We look forward to fulfilling your online small business marketing needs.

Why are Blogs important to SEO?

Fri, 21 Jan 2022 00:52:40 GMT

Ah, great leader of search engine optimization, how we seek that top spot. It’s true, isn’t it, that most of us with websites want them to rank high and will do just about anything to do so? While there are plenty of SEO tactics that can enhance positioning in search results, specifically those on Google, there is one exceptional method that many web managers fail to participate in, or even consider. Blogging. At MORBiZ, our team of small business Internet marketing experts have found this one tool to do wonders for the sites we build and managers for clients all across the country. For it is blogging that offers numerous benefits other SEO tactics don’t, such as the following.

Blogging SEO: Google Reads Text

When determining search ranking, Google heavily relies on the text of a site to indicate its worth, so understandably, blogging for SEO is important. Ultimately, sites with a lot of great text are more likely to top search engine results pages (SERPs). More than likely, you have competitors, and you’d like to outrank them to get more eyes on your business. By covering a variety of subcategories of high ranking topics, you’re more likely to do just that. For example, if you’re an auto shop writing blogs about brake, repair, engine repair and transmission repair, you’re adding content helpful to your customers and to Google, thus boosting your chances of hitting the top of the SERP.

Consistent Content

While the text itself is crucial, the mere fact that you’re publishing content on a routine basis is extremely helpful for Google when determining order on a SERP. Posting new blogs on a regular basis will ensure that Google and other search engines, such as Yahoo, Duck Duck Go and Bing, all index your site on a regular basis. Indexing relates to how a search engine organizes information before displaying it on a results page, which is a critical step in determining ranking.

Additional Benefits of a Business Blog

Of course, blogging isn’t all about SEO. A blog is a great way to establish yourself or your business as a local leader in your specific industry. A blog is where you can share insider knowledge, tips and tricks, answer frequently asked questions or highly employees or special customers. There is no limit to what you can cover in your blog!

Small Business Blog Writing

It’s true, to please the great leader of search engine optimization, you need a blog. If that is not something that appeals to you, rely on the trusted SMB web marketing professionals at MORBiZ to handle the job for you. Our team of professional blog writers cover a variety of topics for our customers, helping their new websites built by MORBiZ land at the top of search engine results pages. To learn more about this feature and other ways we help small businesses improve their local web presence , give us a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We look forward to helping you grow your business online and off.

What to do if your Business Website is Hacked

Sun, 12 Dec 2021 22:04:23 GMT

Businesses big and small rely on websites to sell, inform and entertain. Unfortunately, because these websites are so valuable to their owners, they become prime targets of hackers, especially those who can take full control of a site and hold it for ransom. At MORBiZ, our team of Internet marketing experts and website building professionals understand any cyber attack could be a dire situation. Check out our tips for website hacking prevention and recovery.

How to Prevent Website Hacking

The best thing to do is to implement steps to prevent hacking all together. A few key hacking prevention methods include:

Strong passwords: Make sure you utilize strong passwords composed of numbers, letters and symbols.

Avoid phishing scams: Any emails asking for your password need to be carefully scrutinized to ensure they are legit.

Install HTTPS: Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure is used for secure communication over a computer network, and is widely used on the Internet.

Backups: Performing regular backups isn’t just a good idea in the event of hacking, but in case any sort of catastrophic website failure occurs.

Updates: Keep any software or plugins updated for maximum security.

Hacked Website Support Steps

If your website has been hacked, here are a few steps to take to try and regain control.

Notify your support team: If you are not the general webmaster, but you notice your site has been taken over or is posting odd content, notify your support web team right away.

Go offline: If you still have access to your site, take it offline as quickly as possible. This will prevent visitors from viewing your site while the recovery is completed.

Check for viruses or malware: Run any antivirus software to check for malicious malware, spyware, trojans or other

Once the issue is identified and resolved, you’ll likely need to perform a thorough scrubbing of the website to remove any illicit content. However, all of this could be prevented by working with a small business website builder that utilizes the latest security practices, such as MORBiZ.

Secure Business Websites from MORBiZ

At MORBiZ, we are serious about website security. Every small business website that we build is equipped with the latest anti-hacking measures, ensuring ultimate security. To learn more about our websites for small businesses, don’t hesitate to contact our team of web presence experts by calling 1-855-266-7249 or using this contact form . We look forward to helping you safely grow your business!

What is voice search optimization?

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 03:17:18 GMT

“Hey, Siri, is my website ranking in voice search?”

With so many tech companies and devices adopting virtual assistants, such as Alexa and Siri, it’s becoming increasingly important to optimize website content for voice search. Not only does your site infrastructure and written content need to be crawlable by traditional search mechanisms, ie: Google search, but it must also cater to consumers seeking goods, services and content who prefer not to lift a finger. To reach those people, voice search optimization must be conducted across your site.

Voice Search Optimization Tips

When optimizing content for voice search, there are several tasks that must be completed for best results. It all starts with remembering how people are searching, with their voice. That means you need to:

Focus on local search: Make sure you are adding geo-targeted search terms that are specific to the location of your business. This could be as generic as “auto body repair in Seattle” , or as specific as “European bumper repair in Ballard.” Choose keywords that best fit your business.

Consider an FAQ page: Data shows that a high percent of voice searches are in the form of a question. Adding relevant questions to your site can lead to more hits. Most voice searches start with “who,” “what,” “where” and “how,” so start there when crafting your FAQ.

Be conversational: The language you use in your written website content needs to read how people talk. This includes considering local dialects and more specific search phrases.

Successfully optimizing for voice search takes time and skill. When running a small business, these aren’t always the tasks you have time for. By partnering with the local web marketing professionals at MORBiZ, you can trust us to take care of your online presence. Our team of Internet marketing experts will build your business a custom website that is optimized for voice, traditional search and map search! To learn more about how we can boost your digital footprint and your bottom line, give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We look forward to assisting with your small business marketing needs.

What is Map Search Optimization?

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 03:13:46 GMT

Many small business owners are familiar with, or at least aware of the term search engine optimization, often referred to as SEO. Quite simply, SEO is the process of enhancing a website’s infrastructure and content to make it more likely to show up in search results on Google, Yahoo, Bing or other search engines. But these days, optimizing for general search isn’t enough. When seeking local goods and services, people are relying on map search results in Google or directly using map apps, such as Google Maps or Waze, to perform searches. This means websites need to undergo map search optimization so they will show up in map search results in apps and general search engine results.

What is the Importance of Map Search Optimization?

Numerous studies indicate that search results based on proximity are constantly growing in importance to consumers. This is particularly true for those seeking goods and services that can’t be ordered online, such as auto repair, roofing or vet clinics. When someone searches for “X near me” or something similar, Google recognizes the searcher is seeking a product or service in their community, so it prioritizes showing businesses on its map feature in search. To ensure that your business is included in these map search results, or on results for those searching directly within their map app, there’s a few steps that need to be taken.

How to Show Up in Map Search Results

While optimizing content for local SEO is crucial for achieving a high map search ranking, there are a few additional offsite practices that need to be completed for best success. First, because Google is the dominant force in search, one must claim their Google My Business page and ensure your profile is fully filled out and that all contact info, including name, address and phone number (NAP), are correct. This brings us to a second primary concern, which is making sure your NAP is correct across your website, social media pages and any other directory listings, such as Yelp, Yellowpages or Angie. According to studies, a mismatched NAP reduces search ranking in more than 40 percent of cases.

Another critical component of ensuring your business shows up as a map result is earning positive reviews. While the best way to do this is simply to deliver exceptional service and products, requesting reviews from satisfied customers can go a long way. On top of reviews from real, local customers, you need to generate local content for your site, including in web page content and blogs. This means regularly using the name of your neighborhood, city, or other area markers in the conversational content of your site, but be careful not to overstuff with keywords.

How to Achieve Google Maps Optimization

Ranking high in map search results on Google and directly within map apps is critical to attracting local customers, but it’s not necessarily an easy task. When you partner with the web presence experts at MORBiZ, we’ll handle all the local SEO and reputation management necessary to achieve an excellent ranking in map search and traditional results. To learn more about our local business Internet marketing tools and practices and to find out how they can benefit you, don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We look forward to working with you to grow your web presence .

5 Tips to Get More Plumbing Business Customers

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 03:10:36 GMT

For many people, owning their own business is a dream come true. However, that dream can quickly become a nightmare if you’re unable to attract enough customers to keep the lights on, or in this case, the water flowing. In most metro markets, there is quite a bit of competition for plumbing customers, so how can you earn your fair share? Check out these tips on how to get more customers for your plumbing business from the web presence experts at MORBiZ.

Build a Great Plumbing Website

In today’s marketplace, no matter what sector you’re in, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to do business without a properly built website. The site needs to accurately identify your services, service area and offer quick contact options, such as calling or email forms. It also needs to be secure, aesthetically pleasing and be search engine optimized (SEO) to attract the most possible organic visitors.

Utilize PPC Advertising

A well managed pay-per-click advertising campaign is an effective method of attracting new plumbing customers from your service area. This type of advertising allows a business to bid on specific keywords and search terms that people are most likely to use when seeking plumbing services. With the right set up, this will put the plumber at the very top of search results. At MORBiZ we implement and manage all aspects of Google Ads campaigns, including ad copy, bidding and determining landing pages.

Set Up Social Channels

Social media profiles such as Facebook are another important component of getting new plumbing customers. However, don’t just set it up and forget about it. Being active on your social platforms will maximize their effectiveness. Sharing reviews, job updates, photos and videos can put you in front of potential customers for free and help build your brand and community recognition. There are paid ad options on these networks as well, which can prove lucrative with proper management.

Get More Online Reviews

Reviews on Google are a must have to attract new business. Positive reviews can improve how a plumbing business ranks in search results, as Google wants to provide the highest quality solutions to its users. MORBiZ offers reputation management for plumbers that helps businesses earn positive reviews, in turn improving their search ranking and overall trust score.

Focus on Customer Service

When it comes down to it, it’s hard to beat good old fashioned customer service. Investing in training for your customer service representatives can go a long way in securing new customers for a plumber. Another thing to consider to improve training is recording phone calls, with a message informing callers of such. At MORBiZ, we utilize call tracking numbers to monitor calls for quality and training purposes, as well as ensuring our web presence campaign is beneficial to the plumber.

Whether you want to start a new plumbing business or build up an existing one, getting new plumbing customers doesn’t happen with the snap of your fingers, but with the right web presence partner, growth can be expedited. To learn more about how MORBiZ can help you grow your plumbing business, give our friendly Internet marketing experts a call at 1-855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We would be happy to answer any questions or provide you with a free web presence evaluation to let you know how your business is currently viewed on the Internet.

Video Customer Reviews of MORBiZ

Tue, 05 Oct 2021 17:00:06 GMT

For nearly a decade, the SMB web marketing professionals at MORBiZ have been helping small business owners across the United States enhance their online presence to grow their customer base and revenue. Nothing proves our methods are successful quite like a video testimonial directly from those we serve. We recently received these messages from a few incredible small business owners, and we just had to share. If you’d like to learn more MORBiZ can help your business grow online and off, don’t hesitate to give us a call. We’d be happy to answer any questions you may have about our hyper-local Internet marketing practices or provide you with a free web presence evaluation to let you know how your company is currently represented online.

Review of MORBiZ by Five Mile Glass, Inc in Spokane, WA

Richard Rouleau, owner of Five Mile Glass in Spokane, WA, shares his experience of working with the web marketing experts at MORBiZ. View his Spokane glass business at www.glassreplacementspokane.com .

MORBiZ Review by The Car Doctor in Palo Alto, CA

Gary Schaller, owner of The Car Doctor in Palo Alto, California, talks about the advantages of partnering with the Internet marketing pros at MORBiZ. Check out his Palo Alto auto shop at www.autorepairmountainviewca.com .

Review of MORBiZ by Cutting Edge Flooring Services in Cincinnati

Tony Hopkins, owner of Cutting Edge Flooring Services in Cincinnati, shares his experience of working with our small business marketing team. Learn more about his Cincinnati flooring business at www.cuttingedge-flooringservices.com .

At MORBiZ, we specialize in hyper-local web presence, website building and management, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Google Ads, SMB reputation management and other web and mobile marketing tactics for all types of businesses across the United States. Don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or use this contact form to request a free web presence evaluation. We look forward to working with you to enhance your local web marketing efforts.

Tips to Prevent Identity Theft

Tue, 14 Sep 2021 21:25:14 GMT

Phishing scams are a common form of cyberattacks that cause individuals to reveal credit card numbers, passwords and other personal information via fraudulent emails, phone calls, texts and other forms of messaging. With phishing attempts rising almost 220% in 2020, it’s important to understand how they happen, so you can prevent them from occurring to you and your loved ones. If you want to learn how the web presence experts at MORBiZ protect our clients’ information, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . Our small business Internet marketing professionals are happy to answer any questions that you may have about our products or services.

Protecting your Personal Information Against Cyberattackers

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 04:29:20 GMT

With so much personal data making its way on to the web via online purchases, social media and personal and professional emails, it can be difficult to keep track of where and how your data is being used and stored. To ensure that your info is safe from hackers, identity thieves and other cyberattacks, be sure to take these steps to protect your personal information online.

If you have any questions about protecting your business’ info on the Internet, the web marketing experts at MORBiZ would be happy to assist. To learn more about our services or to get the answers you need, give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We look forward to speaking with you about your small business marketing needs.

Business in the Fast Lane: Driving Traffic with a Blog

Sat, 04 Sep 2021 17:43:14 GMT

Buckle up, we’re headed for Bloggersville and then on to Conversion Town. Forget your neck pillow, today’s cruise is full of lessons to be learned, like picking the right lane to improve traffic flow, to your small business blog that is. Running a local business has no shortage of challenges, earning customers being a primary one. When considering new tactics to try and earn the trust of potential clients, blogging may not be the first tool to come to mind, but it certainly shouldn’t be the last. A regularly updated, informative blog can boost organic SEO, strengthen community engagement, and set your business apart from the competition by boosting your reputation as a local thought leader in your industry. Sounds pretty good, right? Now, if only figuring out what to blog about were so easy...

Be informative and fun

Blogging should be entertaining for the reader and the writer. However, depending on the sector you work in, figuring out what to write your blogs about can be rather challenging. It is your blog, though, so now’s the time to get creative. As the expert in your field, you’ll want to craft a blog that provides information likely sought by potential customers. Whether you’re an auto shop sharing car care tips, a bakery discussing new recipes or a lawyer dedicated to helping victims of neglectful drivers, your blogs may be the content used by potential customers or clients to form a first impression. If you want them to take the next step down your sales funnel, whether that’s a phone call to set up an appointment or purchasing something from your online store, your blogs should answer questions, build enthusiasm for your brand and ultimately be geared toward earning the trust of your target audience.

Blog Title Ideas

What you write about is up to you, but developing topics doesn’t always come easy. If you’re struggling for ideas, try blogs that could have titles that start with something like...

5 Steps to Improve Your...
How to...
Easy Tips to...
7 Ways to Transform Your...
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About:

Professional Blog Writers

If you’re not ready to strap on your writing gloves and put the pedal to the keyboard, hiring a professional blog writer may be a smart move. When you work with the small business internet marketing experts at MORBiZ to build your web presence, our team of crafty blog writers will develop fresh content for your website on a regular basis. These fun and informative blogs will help increase traffic by creating shareable material for social media channels while enhancing your site’s search engine optimization to boost the number of organic visitors it receives. Now we’re in the fast lane! To learn more about how MORBiZ can help your business grow online and off, please give us a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . Our web marketing pros would be happy to discuss your business’ existing web presence and provide you with information about the tools we’ll use to grow it!

Building a Home Improvement Company Website

Sat, 28 Aug 2021 19:03:06 GMT

General contractors and home improvement professionals play a vital role in their local communities, as they provide services such as home repair, remodeling, flooring, roofing, landscaping and so much more. These respective fields can be quite competitive, so it is important that contractors and home improvement experts use all their tools, pun intended, to stand out from the crowd to reach potential customers. At MORBiZ, we work with roofers, flooring installers, window companies, remodeling business, landscapers, fence and deck builders, general contractors and other home improvement service providers to make sure they are easily found on the web by people seeking their services in their community. Our recipe for success revolves around building custom, search engine optimized general contractor and home improvement websites that boost local web presence.

Custom Home Improvement Websites

The first step in creating a beautiful general contractor website or a custom website for a home improvement business, is working closely with the owner to identify the specific services they want to focus on. Once we fully understand their offerings, we do keyword research to find out how people generally find these services online. We then incorporate those terms into thoughtfully drafted content that highlights the services, certifications and promises of the company. We do so in a way that makes navigating the website easy, so potential customers can easily find out if the business is a good fit for their needs.

We further enhance websites using provided imagery from the company to showcase the work they do. Bold, beautiful photographs can speak volumes of a home improvement business’ capabilities and capture the attention of website visitors. Placement of photographs within banners, throughout the text and on a gallery page will captivate viewers, reducing the site’s bounce rate and increasing conversions.

Hyper-Local Geo-Targeting for Contractors

To reach customers within a specific region, city, or smaller community, our team uses geo-targeted text, meta tags and paid advertisements to bring potential clients from your service area directly to your website. Our multi-pronged approach to local SEO and geo-targeting ensures that websites appear high in Google search results and can be found quickly and easily on Facebook. Our goal is to make sure those who land on a specific website are nearby and in need of the specific services provided by the company.

Building a Contractor Website

Are you ready to increase the bottom line of your home improvement or general contracting business? Reach out to the small business Internet marketing experts at MORBiZ for a free web presence evaluation . After completing our analysis, we’ll go over your wants and needs and further discuss how our team can craft an online marketing campaign to improve the reach of your company. To get started, call 1-855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We can't wait to help you build your business!

Great Ways to Grow your Small Business’ Facebook Following

Tue, 24 Aug 2021 06:07:32 GMT

It’s no secret that social media plays a role in the day to day lives of billions of people. Yes, that’s billions with a “b.” What started as simple ways to connect with friends and classmates has morphed into massive networks where brands often take center stage. For small businesses, social media has allowed for a type of communal integration not previously available. A strong presence on the top social network, Facebook, can drive profits for all types of companies, even if they don’t sell products online, but turning social media followers into dollars is not as simple as clicking like.

Small Business Facebook Page Set Up

When setting up a Facebook page for your business, make sure it properly represents your brand in entirety. Utilizing your logo for the profile picture is common practice, but depending on your business and customers, using a photo of the business owner, a mascot or another icon may be appropriate. Moving past the photo, you will want to completely fill out the about section. Make sure to list a phone number, if appropriate, your website, your physical address if necessary, and the actual business description. Utilize keywords and geotargeting in the description areas, as these sections can help your business be found in search both on and off Facebook. Continue the set up by adding hours of availability, a contact button and finish things off with a cover photo.

Social Media Content Tips

To make the most of your Facebook page, you have to share quality content on a regular basis. While there are plenty of memes to reshare, being original goes a long way. For many brands, social media is a way to initially grab the attention of potential customers. Creating an editorial content calendar can help you keep your posts organized, but what should be shared that will make someone press like so they continue to see your posts? Consider adding photos and videos that tell the story of your business, imagery of your goods and services, special offers, customer reviews and, OK, lots of pictures of your pets. It may take some experimenting to see what type of content gets the most traction for you, but remember to be consistent and thoughtful in your posts and you’ll ultimately find success in building a following.

Small Business Social Media Engagement Ideas

While producing content is key to growing and holding a following, there is plenty more you can do to attract potential customers. Be sure to always respond to messages in a timely manner and interact with people leaving comments on your content. Continuing the conversation in the comments section can boost the visibility of a post due to Facebook’s algorithm that measures engagement. Additionally, always check your contents’ reactions, as you can send invites to people who already reacted to like your page if they don’t already do. However, interacting with people as your page, but not on your page, can also grow your following. You can do this by joining Facebook Groups as your page that have to do with your community or area of business. Depending on your level of engagement, commenting and reacting to other people’s posts can put your business in front of thousands of people on a daily basis.

Enhance Your Web Presence

Ultimately, social media presence should be just one component of your business overall web presence plan. When you work with the small business Internet marketing experts at MORBiZ, we can help you boost your social media following while enhancing your overall digital footprint. If you’d like to learn more about how our web presence experts can assist in the growth of your business both online and off, give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We can’t wait to hit like on your business.

Professional Auto Repair Shop Websites

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 16:13:04 GMT

Auto repair shops are a staple of many communities. Local residents and passerbys rely on them to keep their new and late model cars, trucks and SUVs running safely and reliably. But gone are the days of simply driving by and pulling into a shop or taking your neighbor’s word on selecting a local business. Today, consumers in small towns and big cities alike turn to the web to seek out services for all their needs, including general auto repair and maintenance. If a shop, even one that is decades old, does not have a strong online presence, or any online presence for that matter, it will undoubtedly miss out on earning new customers. At MORBiZ, we make sure that doesn’t happen. Our small business Internet marketing experts work directly with auto shop owners and managers to create custom car repair shop websites that drive business day after day.

Why do I need a website for my local auto shop?

It’s a good question, why would a brick and mortar repair shop need a website? Well, as mentioned, more people turn to Google, not their next door neighbor, for recommendations on where to go for all types of services. In short, an auto shop needs a search engine optimized (SEO) website to ensure new customers are even aware of its existence. That’s not the only reason though. With a professionally built auto repair business website, you’ll be able to schedule appointments online, outline your services, offer specials to draw in more customers and even provide automatic quotes right online. Talk about streamlining your business!

What does a quality auto repair shop website include?

The web presence professionals at MORBiZ build superb websites for local auto shops that are as functional as they are beautiful. It starts with identifying your top services and products. Our writers then go to work crafting custom copy to highlight your expertise, certifications and other facets of your business, giving potential customers a complete picture of your offerings and why they should choose you over your competitor. Within the website, we can use your own images or curate gorgeous stock photography to give your site a cutting edge look. Along with making sure your website is easily found by search engines, we’ll also install features such as appointment scheduling, quick contact buttons, driving directions and downloadable coupons, all of which help boost interest in your business from local shoppers who need your services!

Our team is dedicated to building beautiful, responsive and fully custom auto shop websites that bring customers from the web to your front door. If you’d like to learn more about our car shop websites, don’t hesitate to contact our web presence team for a free estimate by calling 1-855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We look forward to helping you grow your auto shop business.

What is Hyper-Local Web Presence?

Thu, 22 Jul 2021 21:34:43 GMT

Have you ever tried to find a polar bear in a snowstorm? Chances are, probably not, but you may be able to imagine how difficult it might be to find a white bear in white-out conditions. For some small businesses operating in certain markets, they often feel like that polar bear: there, but hardly, if at all, noticed. Connecting with customers on a hyper-local basis can be a challenge, especially in competitive markets. To gain the upper hand, small business owners should develop a hyper-local web presence campaign that puts their brick and mortar business at the forefront of Internet search results for the goods and services they offer.

What is Hyper-Local Web Presence?

Hyper-local web presence, or hyper-local marketing, is the process of targeting customers in a fairly small area, ranging from a few blocks or neighborhood of a big city, or in more rural areas, a few small towns. The reasoning for launching a local digital web campaign for a very real storefront is because consumers are regularly turning to Google and other search engines to locate nearby services, ranging from restaurants to roofers. Without a local online presence, chances are, potential customers won’t even know a business exists. Ultimately, the goal is to capture people conducting “near me” searches, even if they don’t use that exact term.

Why Should a Business Launch a Hyper-Local Marketing Campaign?

In one word: traffic. To even be considered by a potential customer who is searching the web for the goods and services they need, a quality presence on the Internet must be established. Keyword here, quality. Sure, you can set up a quick website, but if it isn’t properly constructed and marketed, it could have little, if any, positive effect on your bottom line.

How to Establish a Hyper-Local Digital Footprint?

The quickest, most effective way to develop a hyper-local web presence that works, is to partner with the small business Internet marketing experts at MORBiZ. Our digital marketing toolbox is all encompassing and helps small businesses thrive in big cities and rural towns alike. Using custom crafted content, geo-targeted ads and a local SEO strategy, our team will put your business on top (of search results that is). Furthermore, we add new website content on a monthly basis to ensure your site continues to provide fresh results for search engines while establishing your business as a local thought leader in your sector. To learn more about how MORBiZ can help your local business thrive , don’t hesitate to give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We can’t wait to help drive traffic from the web to your front door.

The Importance of Gaining Repeat Customers

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 17:13:11 GMT

For a business to be successful, it obviously needs customers. For that success to be sustained, it needs repeat customers, meaning people who regularly return to acquire more goods and services. Gaining new customers, especially repeat customers, in any sector can be extremely challenging, especially if your business faces stiff competition. However, because returning buyers are so vital to business, it’s integral to do all you can to secure them, but how? Well, before a customer becomes a repeat customer, they need to become a first time customer.

The key to earning new customers is to make your business easy to find, and we don’t just mean having a good physical location. A big online presence is crucial for attracting new consumers, who will ideally become repeat shoppers down the road. At MORBiZ, we specialize in helping small local businesses establish and maintain a digital footprint that makes it easy for nearby consumers to find them. Once a potential customer finds you online and likes what they see, such as an easy to navigate website that clearly explains your services, they’re likely to schedule an appointment or simply head in. At that point, it’s time for you and your team to do what you do best, offer a quality experience!

Tips on turning new customers into repeat buyers

Of course, earning repeat business begins with superior customer service. Additionally, you can create a customer loyalty program that encourages people to come back. Think stamp cards, customer referral programs or cash-back discounts for members! Another idea is to offer general discounts via your website and social media. Online coupons for offline goods are always attractive. When it comes down to it, don’t hesitate to go the extra mile for a customer, they could become repeat business and perhaps better yet, a source of referrals.

Why are repeat customers so important?

Turning first time customers into tenth, twentieth or hundredth time customers has its obvious advantages, such as the money they’ll spend at your store. However, there are many other benefits too. A repeat customer, especially one who truly loves your services, is essentially free advertising for you as they’ll routinely make recommendations to friends and family in person. Furthermore, they’re likely to leave you excellent reviews on Google and other directory listing sites such as Yelp or YellowPages. Those reviews carry a lot of weight with potential customers seeking a new source for goods or services. In fact, positive reviews can increase conversions by as much as 270% in some circumstances. In short, your repeat customers create new customers, but remember, it all starts with a first impression.

Whether you run a bakery or an auto shop, getting found can often be the hardest part of acquiring new clients. When you trust MORBiZ to develop your web presence, we make it easy for new customers to find you and spread the word about your business. To learn more about how our hyper local web presence programs help businesses grow online and off, please don’t hesitate to call our Internet marketing experts at 1-855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We look forward to working with you!

Google Ads FAQ

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 03:18:15 GMT

Google is a powerful tool for companies of all sizes, including small businesses looking to connect with local consumers. While striving for high placement in search results based on a useful website and qualified search engine optimization practices is a great start, to put a business in front of the most possible customers, a business owner needs to consider using Google Ads, formerly Google AdWords. When you partner with MORBiZ to enhance your web presence, we offer Google Ads management based on your budget and location, ensuring your business reaches consumers who are ready to buy. Let’s dive into a couple frequently asked questions about Google Ads.

What is Google Ads?

Google Ads is Google’s pay-per-click (PPC) advertising system that allows businesses to place relevant ads at the top of search results when consumers seek products and services similar to those of the business and in their geographic location. Google Ads also allows businesses to advertise on websites and in YouTube videos, but when most people hear the term Google Ads, they think of the search placement, PPC ads.

Who can Use and Benefit from Google Ads?

Just about anybody who sells goods or services can use Google Ads to attract new customers. To learn how your business can specifically take advantage of a Google Ads campaign, be sure to contact the Google Partners at MORBiZ.

How Much does Google Ads Cost?

The beauty of Google Ads is that you can set your own budget. That said, you’re bidding against other businesses for the ad space, which means that certain sectors and locations will cost more for quality placement than others. Working with MORBiZ, we can help dial in a budget that fits your books and attracts customers on a regular basis.

Does Google Ads Work Immediately?

While a Google Ad campaign can be set up in a relatively short time, it can take a month or more for the ads to truly have a positive effect on your bottom line. Some experimentation with ad language and budgets may be necessary to see the best possible results. At MORBiZ, we have years of experience running Google Ad campaigns, so we can minimize this so-called testing period so you can start feeling the benefits sooner rather than later.

If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of a Google Ads campaign, don’t hesitate to connect with the web presence experts at MORBiZ. Our small business Internet marketing team would be happy to detail all the advantages of pay-per-click advertising and help you understand how it can fit into your marketing and advertising budget. Give us a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form to get started today. We look forward to helping you grow your business online and off!

Does My Business Really Need a Website?

Sun, 04 Jul 2021 03:14:22 GMT

Even in 2021, we constantly get asked, “Does my business really need a website?” The short answer is yes! But why is that? No matter the industry you’re in, there’s a plethora of reasons, but ultimately, it’s to boost your bottom line by increasing visibility and traffic. When you partner with the web presence experts at MORBiZ, you get more than a website, you get a whole team of people working behind the scenes to drive sales. Whether you have an existing business website or not, we’ll build a new one from scratch, ensuring it's fully optimized for the best possible results. Sounds good, right, but perhaps you’re still saying to yourself, “My business isn’t done online, why do I need a website?” Let’s take a closer look.

Mobile Service Business Websites

Many types of businesses bring their goods and services directly to consumers, such as landscapers, general contractors, interior designers, plumbers, swimming pool contractors, electricians, window companies, and home remodelers. Even if your business has no official business location, a website is going to vastly improve your bottom line. While you may have built a solid reputation via word of mouth, a website will let new customers discover you organically while searching for the local services they need. Additionally, if you wish, they can book consultations and appointments right online.

Brick & Mortar Business Websites

If you own a business that has a brick and mortar location, you may not believe a website will prove beneficial, especially if you don’t, or even can’t, sell your goods and services online. However, a website is a powerful marketing tool, and although people search for services online, they’ll still need to travel to a physical location to have those services rendered. They’re more likely to discover your business if you have a well designed website that features excellent reviews. At MORBiZ, we create stunning, effective websites so brick and mortar shops can be easily found and customers can learn about a business and even schedule services. These are popular with all types of businesses, such as auto repair shops, collision shops, home improvement stores, barber shops, and education facilities.

Retail Websites

Retail shops can benefit greatly from a website, even if they don’t sell hard products online. Regardless if a business sells goods online or not, a website will ensure they’re found by new potential customers who can browse the products of the business. Websites are necessary for all types of companies, such as hobby shops, clothing stores and boutiques, shoe stores, art galleries, restaurants, cafes and more.

At MORBiZ, our goal is to make your business visible online so you can grow your revenue offline. As a local Internet marketing company, we help businesses do just that by helping them compete in their own neighborhoods using custom built, geographically targeted websites. To learn more about our process and how a new website will benefit your business, don’t hesitate to call our team of web marketing pros at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We look forward to helping your business thrive.

Boosting SEO on Small Business Websites

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 15:38:00 GMT

A beautiful small business website may look great, but if nobody sees it, was there ever a point of investing in its build? Without proper search engine optimization (SEO) there’s hardly a chance that your website will rank on Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engines in a way where people will find it. To make sure your site is providing you with a steady stream of potential customers, certain small business SEO tactics need to be utilized. At MORBiZ, our hand-coded websites rely on a variety of SEO tools to maximize search engine ranking. While you may be aware that proper navigation and metadata are necessary for a high ranking, let’s look at a few other on-page SEO methods our local web marketing experts use to put our clients’ on top.

Content Should Focus on Your Goods & Services

Among the most important SEO factors is the website’s written content. It needs to be easy to read, clearly state its purpose and ultimately answer questions that viewers may have. As Google’s webmaster guidelines say, “Make pages primarily for users, not for search engines.” The writers at MORBiZ create custom content designed for readers, but which greatly enhances on page SEO.

Choose the Right Keywords

A part of creating content for your small business website is identifying keywords that searchers are likely to use to find a company like yours. It’s important not to overstuff the pages with keywords, as this can harm search engine rank, but to also use a variety of them to give the site the best chance of being found. Our research and keyword identification tools have helped us zone in on the proper balance, ensuring excellent placement in Google search results.

Update Your Site Regularly

Search engines are designed to answer questions posed by searchers. To do so, they look for helpful content all over the web. By regularly posting articles and blogs that have information likely sought by potential customers, your website will rank near the top of results. At MORBiZ, we regularly post new blogs to continually enhance SEO and boost search ranking.

Play the Long Game

It’s important to understand that utilizing SEO tactics does not necessarily provide instant gratification. In fact, a new website can take a month or more to find its way to the top of search results with excellent SEO tactics in place. Trusting the process and the pros at MORBiZ will ultimately see your business rise in search and profits!

If you’d like to learn more about how our small business Internet marketing experts help our clients rank high in search results, don’t hesitate to contact us. You can give our friendly web presence pros a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We’ll gladly provide you with a free web presence snap shot and let you know how we can help to improve your business’ SEO by building you a custom small business website.

3 Keys to Launching a Promotion

Fri, 21 May 2021 20:35:51 GMT

No matter what type of business you run, a sale can help boost your bottom line and connect you with new customers that will hopefully return time and time again. However, a promotion will only be as effective as its launch. To make the most out of your business’ most recent offerings, be sure to consider the following as you design and launch it. If you need assistance with creating and promoting special offers, be sure to speak with a web presence expert.

Urgent, Yet Meaningful Message

While receiving a discount on services is always attractive, adding specific messaging to the promotional copy can enhance the chances of customers taking advantage of a sale. While developing your special offer, first make sure the incentive is clear. Is it a percent off? A dollar amount off? Buy one get one free? Once that information is identified, consider incorporating terms like “Hurry, limited time only,” or, “This weekend only,” or “Available to the first 25 customers” into the sales copy. This language will inform people they must act quick, thus preventing them from possibly forgetting about the promotion or event.

Multiple Delivery Methods

Once you’ve got your messaging down, you will need to identify how it will be delivered. There are several ways to do this, and hitting the right ones will help achieve the best possible results. Among the most popular places to advertise a sale are on a business website, via an email newsletter and on social media.

Website announcement - Creating announcements, pop up coupons or other online materials that can be easily hosted on your website will let visitors know about the sale as soon as they arrive on your site.

E-blast - If e-blasts or email newsletters are a part of your business’ communications efforts, launching a sale is a great time to put that tool to use. Consider your subject line and send time carefully, though. Be sure to include sales language, like, “Flash sale, act now!” and don’t send it during low open periods, like Monday mornings.

Social media - Don’t forget to utilize your social media channels when launching a sale. Chances are, this is where most people will see, share and talk about the promotion. Utilizing quality graphics and direct, meaningful language, can carry your sale across the waves of the web.

Timing is Everything

Obviously hosting a Mother’s Day Sale in July would cause a bit of confusion, if not some panic in a few customers. Using current events and holidays to plan and launch sales can help people remember the promotion, and give them a timeline on when to take advantage of it. Make sure your sales language incorporates the time of the year and any associated holiday.

With the right tools, a sale will boost your bottom line and help you create customers for life. At MORBiZ, we help small businesses develop the tools to build their online presence , and we’re more than happy to assist with creating coupons and other promotional items for our clients. To learn more about how our team of Internet marketing experts help businesses grow by creating special offers for their website and social media channels, give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or use this form to get in touch. Thanks for considering us for all your web marketing needs.

What Content Should a Small Business Share on Social Media?

Fri, 14 May 2021 20:38:03 GMT

Social media is a powerful tool for any type of business, but its use can be especially critical for small, locally owned shops. These free online platforms offer a way for small companies to connect with current, former and ideally future customers through shared content, commenting and direct messaging. It’s no secret that what a business shares on their social channels can heavily influence their page followers, so what type of content should be posted? Let’s look at a few key categories to drum up some inspiration for your own social media channels.

Photos

Visual posts are always more engaging than plain text, so do your best to always include a photo when posting on Facebook, Twitter and obviously Instagram, which requires one. Some top choices for photos are those of top services or products, team members with a bio, happy customers (with approval) and their story, and before and after shots of projects.

Video

Video is the fastest growing medium for online content, so being able to take advantage of it on social media can prove lucrative for any business. Have no fear, video doesn’t need to be highly produced. SImple smartphone videos or lightly edited video slideshows will help break your business into the videosphere and fuel social algorithms to put your content in front of fans.

Link Previews

On sites such as Facebook and Twitter you can load a link into the content to generate a preview of the link landing page, which generally includes an image. When you have a site that you want customers or fans to visit, be sure to load a preview instead of simply pasting the link into the content. This will provide a visual post that is more likely to attract clicks.

News Updates

Social media channels are perfect for sharing company news, such as new hires, promotions, sales, new goods and services or even the acquisition of a new company pet! Good news tends to travel far on the world wide web.

Coupons

If you’re running a sale or other type of savings offer, creating a visual coupon that you can share on social media could help your business’ promotion go viral.

Inspiration & Reminders

Sharing content that offers inspiration or reminders for services can be a great way to generate business. For example, an auto shop asking if their fans have remembered to change their car’s oil recently could draw several new appointments for services.

In truth, there’s no limit to what you can share on social media. Just be aware of what your fans want to see, and continue to feed it to them! If you’d like assistance with your social media management, reach out to MORBiZ. Our team of small business web marketing experts offer many services to help grow local companies. To learn more about our Internet marketing services, or to request a free web presence evaluation , please give us a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We look forward to working with you!

How to Get Video Customer Reviews

Fri, 30 Apr 2021 22:20:16 GMT

When you grab your phone or sit down at your computer for some leisurely scrolling or to check out a new business, how much of that time ends up spent looking at videos? Probably a good chunk of it, seeing as video is one of the fastest growing online platforms for humor, news, general info and of course marketing purposes. Now, you can take advantage of video as well by having your customers leave you personalized video reviews for your business using Video WebStar from MORBiZ.

Why Do I Need Video Reviews for My Business?

Did you know that around 90 percent of consumers read online reviews before using a business’ services or products? Pretty astonishing stat, right? Well, combine that info with the fact that video gets 1,200% more shares compared to standard images, and the power of video testimonials becomes clear. These short videos provide your business with rich content that can be hosted on your website, thus helping boost your chances of being found in search results thanks to video’s SEO properties. Additionally, customer videos are perfect content for sharing on social media, again helping you reach new customers in every corner of your community.

How do I Get Video Reviews?

So the big question, how do you get customers to leave reviews, especially leave video reviews? With Video WebStar from MORBiZ the process is super simple. There’s no need to schedule production, hire a videographer or do any editing to get a high quality, branded video review with this tool. After identifying customers who you’d like to leave your business a review, you can use the Video WebStar Dashboard to complete the request. You can invite customers to leave a review by sending an email with a link to where they can record a video directly from their phone or computer.

Once they complete the review, music and branding can be automatically added. You will then have an opportunity to review the video. If you approve, it will be published onto your video dashboard so other customers can see it. Finally, you can download the reviews to publish to YouTube, Facebook or other websites to further enhance your business’ web presence and off site SEO!

Video WebStar from MORBiZ is a powerful tool that will boost SEO and put your business in front of many new potential customers. If you'd like to take advantage of this amazing video review widget, please give MORBiZ a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form to get started. For nearly a decade, our team of local web presence experts have been helping small business owners scale their growth both online and off. With many available tools, from capturing video reviews and custom mobile apps, to complete websites, we have a solution to fulfill every business’ Internet marketing needs.

What are the Main Elements of a Business Website?

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 21:43:49 GMT

Everyone wants a quality website, but not everyone has the recipe for success. With a well designed and properly coded website, you can draw new visitors to your brand, which of course can help to generate income. However, even small mistakes can send consumers running for a competitor. While there are many sub-categories of the following elements, let’s look at 8 overall components that must be taken into account when building a new business website.

Visual Design

The first thing people will notice about a website is its visual aesthetics. Long gone are the days of flashy gifs and bright colors, so utilize a tasteful color palette that highlights your brand and choose quality images that tell a story about your business.

Responsive Design

More and more people are turning to their phones as their main tool for online surfing. To accommodate this, your website needs to have a responsive design. This means it automatically adapts to any size screen, whether that’s a smartphone, tablet or a computer.

Written Content

The written text on your website needs to be relevant, grammatically correct and be injected with keywords to boost SEO. Poorly written content is a common reason people leave a website before finding what they’re looking for.

User-Friendly Navigation

Simple navigation is key to helping visitors locate the answers they need regarding your goods and services. Limit your menu options to prevent people from getting lost on your site.

Call to Action

Each page of your website should contain a call to action. This may be requesting your potential customers to call for more information or to fill out a contact form. You may even suggest they schedule an appointment via a tool on your website.

Contact Options

Speaking of call to actions, make sure it is clear how customers can contact you directly. A prominent phone number in your header and a visible contact form on your homepage will prevent people from leaving your site without knowing how to get in touch.

Testimonials

Adding real customer testimonials to your website will help to generate social proof, which is the concept that people will imitate others’ actions. You should also have a place where people can leave a review after using your business.

Backend SEO

Your page titles, content, meta data, image descriptions and other website components need to be search engine optimized to help boost your chances of being found in search. If you’re unsure how to boost organic SEO, it’d be wise to talk with a web marketing pro .

Creating an awesome website is not an easy task, especially if you want it to perform as well as it looks. At MORBiZ, we build websites that work! Our small businesses websites are custom designed to draw in new customers from our clients’ communities. To learn how we use geo-targeting and other unique tools to boost web presence and sales, don’t hesitate to give us a call or fill out this contact form . We’d be happy to provide you with a free web presence analysis so that you can make an informed decision about growing your business’ online footprint.

Must Have Features for Your Business’ New Mobile App

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 21:06:17 GMT

Every day, more and more people turn to their smartphones for everything from checking in with friends to paying their bills. Businesses of all types are taking advantage of this screen time by creating engaging and useful mobile apps to stay connected with customers that are new, old and potential. While the features of a mobile business app can vary based on needs, there are a few app tools that many companies ought to utilize. When developing a small business app, be sure to consider these features.

Savings Feature

Utilizing customer saving features in your new custom mobile app is a great way to influence spending. Some of the most popular options are app-only coupons, digital punch cards or digital scratch and win games that reveal discounts and other saving incentives.

Customer Rewards Programs

Rewards features are excellent for getting customers to come back to your business over and over again. These programs can include points rewards, spend based rewards or an automated value system that encourages year-round spending.

Events Calendar

An updated events calendar keeps customers informed about upcoming sales, special promotions, product releases or other things happening with your company.

Appointment Booking

Does your business require appointments? Then this app feature is a must have. A custom appointment booking app tool can allow customers to book general appointments with the business or book with specific employees. This tool is perfect for everything from salons to auto shops.

Push Notifications

With an app, you can send push notifications to all users, or just certain segments, to provide them incentives to visit your business. Popular uses of push notifications include informing customers of flash sales, sending new product images or reminding them to schedule an appointment.

Quick Contact Capabilities

It’s important that customers know how to get in touch with you when they need your services in a flash. Quick contact features, such as one click calling or messaging and instant driving directions, ensure you’re never out of reach.

Creating a custom mobile app for a small business has never been easier thanks to MORBiZ, a local business app developer. We work with business owners to create powerful web presence tools that drive sales, including apps, websites and pay-per-click advertising. To learn more about our custom small business apps, give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or use this contact form . We can’t wait to launch your new app!

MORBiZ is Offering a Free Web Presence Analysis for Small Businesses

Fri, 26 Mar 2021 23:24:37 GMT

The Internet marketing experts at MORBiZ are now offering a free web presence analysis for small business owners. Our goal in offering this no cost service is to provide business owners with insight into how their company is being found online. We do this utilizing a variety of search tactics and purpose built tools that will analyze and rate everything from your business’ search ranking to its directory listing accuracy.

Why does a business need a web presence analysis?

Every day, more and more people turn to their smartphones, tablets and computers to schedule services or buy products that once required a trip straight to the source, or at least a flip through the yellow pages. Now, even brick and mortar businesses that don’t deal in e-commerce need to have a solid online footprint to keep the traffic flowing. A web presence analysis will inform business owners of their company’s online strengths and weaknesses. Using the gathered information, a plan can be created to improve web presence to draw in new customers.

What’s included in a web presence analysis?

The basic elements of a web presence analysis for your business may include:

Analyzing an existing website’s content for keywords and function
SEO analysis
Search ranking analysis
Online reputation analysis
Social media analysis
Directory listing review

The results of the complete analysis will inform the business owner of their likelihood of being found online in various places, including search.

What types of businesses should get a web presence analysis?

A web presence analysis is beneficial for any type of business, whether the majority of their business is completed online or off. This is because most people turn to Google and other search engines to find local businesses for all their needs. From auto repair and landscaping to food delivery and hair salons, an established and reputable online presence is necessary to draw people in.

Our team would be happy to provide you with additional information or answer any questions you may have regarding this offer. If you are ready to schedule a free web presence analysis from the Internet marketing professionals at MORBiZ, don’t hesitate to call us at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . Our quick turnaround time will provide you with all of the information you need to make informed decisions about boosting your web presence.

4 Common Reasons a Business Website Doesn’t Appear in Search Results

Wed, 17 Mar 2021 19:57:58 GMT

In today’s high tech world, a business website is a crucial part of any company’s day to day efforts. Whether you’re scheduling haircuts or launching a new space exploration company, a website is where people go to learn, book and buy. That is, of course, if they can find your website in the first place.

If you’ve found that your website is not showing up in Google search results, or results on other search engines, you’re surely frustrated. There are a few common issues that can cause this, and thankfully there are remedies available. Let’s look at 4 common reasons your website isn’t showing up in search results.

It’s a New Website

Brand new websites take time to show up in search results, sometimes as much as four weeks. This may seem strange, seeing that we live in an era of instant gratification. Unfortunately, search technology has not quite kept up with our desires to have it now.

Your Website Has Not Been Indexed

Similarly, a website that has not been indexed by a search engine will not show up in search. This is generally related to the website being too new, but it may also be a site structure issue, a navigational problem, a lack of inbound links or other issues related to search algorithms. Connecting with a small business Internet marketing expert that offers a free web presence analysis can provide more information about why your site is not showing up in search.

Unverified/No Google My Business Page

This issue is Google specific, but since Google is the largest search engine, it can be a big problem. If you’re not seeing your business show up on the first page of results, even when searching directly for your business name, it may be due to an unclaimed Google My Business (GMB) page or the complete lack of a Google My Business page . GMB is Google’s listing service that offers free info hosting for businesses. It’s wise to utilize this service, as connecting the GMB page to your site can play a role in how your website ranks on Google.

Poor Content and/or No Keywords

To show up in search results, a website needs quality content. If there is a lack of titles, text and imagery, there will not be anything for Google to analyze to know if your site should be included in someone’s search results or not. It is vital that your website has quality content that includes competitive and unique keywords to boost search ranking.

If you’re concerned about your website’s visibility on Google and other search engines, it’s wise to talk with a web presence pro. The team at MORBiZ works closely with business owners to boost company search ranking and overall Internet visibility, which drives traffic to their websites and their front doors. To learn more about our processes and practices, or to request a free web presence analysis, don’t hesitate to contact MORBiZ at 1-855-2MORBiZ or by using this contact form . We look forward to helping boost your business’ online presence.

What keywords should I use on my website?

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 22:37:55 GMT

To create a successful search strategy, one must consider what keywords to use in their website content. With the right combination of keywords and other quality copy, a website can drive traffic, generate leads and ultimately convert searchers into shoppers. While using Google Analytics and other keyword planning tools will be helpful to determine the base of the terms to use, understanding the various types of keywords will allow you to create keyword content that not only reads well, but helps you achieve your search goals too.

What is a keyword?

Before you can identify what types of keywords to use, or even the specific keywords to zero in on for your site, it’d help to understand what a keyword is. The formal definition of a keyword is, “ an informative word used in an information retrieval system to indicate the content of a document,” according to Oxford Languages. In this case a document would be a website. In broader terms, they are words used by people using search engines to find what they’re looking for. So, what types of keywords are there that fit this definition? The primary ones are known as short-tail, mid-tail and long-tail keywords. Let’s look at some examples.

Short-tail Keywords

A short-tail keyword, also known as a head keyword, is generally a highly popular and broad search term. As the name suggests, they tend to be short, usually no more than one or two words. The problem with short-tail keywords, is they have a lot of competition, making them hard to rank for within search results. That said, always include relevant terms in your content.

Example: auto repair

Mid-tail Keywords

On the next rung of the keyword ladder are mid-tail keywords. These keywords are usually 3-4 words and offer a bit more description. They remain competitive in search, but sprinkling them into your content with various adjectives can certainly improve ranking.

Example: auto repair estimate, or, same day auto repair

Long-tail Keywords

A primary method of improving search ranking is identifying the right long-tail keywords for your business. Though specific, they often have higher conversion rates because those who find them were looking for them.

Example: cost of engine repair for Subaru Forester

Geo-Targeted Keywords

For local businesses, geo-targeted keywords are a must. Not only do they inform searchers of your location, but search engines as well, helping ensure your business is included for searchers in certain geographical areas.

Example: auto repair in North Seattle

There are many types of keywords, but they all have one goal, to get people onto your site so you can sell them your goods and services. If researching keywords and developing content around them sounds like a big chore (it is!), consider teaming up with the local web presence experts at MORBiZ. Our team offers professionally written websites that contain all the right keywords to drive traffic to your site and your front door. To learn more about our website building and other Internet marketing capabilities, or to request a free web presence analysis for your business, please give us a call at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form . Our team can’t wait to help you build your business online and off!

3 Action Items that can Instantly Boost Web Presence

Wed, 10 Mar 2021 05:33:51 GMT

The Internet is a crowded place, and it grows larger by the second. With so much content being dumped onto the web, how does a local small business stand out to customers seeking their goods and services? Building up a web presence is no easy task, but carving out your corner of the Internet with a website and social media channels is a great start. However, that’s really just the beginning. To boost web visibility and to improve your chances of being found via search, the following action items should be completed.

Create a Short Marketing Video

When the word video is brought up, people tend to imagine highly produced movies with actors, lights, directors and all sorts of big cameras. While that is one option for a marketing video , your production can be much simpler and way more affordable, yet still have the same impact on web presence. Consider creating a simple video slideshow or shooting video with a smartphone. Add a nice voiceover and voila! By uploading your new video to YouTube and using search friendly terms in the title, description and tags, you’ll instantly increase your chances of being found on Google search. Why? Google owns YouTube and it favors video results!

Clean Up Directory Listings

Directory listing sites such as Yelp, YellowPages and even Facebook automatically create profiles for local businesses. When accurate, these can improve web presence without you lifting a finger. The problem is, many of these listings contain wrong information, such as an incorrect phone number, physical address, website address or even business logo. When search engines prepare results, they sift through these sites. Any inaccuracies across directories can prevent your business from showing up in results, as there is a lower level of trust in them according to the search engine. Performing a directory clean up, which involves checking and correcting info as necessary across more than two dozen of these directory sites, will build trust with search engines and consumers. Additionally, your listing will be accurate! Wrong info could prevent a potential customer that does find an auto generated listing from ever getting in contact with you!

Evaluate & Refresh Onsite SEO

Chances are, you’ve got a website, but is it really performing as it should? A website that isn’t being found in search isn’t much of a help at all, at least when it comes to online discovery. A search engine optimization (SEO) sweep can greatly improve the chances of local searchers finding your business. Enhancing SEO can involve a number of tactics, such as keyword optimization, evaluating and refreshing tags and meta data and even updating page titles. Depending on the current condition of your site, the best thing to do may be to hire a web presence expert to build a new one from scratch. It should include a responsive design that adapts to all screen sizes and be crafted using quality, professionally written content that accurately describes your goods and services.

As the world population turns to their screens more and more for every need, it’s vital that your small business has a large web presence. To improve your chances of being found in search results, it may be time to hire a pro. The local web presence experts at MORBiZ would love to help you boost your company’s online visibility. From marketing videos and directory cleanup services to full website builds, we’ve got an option for you. Give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or use this contact form to request a free evaluation of your current web presence. We look forward to helping you grow online and off!

7 Popular Online Review Sites Where Your Small Business Needs to be Active

Fri, 26 Feb 2021 23:53:33 GMT

There are many, many websites designed to let consumers review businesses, while providing those businesses a free place to list their contact and services information online. Most of these sites will automatically create a business listing for a company, but far too often it contains inaccurate phone numbers, addresses, or other info. It’s necessary to claim these free profiles to ensure listing accuracy, but so you can also be a part of the conversation surrounding your business by responding to reviews . Of all the review sites out there, here’s seven you definitely need to engage with.

Google My Business Reviews

The single most important review site to ensure is accurate and active is your business’ Google My Business (GMB) page. As a Google service, it is crucial for SEO and company credibility, both online and off.

Yelp Reviews

Yelp is among the top review sites and business profiles often show up in Internet search results. Showing an active presence on your Yelp page will indicate a dedication to maintaining a quality reputation.

Facebook

Facebook is far more than a social media website, it’s a marketing giant for companies big and small. It’s also a place for consumers to leave reviews. Facebook reviews can be turned off on a page by page basis, but you should certainly have an active business profile to interact with fans whether you utilize the feature or not.

Bing Places for Business

Bing may not be the most popular search engine, but it's still widely used. Their version of GMB is called Bing Places for Business and it works in a similar manner. Verifying your business here is critical if you want to show up on Bing Local search and map results.

YellowPages

The days of print may be in the past, but YellowPages still holds a stake in the business listing marketplace. After creating your free business profile on YellowPages you will be able to manage reviews on this popular directory site.

Angie’s List

As one of the first major review sites, many consumers find Angie’s List to have some of the most credible customer evaluation, especially since they can’t be anonymous. Be sure to set up your free profile to boost SEO and customer interactions.

Better Business Bureau

The BBB is among the most trustworthy consumer sites, as it verifies all reviews. The Better Business Bureau also offers separate ratings of businesses, ranging from A to F, which are independent from the public assessments left by users.

In some cases, managing online reviews can be a full time job, especially considering these seven sites are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to review platforms. If you would like a hand claiming and engaging with review sites, reach out to MORBiZ and ask about WebStar Reputation Management. Our team of small business web marketing professionals would love to share more information about this exciting Internet reputation tool . Give us a call toll free at 855-266-7249 or use this contact form to get started today

How a Small Business can Take Advantage of Social Media for Free

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 17:10:53 GMT

What began as a platform for students to connect with colleagues has developed into one of the most influential mediums of our times, for better or worse. In short, social media is no longer just inspirational quotes and photos you don’t want your mom to see. As a powerful marketing tool for businesses of all sizes, not creating a profile for your company on Facebook, Instagram and other social media channels is akin to denying free billboards. While there are plenty of paid advertising options, a good chunk of social media’s benefits for small businesses are no cost. Let’s look at why you should sign your business up for social media right now.

Indicates Desire to Grow

If you want your business to stand out in the 21st century, you need to participate in 21st century marketing tactics. A majority of customers of all types of companies are now aware of and using social media, regardless of age. If your business is not active on these channels, you may be viewed as outdated, or worse, not viewed at all.

Show off Goods & Services

Social media channels, Facebook particularly, allows for businesses to showcase their goods and services using free add ons widgets. Even without specific tools, adding regular posts and photos about your products will blast them to your followers, all for free.

Book Appointments

With Facebook’s free appointment scheduling widget, customers can now book services automatically. You’ll soon find your day is filled up open to close!

Sell Directly

Using Facebook and Instagram shop features, you can sell directly from these platforms. From t-shirts to jewelry, your free social media store will earn you additional income.

Thought Leadership

As your audience grows, more and more people will place their trust in your business. By using your platform to share insight and information, you can position yourself as an industry thought leader.

Building a Community

Social media may have warped into a multibillion dollar industry, but the goal remains the same for most channels: create community. With a Facebook page you can build a captive audience around your business that fosters community and drives sales!

As an SMB operator, you may understandably have your hands tied with day to day operations. If setting up and managing social media for a small business presents a challenge for you, considering partnering with the Internet marketing experts at MORBiZ. As part of our local web presence campaigns we can set up and manage your new business Facebook page. If you’d like to learn more about social media or our other local web marketing tactics, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We look forward to helping you grow your business, online and off.

Benefits of Google Ads PPC for Small Businesses

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 20:57:34 GMT

Building a business from the ground up is an incredibly difficult feat. You’ve likely poured sweat and tears into getting your company off the ground, but the challenges are far from over just because the front doors are open. Staying competitive means investing in advertising. This is a frightening step for many small business owners, as it can be tough to measure a return on investment with many forms of ads. But what if you only had to pay for advertisements that you knew resulted in a visitor to your business’ website? That’s the idea behind Pay-Per-Click advertising, also known as PPC.

With Google Ads, formerly AdWords, you can spend on advertising without worrying about paying for placement that doesn’t bring buyers closer to you. In short, PPC is exactly what it sounds like, paying for ads that are clicked on, or pay-per-click. When properly set up and managed, PPC can have a massively positive effect on website traffic for small businesses, whether they operate solely online or offer hard goods and services. Let’s look at the primary benefits of PPC for small businesses.

Highly Targeted Geographical Ads

Among the greatest advantages of Google Ads is the ability to target hyper local areas. Whether you live in a big city that caters to one neighborhood, or a small town that serves an entire county, Google Ads puts you directly in front of real, local searchers who need your offerings..

Great for Niche Markets

We’ll talk more about costs below, but Google Ads is very cost effective for niche markets. Since clicks cost more for desirable keywords, using highly specific keywords related to your specialties to attract customers can reduce ad costs, while earning more customers.

Great Metrics

Google Ads allows users to measure just about every imaginable metric to ensure their ad campaigns are profitable. From location of clicks to user age groups, you can gain a full understanding of who is finding your business and through your ads. This will help you make informed decisions about how much you spend and how to craft your ads.

How Much Does PPC Cost?

The cost of Google Ads will vary depending on your market and the keywords used to place your ads. PPC essentially lets business owners bid on Internet ad space by stating how much they are willing to pay for a click. Once your campaign is up and running, you can alter your campaign to suit your budget based on the available metrics.

Google Ads has many benefits for small businesses looking to attract new and returning customers. However, setting up a successful campaign can be time consuming. Working with a Google Ads professional , such as the experts at MORBiZ, allows you to focus on your day to day operations, and allows us to optimize your online advertising. To learn more about our Google Ad management and local web presence packages, please give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . We look forward to working with you to grow your business, online and off!

Google My Business Listing Issues that Negatively Impact SEO

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 01:42:23 GMT

When it comes to search engine optimization for local businesses, few things, if any, are more important than a properly set up Google My Business (GMB) listing. While many tactics can boost SEO, the fact that Google dominates web search should be incentive enough to take advantage of this free and crucial Internet business listing. However, setting up a GMB listing isn’t as straightforward as you may think. Let’s look at five common GMB mistakes that can damage local SEO.

Using the Wrong Business Name

When it comes to your GMB page, it is important the business name matches the name on your website and other Internet directory listings, such as Yelp, Yellowpages and Facebook. This means to make sure you use your “doing business as (DBA)” name, opposed to a legal business name. Also stray away from trying to add keywords to the business name on your GMB page, as this harms your ranking due to Google listing violations.

Unclear Business Description

The business description section on a GMB listing only displays the first 250 characters in search. It is imperative to use this space to set your business apart from competitors. Focus this text on what your customers love and address common questions your business receives.

No Reviews or Fake Reviews

Google reviews are critical to local SEO. If your business does not have any reviews on Google, you will want to create a program that influences your customers to write them. However, it is against Google’s guidelines to pay for reviews or reward customers for reviews, this doesn’t mean you can’t politely ask them to review you following their purchase of goods or services.

Duplicate Listings

If you add a GMB listing that already exists, it will prevent your business from showing up in search results and will instead show up as a “duplicate listing” within your GMB account. Remove the duplicate listing as soon as possible. If one listing is verified, be sure to remove the unverified account. Speaking of verified...

Not Verifying the Business on GMB

Verifying your GMB page can instantly boost the amount of times your business shows up in search results, as Google will place more trust in a verified business than an unverified one. Verifying your GMB listing will also allow you to modify it by adding branding and images, crafting your business description and correcting any discrepancies in the generated listing.

Properly managing your Google My Business page will help boost your SEO, which drives traffic online and off. If you’d like GMB assistance, be sure to connect with the web presence experts at MORBiZ. Our team has decades of combined experience in helping local businesses show up in search results using a variety of proven tactics. To find out how our local Internet marketing team can help your business, don’t hesitate to call us at 1-855-2MORBiZ or by using this contact form . We look forward to helping you improve your local search engine ranking.

These Common Website Mistakes Hurt Small Businesses

Sat, 16 Jan 2021 23:54:30 GMT

A business website must do three things. First, it needs to help your business be found by potential customers seeking your services online. Second, once a person lands on the site, it needs to provide engaging information that hooks visitors. Third, and most importantly, it needs to convert them from looky-loos to customers by pushing them to contact you, schedule online or purchase your products directly. There are several mistakes website builders make that can prevent a site from doing its job, including the following.

Unclear Message

One of the most important aspects of your site is its message, especially regarding services rendered. If your site copy doesn’t clearly state offerings or your area of expertise, people are going to bounce -- and fast. Plainly stating what your business does is key to website success.

Poor Grammar

Aside from issuing vague statements about your business’ goods and services, poor grammar ranks high in reasons people choose not to use a company. If writing is not your strong suit, consider partnering with a web presence team that can create a custom website for you.

Visual Mess

More pictures does not equal more appeal. Your website should have a proper balance of visuals and copy, the former complimenting the latter when necessary. Remember, photos and other graphics are also key to boosting SEO, but more on that in a moment.

Difficult Navigation

Your website’s navigation bar should be simple and concise. Try and limit your website to about five or six pages, including home, but not including additional blog type landing pages. Each page should be named precisely for what it covers, but be specific. Instead of “Services,” consider “Auto Repair Services.”

Improper/No SEO

Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the practice of enhancing a website’s chances of being highly ranked in search results. Common SEO methods include using specific keywords in copy, including metadata for images, and properly naming page titles and section titles with relevant terms. It’s also important to constantly update your website with blogs or fresh content to ensure it is being indexed by search engines.

No Testimonials

If you’re making bold claims about your capabilities on your website, it’s best to back them up by including real reviews on your website. Shoppers respond to reviews, acknowledging them as a sort of word of mouth recommendation from a reliable source.

Subtle or No Call To Action

Most importantly, you need a solid call to action. If an actual on site purchase isn’t the goal, be clear that you want people to call to schedule an appointment or to fill out your online form for more information. A person calling or otherwise contacting you is a conversion who is one step away from spending money at your business.

In the 21st century a visually stimulating and well written website is a necessary component of business success, even if that business’ operations primarily take place offline. MORBiZ, a local web presence leader, is constantly improving our clients’ websites to maximize their appeal and performance. If you’d like to learn how a new small business website and web presence campaign will benefit you, don’t hesitate to contact us for a free evaluation. Give our team of Internet marketing experts a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ or use this contact form to get started today.

5 Types of Blogs to Write for your Business Website

Sat, 09 Jan 2021 07:18:45 GMT

A blog on a local business website is a great tool for keeping in touch with your customers, drawing in new ones and even boosting your website’s SEO. What you share on your blog is ultimately up to you, but coming up with enough topics for regular posting can be challenging. To help you keep the content flowing, we’ve put together a few ideas for types of blogs that can apply to just about any kind of business.

How To Blogs

No matter what line of work you’re in, chances are you can offer some “how to” tips in your blog. Run an auto shop? “How to Tell if it is Time for Auto Repair” or a similar title will help your customers and build website SEO. Have a remodeling or contracting company? Try out, “How to Choose the Right Counters for a Kitchen Remodel.” These sorts of keyword rich blogs make you easier to find online and entice people to learn more by getting in touch with you.

Listicles Blogs

List articles, or listicles as they’ve become known, are a popular type of blog that generally start with, “Top 10…” or, “5 Ways to…” or really any number and then a topic. These types of blogs can touch on just about anything, so get creative. Hey, check out the title of this blog!

News Announcements

Got big news in the business? Use your blog to share it! Legitimate news announcements surrounding new goods and services, changes in leadership, contracts awarded, new projects completed or even a new shop dog make great topics for blogs.

Staff Highlights

Highlighting staff members in your blog will boost your connection with the community by attaching faces to your business. Consider conducting brief interviews with employees that showcase their role and give them a chance to talk about why they love working at your company. This type of blog can make potential customers feel more comfortable with your business because they’ll get to know your employees before ever visiting.

Tips & Tricks Blogs

If you’ve started a business, chances are you’ve probably got some tricks up your sleeve. By sharing insider knowledge you can build trust with current and potential customers. You don’t have to give away your secret recipes for success, but offering car care tips if you have an auto shop, lawn care tips if you’re a professional landscaper, legal advice if you’re a lawyer and so forth, can draw interest to your business.

Helpful and informational blog posts are excellent for sharing on social media, keeping customers in the loop and boosting SEO, but they can also be time consuming to create and maintain. If you want the benefits of a blog without sacrificing the time needed to write them, consider working with the Internet marketing experts at MORBiZ. Our team includes professional content writers who can craft custom blogs to suit your business. To learn more about our local web presence campaigns that include websites, directory listing clean up , small business app development and more, give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this handy contact form . We look forward to working with you to grow your business online and off.

2 Simple Online Tactics to Boost SMB Revenue in 2021

Sun, 20 Dec 2020 23:11:47 GMT

There is no denying it, 2020 has been hard. For people, for business, for just about everything. As we say goodbye to this disaster of a year, let’s look forward to reconnecting with customers, growing business relationships and boosting revenues. As the world gets back on its feet, use these simple Internet visibility tactics to help your small or medium sized business increase its bottom line in 2021.

Respond to Online Reviews

One of the easiest ways to improve your online footprint is to become a part of the conversation surrounding your business. Where are people talking about you? In review sections on Google, Yelp and other web directories. These often auto generated listings provide consumers a place to share experiences, both positive and negative, with other shoppers. Responding to negative and positive reviews lets potential customers know you care about what they have to say and are willing to address possible issues. Doing so also ensures you have a voice in matters when people make possibly unjust claims about your business. Interacting with customers in this way can improve visibility because search engines incorporate reviews and responses to them into search results.

SEO your Web Presence

SEO is a term that gets tossed around a lot. Most people understand that search engine optimization is beneficial to improving the chances of a website being found organically, but with the right tactics it can be advantageous elsewhere too. Too boost offsite SEO, consider updating the descriptions of your social media channels to include relevant keywords to increase their search ranking. You can do the same for your directory listings on Google, Yelp, Yellow Pages and so forth by claiming and updating them too. While you’re at it, make sure that all of the information on these auto-generated listings is correct. Double check your phone number, website, physical address and even the business name. Inconsistent information across directory listings can decrease your search ranking. By improving your on and offsite SEO, you’ll be more likely to be found online, which ultimately translates into more dollars spent at your business.

Takeaway: Visibility is Key

Whether you run a hair salon or an auto shop, when it comes to attracting new customers from the web to your brick and mortar store, it's necessary to make your business easy to find online. The above tips will help you do just that, all without breaking the bank.

Managing a medium or small business web presence can be time consuming, especially when you have customers to care for in person. Nevertheless, a rich online presence is more critical than ever for continued offline success. If you need a hand managing and updating your website, social media and online directory listings, turn to the Internet marketing experts at MORBiZ. Our decades of experience in hyper-local , online small business marketing have proven time and time again that we have the right tools and techniques to grow bottom lines. To learn more about our services or to get started, please give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or use this quick contact form . Thank you for considering MORBiZ to be your online reputation management team.

How to Turn Your Business Into a Local Industry Thought Leader

Mon, 14 Dec 2020 18:35:21 GMT

Attracting new customers in a competitive marketplace is no easy task, regardless of the type of business you’re in. While sales, promotions and offering free coffee in your waiting room may be attractive to some, it’s actual expertise that most consumers are interested in. For the best chance at being found and trusted by local spenders who can boost your revenue, you need to establish yourself and your business as a local thought leader. Here’s our tips for doing just that.

Use your Web Presence to Showcase your Expertise

Most shoppers begin their search for products and services online. It needs to be crystal clear from your website, social media presence and Google My Business page exactly what it is that you offer. Flowery language and photos of puppies can fill up space, but it doesn’t do much to help you win over new customers if you specialize in automotive engine repair. Use your website and other online listings to illustrate your authority on the goods and services you provide.

Generate Interesting Content

Establishing your skillset is a solid first step, but the content stream doesn’t end there. Using a blog or other publishing means, you should regularly share content that answers consumers’ questions and provides tips, tricks and insights surrounding your business’ dealings.

Create a Social Media Community

People tend to turn to businesses that have many engaged customers, as this generally means they have an established reputation for fair prices and honest service. By building an online community around your company on Facebook and other social media platforms, you will be more likely to earn new business thanks to the positive reviews and positive chatter that follows. Your social media channels are the perfect place to share the aforementioned content.

Listen to Others

Being a thought leader doesn’t mean you should do all the talking. Responding to online reviews, both negative and positive, is a great way to let people know that your ears are open and ready to make adjustments to improve customer experiences. Additionally, be sure to constantly be reading and listening to what people from similar businesses in the neighborhood and beyond are sharing, as this will keep you looped in to local, regional and national trends.

Always be Learning

While you and your colleagues may be experts in your field, it’s likely the field is rapidly developing. As tools and technology; styles and flavors, change, you need to exhibit your will to learn and adapt, or in some cases, innovate. On your community platforms and website, list new training and courses completed and new capabilities and services offered as a result. This will let your customer base know that you’re on the cutting edge of your industry.

At MORBiZ, we know that many small business owners are too busy to focus on forming, let alone managing, a large web presence. That’s where we step in. As your online marketing team we will establish you as a local thought leader in your industry, boost your Internet reputation and grow your bottom line. To learn more about how our Internet marketing and SEO experts can attract new customers to your company, please give us a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ or use this handy contact form .

7 Key Terms to Know about Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 20:18:52 GMT

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is the process of optimizing a website to increase its chances of being found at or near the top of organic search results. There are many tactics for optimizing a website so it is more likely to be highly ranked on Google (top search engine), Yahoo, Bing, or elsewhere. SEO methods include the use of keywords, title tagging and other on and off site actions. To provide a more clear cut idea of SEO and its goals, check out these seven related search engine optimization terms.

ALT Text

When a search engine is looking for results it analyzes data about images on a page as well, but it isn’t looking at the actual photos. ALT text is a description of the photo embedded in a site’s HTML code that is read by search engines.

Blog

A blog is a critical SEO tool, as each new blog that is posted is a new page added to your site and therefore a new chance to be found by search engines. Using keywords and terms in blogs can improve search ranking as well.

Headings

Breaking site content into sections and using headings is a great way to improve onsite SEO. Headings are generally placed inside a header tag, such as H1 or H2, which presents the headings in a larger or bolder font.

Keywords

Keywords, or key terms, are what people might search for on Google or other search engines. Each page of a website should be optimized with keywords and alternative forms of it to boost the chances of being found online.

Page Title

The name of your website’s internal pages are crucial to SEO. Each page name should be relevant to its content and include keywords that users may search for.

Search Engine Marketing

Search engine marketing, or SEM, is an overarching term that captures the ultimate goal of SEO and other paid and organic online marketing strategies, which is to improve visibility in search engine results.

Search Ranking

A site’s search ranking is the position in which it shows up on a search engine ranking page (SERP). The goal of SEO and SEM is to boost a website’s search ranking to the number one spot at the top of the SERP.

There are many, many strategies for improving SEO on and off a website. In today’s online world, enhancing SEO is a critical component of business success. To maximize the effectiveness of your website it is wise to partner with a team of professional search engine marketing experts. At MORBiZ, our team has more than two decades of experience doing just that. Whether building a website from the ground up or improving your existing setup, our Internet marketing professionals can boost your business using paid and organic methods. To learn more about our extensive web marketing services or to request a free snapshot of your current web presence, please give us a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ or use this contact form to connect with us!

What is the Purpose of a Website for a Brick and Mortar Business?

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 20:13:18 GMT

It is understandable to question the need of a website for a business that offers physical products or in person services. Even more so if that business is well established and has been serving its community for quite some time. So why does a brick and mortar company need a website? For a number of reasons, actually. Whether you’ve been in biz for decades or are just setting up shop, consider the following when thinking about establishing a web presence.

Inform Customers

A website offers a simple way of informing current and potential customers what your business offers. Remember, no two businesses are the same! Even if a customer has used your services before, they may want to know what else you provide, and the quickest way for them to find out would be via a website. People are much more likely to pick up a phone, schedule an appointment or make a purchase if they are already positive that your business offers what they want. On your website you can list and detail everything your business does and sells, ensuring that you never let a customer get away because they were uninformed.

Schedule Services & Sell Products

A website is the most convenient way to let customers schedule appointments and browse and purchase products. That’s working smarter, not harder! Simple contact forms also make it easy to connect with potential customers who have questions or prefer to schedule directly with you or another employee. Even if you don’t want to sell products online, you can list your available goods and services on your website, giving people a direct reason to visit your facility.

Be Found Online -- and Off

The fact of the matter is, advertising and marketing methods have changed drastically in recent years. Word of mouth is more like word of keyboard these days. People share their experiences on social media, not with a letter to the editor. Being found online is a necessity for business survival these days because that is where people seek out goods and services. More and more, consumers turn to Google to find local businesses that offer what they need -- auto repair, haircuts, takeout, home improvement services and so on. Your website is how these customers will connect with you! Simply put, if you don’t have a web presence, you’re losing business.

Setting up a website may seem like a difficult task, especially if your specialty has nothing to do with computers. Thankfully, you’ve got MORBiZ! Our team of Internet marketing professionals can craft a custom small business website that will drive customers through your front door. To learn more about the benefits of a website for a brick and mortar business, or to request a free web presence snapshot of your company, please call us at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this simple contact form. We look forward to working with you to grow your business online and off using our web marketing tool box !

Hiring an Internet Marketing Agency vs. Hiring an In-House Employee

Wed, 11 Nov 2020 18:54:34 GMT

Every small business owner wears many hats as they plan, open and run their business. As growth occurs it is only natural to begin hiring to fill the roles the owner once had full control over. While some duties certainly require in house employees, there are other positions that you may consider to fill remotely with an agency, opposed to an in house employee. Internet marketing is likely one of those positions up for debate by yourself and any business partners. Let’s look at the benefits of hiring a web marketing agency instead of an individual small business marketing professional.

Whole Team vs. Individual

When you hire an agency, you’re not just hiring one person. Agencies generally consist of a team of people who specialize in different areas, such as content, web design, app building and paid advertising, all of who will work together on your marketing efforts. While it is possible for one person to excel at all of these things and more, the cost of employing someone with that skill set could be very expensive, and chances are, they still won’t have the same capacity as an entire team.

Larger Tool Box

Speaking of capacity, when you hire an agency, you’ll have many web marketing tools at your fingertips that you may have never considered. At MORBiZ, we offer so much more than small business websites, though we do those very well. Our marketing agency can build custom small business mobile apps, conduct internet directory clean up services, social media marketing and even video marketing. The best part, the turnaround time to build these tools is very little compared to what it may take for an individual.

No Management Needed

When you hire an agency you can expect them to hit the ground running, and keep running and running and running. An agency will offer a hands-off approach to your marketing needs, without sacrificing the quality you want and deserve. Of course, the door (or phone or email inbox) is always open if you have certain requests for your web marketing campaign. This type of marketing means less time managing and more time focusing on sales and service.

Maximize ROI

The costs of hiring an individual marketing professional can be daunting. You need to consider salary, benefits, time off and so on and so forth. For an individual marketer to benefit your business, they need to be boosting your bottom line more than you’re spending to employ them. The same is true of course for an agency, but realistically, the upfront costs are much smaller, and the results often greater. For a small monthly fee you’ll see a return on your investment day after day, and year after year, nearly from the time you launch an agency Internet marketing campaign with MORBiZ. Hiring an individual may mean waiting a year or more before seeing a return on your investment at all.

If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of hiring an Internet marketing agency, talk to the pros at MORBiZ. We come prepped with a full toolbox ready to help you grow your business. Give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or use this simple contact form to get started. We can even offer you a free web presence analysis to let you know exactly how your business is currently fairing online.

3 Ways to Improve Your Search Ranking for the Holidays

Tue, 27 Oct 2020 21:32:51 GMT

When most people think of holiday shopping, colorfully wrapped presents and stuffed stocking come to mind. But the fact of the matter is that the season isn’t reserved for items found under the tree or hanging above the fireplace. All types of small businesses will find they are more in demand during the holiday rush, even if its offerings have little to do with the time of year.

Consider all that goes into making the holidays special. There are so many details that have nothing to do with gift wrap. Getting the car ready for cross country road trips to visit family, preparing and updating one’s own home for visitors, making sure the stove is ready to bake a Christmas ham, and so forth, are all chores that people turn to small businesses for. To make sure your business, whatever it may be, is found online by real local shoppers needing a pre-trip inspection, a furnace tune up, appliance repair or another holiday service, take advantage of these tips to boost search ranking.

Internet Directory Audit

There are many, many places that a business will be listed online, such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, Facebook and of course Google itself, among others. Many times these sites automatically create listings without the business owner’s knowledge. This can result in inaccurate information, such as an incorrect phone number, website or physical address, being generated for the listing. If this type of information is inconsistent across these Internet directories, it can harm your search results, particularly in Google. Taking the time to make sure all the information regarding your business is correct across these various channels can be time consuming, but necessary. An online reputation management tool can be of great assistance in completing this process quickly and correctly.

Freshen Up Content

Google takes website content updates into account when calculating search results. Make sure you are providing new blogs, adding landing pages, and refreshing home site content on a routine basis to keep your site properly indexed with search engines. If you can use your new content to highlight specific goods and services that will be beneficial to people during this time of year, you will surely see even better results. Don’t forget to post any sales or specials that you’re running for the holiday season.

Paid Google Advertising

Investing in your business by way of Google advertising is a surefire method of landing right in front of the people who need it most. Since learning to navigate Google’s advertising platform isn’t likely on your list of things to do this season, consider working with a Certified Google partner to set up and execute your Google ad campaign Doing so will quickly lift your business to the very top of search results.

The holidays are a time to shine, regardless of your business’ sector. From auto shops to salons, HVAC companies to bakeries, there is no time like the present  to take control of your online presence. For expert assistance boosting your search ranking, reach out to the Internet marketing professionals at MORBiZ. Give our team a call at 1-855-266-7249 or use this simple contact form to connect with us to begin rising through the ranks. Our web presence professional will work closely with you to develop an effective online marketing campaign for your business.

How do Online Reviews Benefit Small Businesses?

Thu, 22 Oct 2020 23:51:02 GMT

Many small business owners have a stormy relationship with online reviews. While it is easy to embrace the positive remarks from customers, negative feedback can cause stomachs to drop. Good or bad, it’s necessary to recognize the importance of online reviews in our digital world. Let’s look at three benefits of online reviews for small businesses and then we will explore a few methods of soliciting new and positive reviews.

Reviews Build Credibility

Did you know that as many as 90 percent of consumers will read online reviews before visiting a new business? Positive reviews are key to bringing in first time customers. By monitoring your business’ online reputation and soliciting and embracing feedback, you can make it easy for new clients to say yes to visiting you thanks to all those five star reviews.

Reviews Offer Feedback

Online reviews are the perfect way to learn how customers are responding to your goods and services. Through online reviews you can see what people love, and what could use some improvement. By responding to reviews you can become a part of the online conversation regarding your business. Acknowledging possible flaws and saying thanks for great reviews shows potential customers that you care about what’s being said about your company.

Reviews Help Businesses be Found in Search

One of the greatest benefits of online reviews is that they can move your business up in search results. Google, for example, considers review rankings from multiple sites, such as Yelp, Facebook and its own review platform, to provide the most qualified search results. The more positive reviews your business earns, the more likely it is to show up high in searches conducted by real, local shoppers seeking products and services like the ones you offer.

How does a Business Earn Reviews?

Now that we know how online reviews benefit local businesses, let’s take a moment to consider how to earn new positive reviews. Among the most useful tactics is asking face to face during a moment of customer happiness. Catching clients at their best and nuding them to leave a review is a proven method of earning five stars. Another great option is to capture customer email addresses and use your eBlasts to link them directly to review platforms. Chances are, if a customer signed up for your enewsletter, they will have some positive feedback to pass on.

If you’ve yet to embrace online reviews as a powerful marketing tool, now is the time to do so. For assistance garnering positive online reviews, connect with the Internet marketing experts at MORBiZ. With our WebStar Reputation Management platform you can control the online conversation surrounding your business. To learn more about this web presence management tool, give our team a call at 1-855-266-7249 or use this simple contact form . Partnering with MORBiZ is partnering with success!

Why Your Content Should Change with the Seasons

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 23:02:29 GMT

For many small business owners, autumn is all about the hustle and bustle, and perhaps a little bit of rustle, of leaves that is. The upcoming holiday season has many people on their toes as making sure inventories are stocked, service stations are prepped and sales ads, commercials, social posts and other content is ready to be distributed online and off. This time of year is just another example that when seasons change, so to should the focus of your business’ written and visual content distributions. Check out these tips for ensuring your small business is creating content that attracts buyers, no matter what season it is.

Use an Editorial Calendar

Content is a fairly generic term. It can relate to social media posts, blogs, press releases, news articles, email newsletters and so on. The more channels that your business uses to connect with customers, the more complicated your communications distribution may come. An editorial calendar is a great way to keep everything in a straight line. It will also help you plan themes, materials, and distribution times for each vertical that you use. A calendar will ensure you’re not over posting while promote cross posting where applicable. This will help you get the most mileage out of any content that you do create. In addition, an editorial content calendar will help you stay on track when it comes to addressing changing seasons, national or local celebrations and the related sales or events that you may want to promote. For example, your October calendar, planned out in August and September, will probably be full of pumpkins and fall prep ideas, while your March calendar could help your customers transition to spring. Being timely in your content is a proven method of attracting customers.

Think Outside the Present Box

As the leaves turn, many businesses are quick to promote holiday sales, especially for things that look good in a stocking or under a tree. ”Present promotions” can work throughout the year (Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Christmas, etc), but they are difficult for many service providers that wouldn’t normally find their products or services under anybody’s tree or wrapped up all pretty. Using creative content is a great way to get buyers to think about your offerings at a time they may otherwise not. For instance, a roofing company may use the winter season to promote the idea of giving a home a new hat for Christmas. A tire shop may recommend new winter shoes for the family car as a great gift! Your seasonal content is the perfect way to show off your creativity.

Different Seasons: Different Needs

Most people don’t need snow plowing in July. Let’s face it, not every product or service your business offers will be in demand throughout the year. Make sure to use your content stream to highlight the items that are most applicable to the current season. Potential customers are much more likely to respond to and engage with content that addresses their current wants and needs.

Professional Writing Services

Let’s be honest, many small business owners don’t have the capacity to create content, or at least enough, to maintain a steady flow that draws in customers all year long. Hiring a full time marketing and communications employee, is an option, but a very expensive one at that. Connecting with a web marketing agency is an excellent way to ensure you’re distributing creative content for your business on a regular basis. The creative team at MORBiZ, a h yper local web presence firm, develops regular content that addresses timely issues in a fun and easy to digest manner.

If you’d like to learn how MORBiZ can help improve your online footprint to draw customers through the front door of your business, please contact us at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form . Our web presence campaigns , which include blogging and social media management, are easily customizable to meet your business’ needs all year long. We look forward to connecting and offering you a free analysis of your current online presence.

MORBiZ Product Launch: Video Emails

Tue, 13 Oct 2020 22:59:36 GMT

MORBiZ has launched a new Video WebStar feature that allows business owners to send out video emails. This offers a brand new platform for businesses to communicate with current, former and past customers who have provided their email address. Video emails offer several advantages over text newsletters. These include the amount of time a business will save on crafting emails, the amount of opens the email will receive, and ultimately an improved conversion rate.

What is a video email?

MORBiZ’s new video email platform allows users to send a prerecorded video that is under 1:30 minutes to their desired email list. In the email, receivers will see a preview of the video and be provided a link to the full content. Video email is great for quickly catching people’s attention (we all know how hard that is today!) and helping people get to know you as a local business owner or marketer. Of course, you can always think bigger. What local talent could star in your video email?

Benefits of Video Email

There are many benefits of using video email to connect with your customers, but as mentioned above, a few of the primary ones are saving time, getting more opens and boosting conversion rates.

Save Time - With video email, you won’t have to worry about finding the perfect template, the right graphics or spending hours on copy and editing. If you know what you want to say, now you can do so directly. Speak from a script or from the heart!

More Email Opens - Video has proven to be an incredibly engaging tool for many forms of online entertainment and marketing. When people read a subject line that says something like, “New Video Message from (Your Business)” they’re much more likely to open compared to another thing they have to read.

Increase Conversions - Getting people to open your emails is the first battle, but converting them to website visitors and potential buyers is always the next fight. It becomes much easier once your engagement numbers spike and your video ushers them right to your homepage.

The MORBiZ Video WebStar email platform is perfect for all types of businesses. It’s never been more important to offer thoughtful, straightforward communication for those who rely on your business, and video email makes it easy to do just that. To see an demo or to learn more about video email marketing from MORBIZ, give our team a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ or use this handy contact form and we will be in touch. Our team of Internet marketing professionals looks forward to working with you to build your small business’ web presence.

8 Tips to Build a Successful Business Website

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 05:32:48 GMT

No matter what type of business you have, an online presence is critical to its success. Even if you don’t participate in e-commerce and are strictly brick and mortar, a website is necessary for earning new business and maintaining relationships with current customers. While setting up a basic website has grown increasingly simple, doing so in an effective manner takes some serious effort. Here are 8 tips for creating an effective business website.

1. Choose an Effective Domain Name

Among the first things people will see when it comes to your website is the address that it is hosted at. Not only should the address, or URL, reflect your business, but it needs to be SEO friendly, as in search engine optimized . Consider MikesShop.com versus MikesSeattleCarRepair.com. The former may be concise and the legal name of the shop, but the latter provides more information to viewers and to search engines, which helps improve your website’s chances of being found and clicked on following a Google search.

2. Make it Easy to Contact Your Business

Does your business depend on customers calling you to schedule an appointment or purchase products? Then make sure your contact information is at the top of your site.

3. Clean Design

Using a minimal amount of colors and fonts will make your website easy on the eyes. This can also improve site load times and provide for a better overall user experience.

4. Simple Website Navigation

It’s imperative visitors to your website are able to quickly find the information they are after. Using a limited number of specific pages will help them do that.

5. Outline Your Services in Clear Wording

Your business website needs to identify what your business does, but remember, most customers care little about technical information. Within your concise pages you should be using the keywords that best describe your goods and services and a brief description as necessary. At the end, ask them to contact you for more information (more on that next).

6. Use a Call to Action

A solid call to action should be used on every page of your website. This could be to call you, use a contact form, sign up for a newsletter, or to connect or buy in another manner. Your call to action is your chance to convert the viewer from a looky-loo to a paying customer.

7. Search Engine Optimize It

As mentioned regarding the site URL, the rest of your business website should also be search engine optimized. This means using keywords in relation to your business location, such as saying “auto repair in Seattle” versus just “auto repair.” Additionally, make sure the site utilizes proper tagging and that alt text is used throughout.

8. Make it Responsive

Among the most critical things you can do for your website is make it responsive. This means that the site conforms to whatever screen size a viewer may be looking at the site on, whether that’s a computer, tablet or smartphone. There are many benefits of responsive websites , but among the most important is a great user experience - which always helps to convert!

Building an effective business website can be extremely difficult, especially when you’re busy running a company. That’s where the web presence experts at MORBiZ come in. Our small business website development team will work closely with you to create a custom business website that attracts and converts viewers! To learn how we do it, and to receive a free online snapshot of your business’ current web presence, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our Internet marketing pros are standing by at 1-855-2MORBiZ (266-7249) or fill out this quick contact form and we’ll be in touch soon!

5 Ways to Build Brand Loyalty

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 19:59:28 GMT

For many types of businesses, growing a loyal customer base is key to long term success. While a grand opening ceremony with free snacks, a bouncy house and excellent savings opportunities may draw a crowd, if those shoppers don’t return, that business is likely to shutter. To attract clients and keep them coming back time and time again, it is imperative to shower them with amazing customer service and offers that they can’t refuse. Let’s look at five must use tactics to build brand loyalty.

Personalized Service

Whether you run an auto shop or a boutique cafe, every customer deserves undivided attention when obtaining your services. This may seem like a no brainer, but all too often customer service representatives fail to meet basic requirements for appeasing clients. There are several small things you can do for your customers that leave big impressions on customers. This includes having authentic conversations, remembering their regular orders or even something as simple as learning their names.

Customer Rewards Programs

One of the greatest ways to build a loyal customer base is to establish a customer rewards program. There are several ways to implement such a program, including discount codes or stamp cards. More recently, the use of a customer rewards app has become very popular. An app can help business owners track their most loyal customers while continuing to offer first rate service.

Informative Content

As the saying goes, content is king. By establishing yourself or your business as a thought leader, rather than a trend follower, you’ll become many people’s first stop for the services you provide. Understandably, it is difficult for many small business owners to find time to craft content for their website or blog that their customers will respond to. Connecting with web marketing experts who provide superior content creation will ensure you are always a part of your customers’ conversations.

Be Social

If you’ve yet to join social media on behalf of your business, what are you waiting for? Facebook and other social channels provide a free platform to share the above mentioned content, as well as business news, specials, coupons or other announcements. You’ll soon find yourself virtually mixing and mingling with customers who love your goods and services.

Show Up at the Top of SERPs

People trust Google to provide them with search results that match their exact needs. Most people will never click to a second Search Engine Results Page (SERP), which means showing up on top is critical. Customers are likely to choose one of the first businesses they see and continue to use their services for years to come, so long as they receive quality care from the get go. If you want a better chance at snagging a customer, it’s imperative to work with Internet marketing professionals who can get your business to show up first!

At MORBiZ, we’re proud to have been working with many of our clients for years. We understand that to maintain the privilege of serving small business owners looking to grow their own customer base, we have to offer a great product at a fair price, and that’s exactly what we do. As your hyper-local Internet marketing expert, we aim to grow your business and your revenue. Give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form so that we can begin working on your fresh web marketing campaign designed to build a loyal customer base for your business.

3 Ways a Custom Mobile App Earns a High ROI

Tue, 25 Aug 2020 03:40:53 GMT

There is about a 50 percent chance you’re reading this on your smartphone. People depend on these pocket sized devices for everything from ordering dinner to navigating freeways, not to mention making an actual phone call once in a while. Because people spend so much time on their mobile devices, it is critical for business owners to earn valuable real estate on their customers’ homescreens. The best way to do that, whether you’re a baker, a lawyer or an auto mechanic, is with a custom mobile app for your small business.

Putting your business’ icon on your customers’ smartphone will ensure you’re seen by them on a daily basis. While visibility is great, what ultimately matters is sales. If you’re wary of putting money into a mobile app for your business, be sure to consider the return on investment (ROI) it can yield. While apps can have many features, from tip calculators to appointment schedulers, these three features are designed to boost your bottom line.

Customer Rewards

People love coupons, discounts and other ways of saving money. By converting savings opportunities into reward based programs, you can keep customers coming back time and time again. One of the more popular rewards programs is a digital stamp card, in which a customer must purchase a certain number of goods or services before receiving a discount. Another option is sending digital scratch off cards to app users that reveals a percentage off, thus drawing them back to your store. There are many more ways to apply rewards programs into a mobile app for any type of business, and all of them are proven to build revenue.

Referral Programs

A customer referral program allows you to reward your existing clients for sending more business to your shop. They do so by sending a text or email referral to their friends and family. Their unique code that is sent with their message allows them to earn rewards for every person they refer that actually spends money at your business. Not only do the rewards they receive bring them back to the store, but they’re literally sending new customers to your doors to earn the benefits they’re after.

Push Notifications

A primary reason for developing a custom mobile app is to be able to maintain regular communications with your customers. Once a user has downloaded your app you will be able to send them push notifications, which is similar to receiving a regular text message or getting a notification from a social media channel on your phone. You can use push notifications to inform users of sales, remind them of upcoming service needs, request feedback or reviews or anything else that may help you draw them back to your business. Push notifications are a fast and secure way of staying connected with your clients.

It is more affordable than you think to build your own app , which makes your ROI even higher! If you’d like to learn more about all the features available for your new custom Android and Apple app , be sure to contact the team at MORBiZ. Our small business mobile app development professionals will work closely with you to ensure your app is perfect for your company. Give us a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ or use this handy contact form and our expert mobile app builders will be in touch with you soon. We can’t wait to work with you!

6 Online Marketing Tactics to Grow Your Auto Body Repair Shop

Wed, 19 Aug 2020 21:56:07 GMT

If there is one thing that nearly all auto body repair shops have in common, it’s that they want to service more cars and trucks. If you’re on the hunt for ways to boost business at your shop, we’ve got some great web marketing tips to attract and retain customers in need of your services. In short, you need to think local, maintain a consistent message, and prepare your online presence for any device.

Be Kind in Your Content

It’s important to note that most people searching for an auto body repair shop have recently been involved in an auto accident. This can be very traumatizing for some, so it’s necessary that your written content caters to them. Your web pages, blogs, social media posts and other online content should maintain a sympathetic tone, all while detailing your excellent service attributes.

Search Engine Optimize your Collision Repair Website

Google is the primary tool people use to seek out services in their city or neighborhood. It is imperative that your website uses local SEO tactics to improve your ranking in organic web searches, this includes adding the proper keywords to your content. Make sure “auto body repair,” “collision repair,” “body shop” and similar keywords are sprinkled throughout your site. It’s necessary though, to use your city with these terms. Instead of just saying, “the best auto body shop,” say something like, “quality auto body repair in CITY.” This will drive local results on Google. Additionally, use photo descriptions and meta tags for enhanced SEO.

Get Online Reviews

Online reviews are a critical component of doing business as they are the modern form of word of mouth advertising. Don’t hesitate to ask customers to leave a genuine review on Google, Facebook or Yelp. You can also utilize tools that make it easy to get real customers to provide positive reviews to boost your online credibility.

Go Mobile

Your auto body repair website needs to be prepared for anything! Well, in this case it needs to be prepared to be scrolled through on a mobile device. A responsive design for your website will ensure anyone on the go will be able to get the information they need. Additionally, consider a custom mobile app for your business. This keeps your customers in the loop and rewards them for being loyal to your business, all while taking up valuable real estate on their home screen.

Show Off on Social Media

Social media channels are free platforms where your customers can connect with your business. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are perfect for showing off your quality of work while building community around your shop. Furthermore, well written posts can boost your SEO.

Maintain Directory Listings

Yelp, Google My Business, Facebook, YellowPages, and other directory listing sites can be wonderful assets, unless they have inconsistent information about your business. If there are discrepancies in your company name, phone number, address, (Rd. vs Road) or other information on automatically generated listings, it could negatively impact your ability to be found online. Conducting a directory listing cleanup is an intensive process, but well worth the effort to ensure your site remains visible to potential clients.

These auto body repair marketing tips are sure to draw more vehicles to your shop. If you’d like assistance executing any of them, reach out to the web presence experts at MORBIZ. Our team of online marketing professionals have years of experiencing helping auto body shop owners attract new customers using hyper local Internet campaigns. Give us a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ (266-7249) or use this contact form and we will be in touch soon to discuss how we can grow your web presence today.

6 Major Benefits of a Responsive Website

Sun, 16 Aug 2020 04:11:19 GMT

Did you know that since 2017 Internet access via smartphones has hovered around 50 percent of all online usage? That’s a heck of a lot of people using their mobile devices to browse social channels, get the news, check out the latest memes and shop for goods and services. At this point, it is critical that you have a website for your business that is designed to be accessed via phone, tablet or computer if you intend to stay competitive. Don’t worry, you don’t have to build an individual website for each device. A responsive website detects the type of device the site is being accessed on and adjusts its functionality and appearance to provide the best user experience. Besides your potential customers being able to easily use a site on any device, let’s look at 6 more benefits of a responsive website.

Increased Mobile Traffic

To capture and keep mobile users on your site, a responsive website is a must. Without navigation, images, text and other features set up for mobile, anybody who lands on your site using a phone will surely be quick to leave.

Fast Load Times

Since many people’s attention spans are rather minimal, a fast site is necessary to keep them interested. A non-responsive site on a mobile device or tablet could take 10 or more seconds to load, especially if they are on a slower cellular network. Responsive websites are designed to minimize image load times to improve accessibility and load times.

Improved SEO

A responsive website is integral to search ranking and search engine optimization. Because Google wants to provide its users with the best possible experience, it now considers site responsiveness when forming search rankings.

Enhanced Navigation

Trying to navigate a site designed for the large screen of a computer on the small screen of a phone can be nearly impossible. A responsive website will streamline navigation for mobile users, ensuring your customers can quickly and easily find the information they are after.

Decreased Web Maintenance Costs

If you’ve built a separate website for mobile on top of your desktop site, you may feel like you’re paying double. You are! A responsive website will decrease your online real estate bill by bringing everything under one domain. It’s time to cut your web hosting costs.

Increased Conversion Rate

Since a responsive website will provide the best possible user experience based on the user’s device, you can expect an increased conversion rate . When it comes to websites, data shows that the better rated the user experience is, the higher the likelihood of a conversion.

If you’ve yet to create a responsive website for your business, now is the time! The web presence experts at MORBiZ can build you a custom responsive website as a part of our all inclusive local web presence package. We will use a variety of online tools to improve your customer’s experience and generate new revenue for you! Give our team of friendly Internet marketing experts a call at 1-855-2MORBi Z (266-7249) or fill out this contact form to learn more or to request a free web presence analysis for business today.

Relationship Building B2C Content Creation Tips

Sat, 01 Aug 2020 15:09:59 GMT

For business owners and marketers, often the same person in small companies, business to consumer (B2C) content is created to do one thing, sell a product or service. Sure, content may aim to entertain, boost SEO value, provide thoughtful inquiry, or offer insider knowledge, but ultimately, it’s published to attract potential buyers. To get them to pull the trigger, so to speak, you must first make them feel something. From product descriptions to landing pages, your content may instill fear, desire or hope. Whatever the sales tactic, it mustn't push people away. These tips for creating B2C content will help you show off your business’ best qualities and improve SEO, all while building relationships based on your honest desire to fulfill client needs.

Empathizing with Your Clients

It is important to remember that many businesses rely on customers using their services because something not so great happened to them. Auto shops thrive off broken down cars and body shops make their money on accidents, and so do many lawyers. Pest control companies tend to hear from people only when facing infestations. If your business falls into a line of work that is often needed when things are not going quite right, it is important to sympathize with potential clients in the content you publish. Offering sympathy, opposed to pushing sales, will help build genuine relationships. So instead of simply saying you're the best, use phrases such as the following to convey your ability to help a potential customer on a personal level.

We're here for you in these ways...
Our team cares about your situation...
We've earned a reputation for...
We know that if you're using our services, things may not be going as planned. That's why we do our best to...

Using Keywords in Content

Keywords are vital when creating content that can boost organic SEO and be easily linked to a PPC campaign, such as Google Ads (formerly AdWords). Don’t over do it though. Google could penalize your site for keyword stuffing, as in, using certain terms intended to enhance your search rank too often. Your best bet is to insert keywords that are readable and add to the content’s topical focus. For example, if you’re a hairdresser writing a services page, you ought to add a paragraph or more for each that you provide. Using terms like we provide expert hair coloring in City or quality haircuts for men in City within service descriptions will prove more beneficial for your content than simply listing the services or stating you’re the “best hairdresser in City.”

Energize your Call to Action

B2C content, whether web pages, blogs, or newsletters, should have a call to action that inspires current or potential customers to make a purchase or schedule an appointment. In reality, your content as a whole should push them in that direction, but a direct call to action should be implemented at the end of your content. Remember though, choose your message carefully, as you don’t want to come on too strong, but you also need to make a statement that reinforces your customer’s wants and needs. “If” statements work well for this, as in, “If your car is giving you trouble, call us to schedule expert auto repair in City.” Not only does this reiterate what your services are and the fact that you're skilled at them, but it puts your customers at ease as they will understand that you’re there when you need them, whether that is now or at a later date. Additionally, this type of CTA adds keywords that will benefit organic SEO efforts to attract local customers.

As a small business owner, creating content that consumers will relate to and act on is tough, especially when you’ve got 100 other tasks to complete! If you’re on the hunt for excellent B2C content creation , the web marketing experts at MORBiZ are standing by. Our content team will craft web pages, blogs and social media posts using language that gets a proven response from consumers. To learn more about how we can assist with your business content creation needs, please give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form and we will be in touch with you soon!

New Small Business Mobile App Features Released by MORBiZ

Fri, 24 Jul 2020 21:40:15 GMT

MORBiZ is proud to announce a host of new custom app features for small businesses looking to connect with their customers via mobile devices. Our unique mobile apps for small and medium sized businesses are designed to improve communications between your business and your customers, helping to boost revenue and customer satisfaction. With the recent release of these exciting features, including the following, we now offer dozens of mobile app tools that are sure to wow you and your clients alike. If you have questions about these new features, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Customer Rewards

We’ve recently released multiple customer rewards tools, each of which give your customers reason to come back to your business over and over. These include:

Spend Based Rewards - Your customers can earn real time rewards that encourage repeat business. The more they spend, the more they earn!

Receipt Based Rewards - Customers can input receipt information to earn rewards.

VIP Rewards - This automated value system encourages year-round shopping.

E-Commerce/Online Shopping

You can now display and sell your hottest goods and services right from your app. People can browse items, add to their cart and make purchases for delivery or in store pickup at their leisure. With this feature your business can be open 24/7!

Smart Reviews

Want more positive reviews? This is the tool for you. Send automated, branded emails or texts to customers after a successful transaction to request a review. Once completed the review will be hosted on your site and app. No sweat though, our system only publishes positive reviews!

Events Calendar

Adding an events calendar to your small business mobile app will inform customers of sales, new product launches, special events and more. With push notifications and SMS texts, your shoppers will always be in the know about what is happening at your business.

Restaurant Tools

MORBiZ has just released some amazing tools for restaurants. Whether you’ve just opened or have become a neighborhood staple, an app for your restaurant is as critical as ever. With a custom restaurant app from MORBiZ you can take advantage of these incredible features:

Online Food Ordering - Our simple ordering system allows customers to access your menu and place pick up and delivery orders for specified times. Your customers can track their order until it's picked up or dropped off! This system can also be embedded on your website too. Stop paying to take orders online!

Delivery Module - With driver mode, you can create driver profiles and provide drivers with all of the details they need to make a successful delivery, including delivery directions. Customers can track their order in real time in the app!

Table Reservations - Keep your restaurant full with online reservations. Your customers can check availability and book tables quickly and easily with your custom app. You can even elect to take deposits via PayPal to reduce the number of no shows.

Employee Schedules

This important feature was developed for business owners and managers looking for a way to improve internal scheduling and employee punctuality. With your small business app you can have employees clock in and out, request time off, manage their shifts and so much more, all from their personal device. No more missed shifts because of a change in the paper schedule in the back office.

These are just a few of the many incredible features MORBiZ has recently released on their small business mobile app platform for Apple, Android and HTML5. In addition to existing app staples, such as scratch cards, push notifications, referral programs and appointment booking, you’ll now find tools that allow for gift card sales, delivery services, event ticketing, paid memberships, custom calculators and so much more. To learn more about how a custom small business app from MORBiZ can boost your bottom line, give us a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ or use this contact form . Our team of web presence experts look forward to assisting you with your mobile marketing needs!

How to Create Content that Positively Impacts SEO

Fri, 24 Jul 2020 21:36:32 GMT

Do you want to boost your website’s organic search ranking and traffic flow? Then it is time to focus on creating quality, original content! Content, such as blogs, whitepapers, articles and page additions, has the power to improve your site’s organic search engine optimization (SEO) value so that it lands in front of more potential customers, but only if that content is well written, informative and consistently published. By following these content tips you can ensure your site is as useful to your clients as it is to search engines when determining page ranking.

Determine Client Needs

One of the most important aspects of creating quality content that will improve your SEO worth, is determining what your customers actually want to see. If you’re an auto repair shop publishing content about landscaping, your page isn’t going to see any growth in search ranking, quite the contrary, really. Utilizing keyword research tools, conducting client surveys and getting first hand feedback from people who use your business the most can help determine what your content should focus on.

Create a Content Calendar

As you identify what your content will discuss, you should consider creating a content calendar. This document will outline day to day execution and post scheduling of your blogs, articles, social media posts and other items, which also helps to remove gaps in publication. Knowing when your content is going to be published will ensure you’re consistently developing new material for your website that your clients will love, which is critical to improving your site’s SEO value.

Follow Google’s Content Suggestions

The world’s number one search engine has offered the following suggestions for creating content that will maximize your site’s potential SEO value to boost organic search ranking. Ignoring these guidelines could render your content worthless in terms of traffic growth.

Quality + Consistent

When it comes down to it, if you want to improve your website’s SEO and traffic, content is key. Not just any content, though. Any materials that you share via your site need to be well written and published on a regular basis if they are to have a positive impact on your search ranking and the number of visitors that you receive. If you’re unable to draft quality content yourself due to time or otherwise, it is worth hiring someone who can.

Developing creative, thoughtful and consistent content can be a lot of work, but the effort is well worth it when it comes to improving website traffic. Unfortunately for many business owners, it can be tough to find the time to create such useful materials. That’s where MORBiZ steps in. Our localized web presence experts provide original content creation for your entire website, and we maintain an ongoing blog that will help grow the site's organic SEO value. If you’d like to learn more about how MORBiZ can boost your web traffic and your bottom line, give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 or fill out this contact form and we’ll be in touch soon!

5 Effective Auto Repair Shop Marketing Ideas

Fri, 24 Jul 2020 16:45:42 GMT

Earning the trust of a potential customer is not as easy as changing a tire, so to speak. The reality is, when someone finds themselves in need of sudden auto repair, they’re going to turn to their friends or to the Internet, or both, for an auto repair shop recommendation. With heavy competition, efforts to maximize your reach and your draw are critical. These auto repair shop marketing ideas will not only build your credibility and online reputation, they’ll ultimately help to grow your bottom line by attracting new customers day after day.

Customer Referral Program

A referral program will reward existing customers for referring friends and family to your shop. Most consumers will trust a personal referral more than any other form of marketing or advertising, so this type of program is a must. One of the most effective forms of referral programs include using an app that offers customers their own referral code for easy tracking.

Build a Positive Review Base

There is a 90 percent chance that a consumer searching for any product or service will check online reviews to sway their purchase decision. Building a positive online review base will certainly help in your efforts to attract new customers. While asking for reviews may be uncomfortable, there are exciting new programs that help gain positive video reviews with just a click .

Blogging

Blogging may not seem like a marketing tool on the surface, but having an informative blog on your website serves multiple purposes. First, your blog will help establish you as a knowledgeable industry leader, allowing you to build trust with current and potential clients. Second, blogs help build SEO value for your website, as long as they’re well crafted and feature content that your customers are looking for. Enhanced SEO translates to showing up higher in search results, proving an increased likelihood of attracting new customers.

Social Media

If you’ve yet to launch social media channels for your auto repair shop, there is no time like the present. Social media allows you to build a free community around your business. On your social media pages, such as Facebook, you can do many things, like connect with new, past and future customers, share pertinent business information and even schedule appointments.

Custom Mobile App

One of the most effective marketing tools sweeping the auto repair industry is the use of custom mobile auto repair shop apps . A unique app for your business can provide a plethora of features that will allow you to maintain excellent relationships with your clients, all while boosting your bottom line. The best part, an app can host the above ideas, and many more, all in one place.

Growing your auto repair shop is no simple task, especially when you have your hands under the hood of a car all day. While you offer your expertise in the garage, allow MORBiZ to offer ours online. Our team of auto repair shop Internet marketing experts provide services that expand online reach. This includes automated online reputation management, social media services, custom mobile apps or complete web presence campaigns. To learn more, or to request a free web presence evaluation, call our friendly team at 1-855-266-7249 or use this contact form and we will be in touch soon!

MORBiZ Releases Platform to Capture Customer Reviews on Video

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 17:52:10 GMT

MORBiZ has launched a new platform called Video WebStar that allows business owners and managers to easily capture real customer reviews in a beautifully branded and produced video. Users can then share these testimonials on their website, social media channels, and via email newsletters to help grow their business’ reputation online and off. This feature, which is part of MORBiZ’s WebStar Reputation Automation technology, is accessed via a branded dashboard that provides all the tools necessary to produce a professional review video that includes a logo, music and a call to action. The simple to use system results in video reviews that are ready to share with the world.

Meet Video WebStar

This affordable, or possibly free, video marketing suite lets business owners capture positive video reviews from real customers in just three simple steps. There is no need to schedule a video shoot, buy camera gear or hire a costly production crew. To create a stunning video review a user simply needs to do the following.

Identify Potential Reviewers - The first step in collecting a positive video review is to find a customer who would be willing to offer a great testimonial for the business.
Send the Request - Next, the user will use the Video WebStar dashboard to send an email request to the customer. In this dashboard the user can add their business’ logo, choose the music to play in the background and select a call to action. The email the customer receives will include a link that allows them to record their testimonial on a smartphone, tablet or computer. Alternatively, a customer can be given a link to the website where the video reviews widget is active, and they can record from there.
Review & Publish - After the customer submits a video, the user simply reviews and can either publish or delete if it is not favorable. A video can be published directly to a website or downloaded to share on YouTube, Facebook or other social media channels.

What are the Benefits of Video Reviews?

According to recent surveys, 90% of consumers are influenced by online reviews. Video also gets 1200% more shares than text and images combined, which makes it easy to see the power of video testimonials. Providing customers with a platform to share their voice, and having the ability to control which reviews get posted to a website and social media, provides potential patrons a fresh way to learn about a business.

Ready to get started? Contact MORBiZ now to learn more about Video WebStar and to find out how you can get it for free when combined with other MORBiZ services. Our team of Internet marketing professionals would be happy to share real success stories from local business owners just like you who found a great way to leverage video marketing - all without yelling lights, camera, action ! Give MORBiZ a call toll free at 855-266-7249 . You may also use our convenient contact form and a friendly team member will connect with you soon!

In SMB Online Marketing, What is a Conversion?

Fri, 22 May 2020 03:51:40 GMT

Unique visitors? KPI? Optimization? There are a lot of terms that get thrown around during any conversation about marketing, and it can get confusing fast. While each term has its time and place, there is one word that seems to be consistently misused or misunderstood, which is quite unfortunate considering its importance. The mystery surrounding conversion for non marketers often has to do with the lack of context around it in day-to-day chatter. “What’s your conversion rate?” is a tough question to answer if you don’t know what, or who, you are supposed to be converting. Not to mention how. In short, conversions relate to transforming traffic into sales, but it isn’t always a direct path.

What is a Conversion?

Conversions are often associated with sales, but it is certainly not the only time that they can be measured. A conversion could be something such as having a website visitor sign up for your newsletter or using your contact form. To measure conversions you would take overall traffic and divide it by the number of visitors who completed a certain action or task. For example, if you average 100 website visitors per day, and 10 sign up for your newsletter, your conversion rate would be 10 percent. Conversion rates can be measured per page on your site. Pages with high conversion rates are performing better than those with lower ones. This information can help you improve content to boost your conversions. More on that in a moment.

Conversion Pipeline Example

As mentioned, conversions aren’t always measured in sales. In this example, we can see how a website visitor is converted multiple times before they make a purchase.

A customer lands on your website and browses, they become a conversion when they...
Sign up for your newsletter. They are converted again when they...
Read the newsletter they receive via email. They are converted again when they...
Click on a call-to-action in the newsletter that takes them to your site. They convert again when they...
Purchase goods or services.

Improving Your Conversion Rate

With this pipeline in mind, which could have more or fewer steps between attracting a new visitor and landing a sale, let’s continue from above. We now that each time a customer takes a step toward a sale, they become a conversion. But, if you can get people to sign up for the newsletter and read it, but are seeing very few, if any, click throughs on the call to action, you have identified a problem spot in your conversion pipeline. Refining this area’s content or offering can help improve conversions that result in sales.

Conversions are critical in measuring marketing campaign health. As small business Internet marketing experts, the MORBiZ team is skilled at creating websites and other online content that maximizes conversions. We also provide detailed reports on our marketing efforts for your small or medium sized business to illustrate exactly how we are benefiting your bottom line. To learn more about how we utilize content, video, social media and other digital tools to turn traffic into sales, don’t hesitate to call us at 1-855-2MORBiZ (266-7249) or email us at sales@MORBiZ.com . Our experienced SMB digital marketers will work with you to create an online presence that will not be missed by any potential customers!

Tips for Determining what Content to Include on a New Business Website

Sun, 26 Apr 2020 00:46:45 GMT

As Internet usability and appearances continuously evolve, so too should your website. Your business’ online home shouldn’t provide the same nauseous feeling as your grandma’s pastel kitchen! One way to keep your site clean and sleek is to perform a complete overhaul, which is not uncommon for businesses to do every two to three years. When doing so, it is important that you hold onto the content that is most important to you, your customers and search engines such as Google. Here’s a couple website content tips to help you do just that.

Making it Local

Adding local flare is important when building a new website because you want to show up in front of potential customers in your city when they seek the services that you provide. When considering your new content, it is important to identify which towns, regions or even neighborhoods you want to target for your business. Highlighting these areas will build trust with customers and search engines.

Services Popular with Customers

As you plan your new content, don’t disregard everything you already have. If you previously enabled Google analytics on your site, you can see which pages and content have been most important to your customers. You can do this using the “Behavior” analytics tool by selecting “Site Content” and then choose a date range. In the generated report you can identify the pages and content that have performed best by reviewing stats on page views (higher the better), average time on page (higher the better) and bounce rate (lower the better). Using this information you can determine what on your website is most important to your customer base. In turn, this information should be moved over to your new site.

High Value Services

If there are services that you offer that are unique to your business or high value, it is critical that they are included on your new website. While these goods and services may not be things people need on a daily basis, for example, an auto repair shop may offer engine rebuilds, but not perform this service often, it is still necessary to include these keywords on your new site so when there is a need, you are found. Creating a list of your most unique and valuable services and products can help ensure nothing is left off of your new website.

Building a new website may seem like a waste of time, especially if you do your business offline. But an updated site that provides pertinent information will build trust with customers and Google, which is likely a primary source of traffic for your business. If you’d like to build a new small business website that draws customers in, it’s always a good idea to work with a web presence expert, such as MORBiZ. Our team of skilled small business internet marketing professionals will work with you to create a website that will drive customers to your business on a daily basis. To learn more about our website building services , or our numerous other methods of growing web presence, give MORBiZ a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ (266-7249) or email us at sales@MORBiZ.com . We can’t wait to hear from you!

3 Ways to Instantly Boost Web Presence

Thu, 02 Apr 2020 17:43:22 GMT

When many people try to define Internet consumerism they tend to lean on the idea of ordering items that are delivered in the mail. While not incorrect, this concept is only a part of the equation. Tens of thousands of businesses use the Internet to sell products and services, but they aren’t shipping anything, they’re drawing customers to their brick and mortar shop in their city, smaller community or neighborhood. This form of Internet consumerism generally requires a well executed web presence that allows the business to be found by potential clients seeking their goods and services online.

While the first few steps a business may take to be found online should include setting up a search engine optimized website and their Google My Business page, this is only the beginning of creating a solid web presence. If you want to increase your Internet footprint, and do so quickly, here are three tactics that can drive traffic to your website, and ultimately to your front door.

Set Up Social Media Channels

If you’ve yet to create social media channels for your business, what are you waiting for? People constantly use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other forums to locate local services, learn about their offerings, find contact information, purchase products and schedule appointments. If your business is missing from these popular sites then many potential customers may never find your business. Furthermore, when using keywords in your posts and profiles, your social media channels could show up in Google search results, giving you a better overall chance of being found online.

Video Creation

You don’t need a high dollar production to take advantage of online video marketing. While you certainly want to invest enough to portray your business in a promising and positive manner, the ultimate goal with video is exposure. Did you know that Google owns YouTube? That means even a video slideshow that showcases your goods and services that is hosted on YouTube and your website can cause your search ranking to jump since Google favors video results.

Correct or Add Directory Listings

There are many, many directory listings out there, such as Yelp, Google Reviews, Yellowpages, Angie’s List and others. More often than not these business listings are automatically generated on these sites, which means that there is a good chance the information within the listings, such as name, address and phone number, ends up being incorrect. If there are discrepancies in pertinent business information between listings, your business’ search ranking could tank. Google’s search algorithm seeks viable, cohesive information to provide searchers, and these details matter. Though it can be time consuming, conducting a directory clean up can greatly enhance your web presence. If you haven’t got the time or staff to complete this, there are directory clean up tools that can complete it on your behalf, while adding your business to directories it is missing from.

The Importance of Consistent NAP

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 04:26:28 GMT

When it comes to local SEO for brick and mortar businesses, one of the most critical aspects is consistent NAP on your website and across any listings for your company on the Internet. We’ll leave the sleeping on the job jokes to the other guys, because this is a topic that deserves to be tackled with complete alertness. So wake up, and let’s dive into the importance of consistent name, address and phone number listings.

What is NAP for business?

When it comes to business acronyms, NAP stands for name, address, phone number. This seems simple enough, right? Sure, but if you think about all the places your business’ NAP is listed online, such as your own website, social media sites (Facebook), review based directories (Yelp, Yellowpages, Angie’s List, etc) and of course your Google My Business (GMB) page, there is no shortage of places where errors can be made, even minor ones. Issues such as leaving the LLC off a name in some locations and adding it in others reduces the consistency of your NAP citations, which are the signals sought out by search engines trying to provide correct and trustworthy information to seekers. Typos, incomplete listings, blatantly wrong information, and inaccurate listings created by consumers or automatically generated by directory sites can all result in confusion for consumers and for search algorithms.

How can inconsistent NAP affect my search ranking?

Your business could have tens or even hundreds of listings online, many of which you’re likely not even aware of! Here’s where things get really hairy, NAP is actually one of the top five ranking factors by Google. This means that if some of those listings have errors, there’s a good chance your business won’t show anywhere near the top of results, even if consumers are searching for the specific services you offer in your neighborhood. While you may think that these errors in listings are out of your control, you’ll be pleased to learn there is a method to repair them, which will help boost your search ranking. More on that in a moment.

Inconsistent NAP = negative consumer perceptions

It is necessary to note that reports and surveys have shown incorrect NAP isn’t just bad for search ranking, it can also directly affect consumer perception of your business. When they see your name listed one way on your social media channels and another way on your website, they may get suspicious, causing them to choose another company to handle their needs.

How to fix inaccurate NAP listings

In review, correct NAP listings across social media, directory listing sites, GMB, and your own website is critical to boosting consumer trust and search ranking. So how can you ensure all these listings are correct? MORBiZ offers a directory listing clean up service as part of their Webstar Reputation Management platform. With this service you can rest assured that the most critical business listings will all be synced, ensuring consumers and search engines see your business as trustworthy. To learn more about this service or other web presence tools from MORBiZ, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team. Get started by calling 1-855-2MORBiZ , fill out our contact us form, or email us at sales@morbiz.com ! We look forward to helping you grow your business.

Great Tips for Exceeding Customer Expectations

Sat, 15 Feb 2020 19:52:02 GMT

Getting your business to stand out in today’s fast paced world can be extremely difficult, no matter what sector you operate in. Though you may offer the best technical ability when it comes to your hands on talent, if you’re not wowing clients with superior customer service, your skills may not hold enough weight to get them to return or to refer you to their friends. World class customer service is a must for any client-facing operation, no matter how big or small, if you intend to keep your doors open long term. So whether you turn wrenches or provide law services, here’s what you need to do to keep clients coming back time and time again.

Employee Training Program

While many small businesses have a customer relations person or team, or someone to greet and check in customers as they enter, there may be times when a customer’s first interaction isn’t with the person they’re intended to meet. By providing all of your employees with customer service training, whether they work in a garage or in a back office, they’ll learn the proper skills to paste a smile on any client’s face from the moment their interaction begins.

Personal Touch

There is always room to add a personal touch to your services. For example, leaving a thank you note in a vehicle after an oil change could vastly improve someone’s day. Better yet, leave a coupon for a return visit!

Build Relationships

Ultimately, building a business is about building relationships. When you turn your focus from simply creating revenue, you’ll find it much easier to interact with customers on a personal level. Don’t look at everyone who enters your business with dollar signs in their eyes. Find out about their day, learn about where they live, and try your best to be a friend, not a service provider. These types of relationships will encourage customers to visit you any time they need what you offer, and they will surely refer their friends and family to you for your friendly approach to business.

Honesty Wins

In surveys of thousands of American consumers, the trait they value the most when it comes to working with a local business is honesty. Being caught in a lie, or even recommending an unnecessary service, can cause great harm to your relationship with not only this customer, but any of their friends, family or other connections that may use your services as well. By providing honest service, all the time, you won’t have to worry about the fallout of a lie.

Respond to All Reviews

There are numerous outlets online where people can review their experiences with local, regional and national businesses. Sites like Yelp, Facebook and of course Google all publicly display these reviews, good or bad, for the world to see. While it can be frustrating to receive a negative review, you don’t have to be left out of the conversation. You can respond to reviews as the business owner, and provide your take of the situation, but refrain from pointing fingers or being rude. The best way to resolve a situation is offline, so offer the customer the opportunity to contact you in a private manner to work out the issue. On that note, don’t hesitate to respond to positive reviews either. Saying thanks shows that you are listening to the conversation and care about the reputation of your business! These reviews are what many customers use to decide if they should visit a business or not, so make sure you’re heard.

Customer service is key to success and longevity. But remember, while your business may be brick and mortar, its reputation now lives online. If you would like assistance communicating with your customers online to ensure you put your best foot forward from the very beginning, contact MORBiZ. As small business Internet marketing experts, we offer an array of online tools, including Webstar, an online reputation management system , that help business owners grow their bottom line and keep customers coming back over and over. With Webstar you can track the conversation surrounding your business online, which gives you the opportunity to respond to clients soon after they leave a review or mention you elsewhere on the web! To learn more about how we can help you grow your web presence, call the friendly team at MORBiZ at 1-855-2MORBiZ (266-7249) or email us at sales@MORBiZ.com . We look forward to working with you!

How Inaccurate Internet Directory Listings Impact Your Web Presence

Sat, 21 Dec 2019 22:55:29 GMT

The Internet is a strange place. It seems to operate in an Old West fashion, seemingly without rules. While this may be OK for the average web surfer, if you run a business that wants to attract customers online, there are several guidelines to follow to get the best results. Aside from local search engine optimization, staying active and engaged on social media and partaking in AdWords campaigns, another integral task you need to undertake is ensuring every online directory that your business is listed on has accurate information about your company. One wrong digit in your address or phone number, a mischaracterization of your services, or even the wrong logo image on a directory such as Yelp, Yellow Pages or Angie’s List, can negatively affect your efforts to attract business online. How? Let’s find out!

Decreased Search Ranking

When directories have inaccurate information about your business it is going to negatively affect your search ranking. This is especially true with the largest search engine, Google. A decrease in search ranking may occur because Google rewards accurate business info with higher search results because it scans phone numbers and address, as well as business details, as part of its algorithm to ensure the best results for the searcher. Info that is not correct will disrupt Google’s search process and may cause a drop in placement.

Incorrect Reviews

If your business has the wrong name, incorrect address, or other inaccurate info on it, there’s a good chance that you’ll end up with some reviews that don’t have anything to do with your business. While you may get some unwarranted 5 stars out of it, things can go downhill for your business’ online reputation very quickly.

Loss of Call Volume

One of the most important components of your listings is the phone number. If you have multiple phone numbers, or wrong phone numbers, on some listings, Google won’t know which to display as part of its business listing results, which can cause a drop in calls for sales, service or appointments.

Drop in Actual Visitors

Ultimately, incorrect directory listings are going to decrease your business’ customer flow. Whether they don’t know where to actually find you in the brick and mortar world, or you simply don’t show up online in their search, a business listing with the wrong info will negatively affect your bottom line.

At MORBiZ we provide accurate online directory listing services to post your business where it doesn’t exist, and fix and manage listings that already do to ensure accuracy across all platforms. As the web presence experts, we have come to see just how damaging an inaccurate listing can be. While this may seem like an easy fix for the average business owner, think again. There are so many popular directory websites, it can take hours a day to check them all. So save yourself the time and let MORBiZ do it for you as part of our online reputation management service. This is just one aspect of a host of services we provide to make sure your business gets found online by the people who need you most. To learn more, don’t hesitate to call our team of Internet marketing professionals at 1-855-2MORBIZ . We look forward to helping your business thrive online, and off!

How to Attract Local Customers on the World Wide Web

Sat, 14 Dec 2019 23:15:35 GMT

The Internet is a big place. Like, really big! And it just keeps getting bigger! It’s no secret the web has become an invaluable resource for people seeking knowledge, people, products, services and so much more, but how do they find exactly what they’re looking with just a few key words? In short, it is integral that the person creating the material that may be searched for understands how to target their audience.

At MORBiZ, our goal is to ensure our clients’ websites are easily found by real people who are in need of real goods and services, just like the ones you provide. We take a multilayered approach to this to get businesses placed at the top of meaningful search queries that drive consumers from the web to front doors. To do this, we constantly evaluate how search engines, particularly Google, are being operated. With constant algorithm updates (Bedlam, yikes!) and changes in search rules, you have to be ready to alter your approach at a moment’s notice. There are a few constants though, such as the following, which are nearly always needed for content to be found in local search results. Let’s take a closer look at four ways MORBiZ ensures high ranking for small biz.

Content geared to your town or neighborhood

One of the most critical factors when it comes to being found by local searchers is having content that appropriately references the region, city or even neighborhood where you’re trying to attract business. If the content on your page doesn’t reflect where your business is, search engines won’t be able to identify your location.

Geo-Targeted Google Maps Setup

Google will nearly always display potential results for businesses on a Google Maps result ahead of any other search results, aside from paid ads. For this reason, it is critical that your business is properly listed in the Google Maps directory. MORBiZ can set this up and manage the listing to ensure that the information is accurate and includes search terms most likely to be used to find your business.

Behind the Scenes Coding

While visible content is critical for a high ranking, so to is the coding that goes into building your website. Things like internal linking, page naming, H1 tags and META descriptions are all important to being found. Our webmasters are skilled at creating beautiful, functional and findable business websites.

Connected Social Media

Take a look around when walking down the street and you’re sure to see at least one person scrolling endlessly through their social media. We want your business to be seen where people spend a lot of their time, Facebook and Twitter. We incorporate these channels not only because people use them consistently, but because content posted to them is also searchable by Google. We use appropriate verbiage and linking to help boost the chances of your social content being listed as a search result, again bringing people to your website and front door.

These are just a few of the methods MORBiZ utilizes to boost search ranking for our clients. From directory cleanup to AdWords campaigns, we find great success for people who trust us with making their small or medium sized business visible online. If you’d like to learn more about online marketing for small business don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d love to share additional information with you about how our search engine marketing team can benefit your business on the most local level. Give us a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ or sales@morbiz.com . We look forward to hearing from you!

4 Things You Didn’t Know a Custom Small Business Mobile App Could Do!

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 18:13:16 GMT

It seems like everyday a new method of attracting and retaining customers is presented to small business owners. With no shortage of marketing and advertising options, from door-hangers to TV time, it’s important to identify the options that will give you the most bang for your buck. One of the variables you need to identify when exploring your marketing goals is determining where your customers spend their time. Do you reach them at home? Their office? How about wherever they are, right in the palm of their hand? Too good to be true? It’s not, since that’s exactly what you can do with a custom mobile app for your small business.

If you haven’t thought of investing in a small business mobile app, there’s certainly no time like the present. Aside from using the app to stay connected with existing customers, this platform offers a variety of services that will help increase traffic flow and your bottom line. Let’s take a closer look at how you can benefit from a custom mobile app for your small business with these exciting features.

Attract Referrals

Referral programs are nothing new, but the way they work are. With a custom mobile app you are now able to offer an instant award to current clients when they successfully refer someone to your business. With this feature you will soon see a steady flow of new customers. Think of your app as word of mouth advertising that fits in the pocket of every customer you’ve already served.

Entice Guests to Return with Push Notifications

Using push notification, you can call on customers to revisit your shop. How? By offering instant discounts, reminding them it’s time for a certain service (for example, an auto shop can send a notification saying, “Is it time for an oil change?”), or alerting them of upcoming sales. The sky’s the limit when it comes to attracting clients back to your facility with push notifications.

Send GPS Triggered Notifications

One of the most intriguing ways of attracting clients into your shop is through the use of GPS-activated notifications. This works by sending push notifications that are automatically sent when users opt in to GPS monitoring and enter a certain geographic area that can be custom set. Customers will be more likely to stop by when you they are already near and reminded to do so. You can entice them even more by offering a special deal in the GPS-activated push notification.

Collect Email & Phone Number

The best way to get initial sign ups for your app is to use in-store signage and by informing clients through word of mouth. When customers sign up to use the app they can be required to provide their phone number and email address. This information can be collected and used for additional marketing purposes, such as email newsletters or text message notifications of sales and other business-related information.

Small business applications are a great way to connect with and stay connected to clients who may otherwise be one-time shoppers. If you’d like to learn more about developing a custom mobile app for your small business be sure to contact the Internet marketing experts at MORBiZ. Our team creates unique mobile apps for small businesses that are designed to attract and retain customers using a variety of techniques. These apps utilize stamp cards, easy contact and scheduling options and other creative features to increase your bottom line, all from the palm of your customers’ hands. To learn more, or to request an estimate, give us a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ (266-7249 ) or email us at sales@morbiz.com . We look forward to helping you create an exciting custom mobile app for your business.

How a Low Budget Video can Improve Sales

Sun, 17 Nov 2019 20:45:35 GMT

Video is everywhere these days. It’s not just on TV, but on the web, ingrained in social media and a huge part of many mobile apps. With video viewers increasing daily thanks to ever climbing smartphone sales, it is safe to say that video is here to stay. Many businesses have yet to implement video marketing out of a fear of cost or simply because the value of video hasn’t been explained in simple terms. So let’s put it like this, in 2020 video marketing will be integral to the overall success of your small business.

Don’t worry about putting together a high dollar production, though. You can take advantage of all the benefits of video marketing with a short and sweet low budget video that clearly explains your products or services. Let’s take a look at just what those benefits are so you can see for yourself what your business is missing out on.

Increase Sales

There are studies that indicate a person is 74 percent more likely to purchase a product or service if they are given the opportunity to watch a video about it. If that alone isn’t incentive enough to create a video, read on.

Simple Content to Share

Social media is a powerful tool when it comes to connecting with potential consumers. A short video that details your products or services is likely to be shared over and over again by people who have a friend or family member that needs what you offer. Sharing will increase video views and drive up traffic on a consistent basis.

Improved Google Search Results

A great way to improve search ranking is by hosting your video on YouTube and then embedding it on your website. Why does this work so well? Google owns YouTube and nearly always shows relevant video results at the top of web search results. Having an embedded video makes your website more than 50 times more likely to show up first on Google than if you had no video at all.

Target Description

While the video itself is important, so too is the written description that accompanies it. This is an area where you can improve your company’s SEO simply by employing quality written content. When properly crafted, the description and title of the video should include the location and contact information of your business, so it can always be easily found.

Device Friendly

Video is adaptable to all platforms, including desktops, tablets and smartphones, the latter of which has the fastest growing video audience. This means you can be found at home, in the office, or on the go.

Video marketing has some serious benefits that can vastly improve sales and overall web presence. At MORBiZ we provide affordable video marketing for all types of businesses. Not only can we create a beautiful video, but we’ll deploy it across the highest rated video hosting platforms, giving you the best chances of being found. To learn more about the benefits of video marketing for small business don’t hesitate to contact us. Call MORBiZ at 1-855-266-7249 or send us an email today.

Paid vs. Organic Site Traffic: What’s the Difference?

Sat, 24 Aug 2019 03:11:27 GMT

Before the Internet local businesses relied on free word of mouth marketing and paid advertising in mediums such as newspaper ads and TV spots to attract customers. While this still rings true today, the Internet has no doubt changed how products and services are found. Nowadays, when someone needs something they often turn to Google to seek it out, instead of asking a friend or neighbor. Once a person submits an online query, results of two different listing types, paid and organic, will be displayed. Both are integral to a business’ success, so what’s the difference and which should you be focusing on?

Ranking High with Organic SEO

Search engine optimization, often referred to simply as SEO, is key to obtaining first page, free search results that drive business. High organic search results provide a better chance of a consumer clicking through to your website and increases company credibility with humans and Google. This means once your site starts landing on the first page it will be easier to hold that spot. It’s important to understand it can be very difficult to achieve high rankings without the skills of an expert Internet marketing team such as MORBiZ. Maximizing search engine optimization means a site must use proper keywords in the actual writing on the website, as well as in tags and coding in the framework of the site. MORBiZ is constantly evaluating SEO tactics to ensure websites they build and manage have the greatest opportunity for organic success.

Getting Paid Search Results

A huge revenue stream for Google is their pay-per-click (PPC) advertising network called AdWords. This system allows businesses to purchase first page search rankings based on targeted keywords and location, the cost of which depends on the popularity of the word or phrase being targeted. There are many benefits to enrolling in this program, such as geo-targeting customers, but it must be done with care. AdWords works on a PPC basis, meaning you will only be paying for the ads when people click on them. While this sounds like a winning way to advertise, it has to be done with expertise, as improper methods could result in many clicks with no return, a costly and common mistake by AdWords rookies. MORBiZ team members are Google AdWords professionals who understand the ins and outs of the system, allowing business owners to get the most from the advertising dollars.

At MORBiZ we work closely with our clients when discussing and planning strategies for their web presence campaigns. At times we are able to recommend ending the use of paid advertising because the success of our organic SEO efforts has eliminated the need for paid ads. This option may be applicable during particular times of the year, or all year, depending on the industry and marketing area. Saving our clients money is always a key goal, no matter what type of campaign we manage for your business.

If you’d like to learn more about the difference between PPC and organic search results don’t hesitate to contact the friendly MORBiZ team. We’d be happy to discuss the benefits of each and talk about how our web presence campaigns integrate free and paid advertising methods to bring the most people to your business, all within your budget. Call the Internet marketing professionals at MORBiZ at 1-855-2MORBiZ or email sales@morbiz.com to get started today!

Why Should You Respond to Online Reviews?

Mon, 17 Jun 2019 03:13:23 GMT

There are several reasons to respond to online customer reviews that are either negative and positive. In both cases it is important to remember that you aren’t just responding to the person who left the review, but to anyone who reads it. Due to such, responding to reviews is a critical method of maintaining and growing community relations and encouraging other people to leave you additional feedback. Additionally, providing a response is the nice thing to do! If a customer offered a compliment to your face, you’d say thank you, wouldn’t you? The same can be said if a customer presented you with a complaint in person, as you’d need to identify a solution.

Aside from exceptional customer service, responding to reviews can enhance your search engine ranking. Utilizing strategic SEO tactics while replying can place your response in search results for people seeking businesses like yours! To make the most out of your responses, here’s our tips for replying to online reviews.

Responding to Negative Customer Reviews

When you work so hard to please everyone it can certainly be disheartening to receive a negative review. Fear not though, there’s a chance you could turn that 1 or 2 star rating into 5.

An effective template for responding to a negative review starts with acknowledging and apologizing for your customer’s poor experience.
Follow this up with a sentence about how your business doesn’t usually make this mistake. For example, “Our car wash employees are known for their great attention to detail, we’re very sorry if we missed a spot and we’ll be sure to provide our employees with additional training to make sure this issue doesn’t happen again.“
Lastly, invite the customer to contact you directly, offline, so that the issue can be properly resolved. Once the problem is addressed there’s a good chance the customer will revise their review without even being asked to do so.

Responding to Positive Customer Reviews

On the other side of things, there’s the good reviews, which are sure to bring a smile to any business owner’s face. Responding to these reviews is certainly more fun than replying to a negative review, but there’s still a basic formula to do so.

Start by thanking the customer for their positive comments. By being specific you can ensure the customer knows you’re not a robot!
To help improve your search rankings be sure to state the business name in your response to customers. This way the review is more likely to be found when people seek the services or products of your business.
End the response by inviting the customer back by encouraging them to try another service or product. For example, “If you loved our new nail polish line be sure to check out our scented hand lotions. Try the purple polish and the lavender lotion!” This will help grow your relationship with that customer while informing others of what you offer!

Responding to reviews is critical, but it takes a lot of time! Would you rather have MORBiZ respond to reviews for you? We can do that! Just call us TODAY to discuss how our team can manage your online reputation to help grow your business. Give us a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ (266-7249) to get started.

Internet Marketing Solutions are Not One Size Fits All

Fri, 07 Jun 2019 19:57:06 GMT

Internet marketing is key when it comes to generating profit for all businesses of this era, no matter what product or service they offer. Now don’t let this scare you if you’re new to the idea, as you don’t need to learn binary to take advantage of what the digital world offers. By working with a modern Internet marketing agency that understands the needs of small business you can begin reeling in new customers in no time

Now, there are plenty of marketing companies that offer enticing one size fits all products to get your website more clicks, but clicks don’t always translate into sales. To successfully market your small or medium sized business on the Internet a custom approach must be made that attracts real, local consumers. This is the type of service that MORBiZ offers. We work one on one with our clients to generate a unique plan that drives business through their door using a variety of Internet marketing tools, such as the following.

Geo-Targeted Web Presence Campaigns

The basis for any successful Internet marketing campaign is a well designed website with engaging, readable content. Our team of developers can create a beautiful website for your business that acts as its primary or secondary home, as the sites we build have a designated intent is to drive traffic. While the written content of the site itself will ensure organic clicks, your search engine optimized website will be connected to a Google AdWords campaign ensuring additional hits from people looking exactly for your goods or services. It’s important to remember that the website’s readable content, metatags and the AdWords campaign will target your specific community to ensure only those in your town are finding your business.

Custom Mobile Apps for Small Businesses

According to one recent study Americans check their phone once every 12 minutes. That means if you want to get in front of your customers, you need a mobile app. We design custom mobile apps that are built to engage with your customer base, encourage repeat business, facilitate referrals, ease appointment scheduling and more. Using push notifications and location monitoring your app will literally push business through the front door!

Online Reputation Management

Whether you know it or not, your business already has an online reputation thanks to review sites such as Yelp. While it may seem frightening having your company be so vulnerable you should rest assured that your business is in good hands if you sign up for WebStar Online Reputation Management from MORBiZ. This platform brings all the factors of your online reputation into one usable dashboard so you can monitor reviews from listing services, social media and search engines, allowing for fast and friendly responses. Since your business is live on the Internet whether you’d like it to be or not, it’s important you at least have a say in the conversation it generates.

At MORBiZ we take Internet marketing solutions to the next level by offering big tools for small business. Aside from custom websites, mobile apps and online reputation we conduct video marketing, social media management and marketing, free WiFi marketing and more! This means we can create a unique approach to marketing your business using any and all tools that make the most sense. To find out about creating a custom Internet marketing package for your business be sure to call our friendly team at 1-855-2MORBiZ or request a free online performance snapshot of your brand and we’ll be in touch shortly!

What are the Benefits of Providing Free WiFi for Customers?

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 17:18:18 GMT

Let’s face it, patrons of all types of businesses spend a big portion of their time staring at their phone while shopping, eating or waiting. Providing free WiFi is key to enhancing the customer experience and capturing pertinent information that will drive sales and boost loyalty. If you own a business such as a bar, restaurant, auto repair shop or salon then offering free customer WiFi access will allow you to tap into their screen time and grow your bottomline. Here’s how!

More Desirable Business to Visit - If your business offers free WiFi you’ll immediately become more attractive than your competitors who’ve yet to do so. Simply put, people love WiFi!

Grow Your Customer Database - With WiFi marketing you can turn one time customers into customers for life. When they login to your free WiFi using their email, phone number or Facebook you’ll capture their info so you can stay connected once they leave your business through ongoing email marketing or text message notifications.

Geo Targeted Sensor - Marketing shouldn’t end when your customer leaves your shop. With our Geo-Sensor Technology you can stay connected long after a patron has logged out of your WiFi. Our sensor recognizes when a previous client is near your location for 15 minutes or more enabling your dashboard to send automated special offers, such as a BOGO or discounted service to entice them to come back in!

Get Reviews & Grow Reputation - After a customer leaves your business you can send automated Google review requests helping to grow your online reputation and maps listing ranking, giving new customers an even better reason to visit you!

Increase Customer Spending - When you offer free WiFi customers are likely to spend more time in your business, which often translates to higher spending.

Increase Check-Ins - When a customer has access to WiFi they are more likely to check-in at your location on social media, providing you with a free form of advertising.

Attract Customers to Return Frequently with Automated Marketing Triggers - After capturing a customer's information upon their first login to your WiFi network the marketing options are endless. Customized special offers and promotions, review requests and ongoing reminders it's time to come back in can all be automated to send out via email or text. With the advent of Geo Sensor targeting, marketing triggers can now be set to automatically send out if a customer is nearby your shop, or even if they have not returned for a long period of time.

At bars, coffee shops and restaurants it is no secret people use the time between bites to check in, update their status or email coworkers and clients. The same can be said about folks waiting for their car to be serviced at auto repair shops, car wash facilities, hanging out in a salon before a haircut or while browsing the racks at their favorite clothing boutique. If your business isn’t offering free customer WiFi you are missing out on a great marketing opportunity. With affordable WiFi marketing for small businesses from MORBiZ you’ll have access to automated marketing tools that require little time to get big results. To learn more about the benefits of free WiFi for customers don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team by calling 1-855-2MORBiZ (266-7249) or email us at sales@morbiz.com . We look forward to helping you grow your web presence!

Is Google Really Calling Me?

Fri, 08 Mar 2019 04:21:50 GMT

Is Google really calling to discuss your web presence or your Google My Business listing status? The short answer is NO. One of the most frequent complaints we get from our clients is about calls, either human or robotic, from someone claiming to work for Google stating their business’ Google My Business page is unverified or incorrect. You can check these claims yourself very simply and if you are a MORBiZ Web Presence client your Google My Business (GMB) page is ABSOLUTELY verified and accurate as part of the setup process.

To double check your GMB page take these steps:

● Google your business name and your city and state

● If your GMB page is active the listing will show on the right side of the page on a desktop or at the top of the search results on a mobile device

● Check that the information is accurate

● Do you see an “Own this business” button?

If your business’ contact info is correct in the listing, then you’ll know the caller’s claim is false. If there is no “Own this business?” button it means your GMB page is indeed verified. Google will never call you to tell you that your website is performing poorly or that your Google My Business page is not verified.

Per Google’s own literature, they "will never ask you for payment information over the phone or guarantee you favorable placement" in search results. How can you be sure it really isn’t Google? Google will only call if you’ve requested them to contact you.

Additionally, if a caller is trying to sell you something, such as --

● Website development or design

● Digital marketing tools

● SEO services

● Social media marketing

● Content writing services

● Video creation and deployment

-- rest assured it isn’t Google, as they don’t provide such services. These are the areas of expertise left to Google Partners, such as MORBiZ, who’ve demonstrated advanced skill in the use of Google tools to drive business!

Call MORBiZ anytime and our knowledgeable team will be happy to provide additional details regarding your web presence or to discuss any of our many services to grow your business! Call 1-855-2MORBIZ (266-7249) today!

A new tool from MORBiZ drives business with positive reviews

Sun, 17 Feb 2019 03:35:04 GMT

There’s a very simple and effective business plan for today’s digital environment: grow your online reviews to grow your business. This is exactly what WebStar Reputation Management from MORBiZ can help you do. Data surrounding consumer habits reveals why online reviews are so critical to your bottom line. According to a 2018 Local Consumer Review survey:

86 percent of consumers read reviews of local businesses before making a purchase
95 percent of the 18-34 age bracket trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation
Nearly 60 percent of all survey respondents said they’ll only use a business’ products or services if they have at least a 4 star rating out of 5
40 percent of people only read reviews left within the last two weeks
Consumers read an average of 10 online reviews before trusting a business

What does this mean for you? If you're not paying attention to what people are saying about your business on Yelp, Google or other leading directories, or encouraging customers to leave you feedback, you could be missing out on massive amounts of traffic. WebStar motivates customers to post positive reviews, which in turn attracts new traffic, even with a current rating of less than 4 out of 5.

Bottom line; small businesses need a consistent flow of positive reviews to continue attracting new customers. That’s what WebStar Reputation Management from MORBiZ offers. WebStar allows you to manage your online reputation in one place so you can see what people are saying about your business all over the web and turn looky-loos into real customers! If you want to learn more about how WebStar can help manage your small business' online reputation don’t hesitate to contact MORBiZ. Give us a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ or shoot us an email and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have about this critical web presence tool.

Your Small Business and the End of Google+

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Sat, 29 Dec 2018 18:50:34 GMT

Wait, Google Plus is ending? If you haven’t been keeping up on the latest social media buzz with a close eye, this may come as a surprise. Although the media giant announced it’d be closing its social network in October, the time has finally come for Google to padlock the gates of G+ once and for all, with a termination date scheduled for as early as February 1. Before you panic, remember that you have MORBiZ on your team and we will ensure this does not negatively affect your business’ online presence in any way. You can count on us for the proper handling of your Google Plus page’s closure and the continued management of the online tool that is going to become more critical to your company, Google My Business.

What should a small business do before Google+ Ends?

It’s often the case that when Google makes a big move like this that it sends shockwaves through the Internet. With MORBiZ by your side, you won’t have to worry about suffering any setbacks regarding your online presence due to this announcement. That said; there are a few things you can do to prep, if you wish.

Website icons & linking – Any links to your Google+ should be altered to point customers to your Google My Business page. Our team will update your MORBiZ website.
Printed signage – Any printed signs that direct people to your Google Plus page should be updated to lead people to your GMB site.
Email signatures – Now’s the time to update your email signature!
Gather your data – There is an option to download many types of data from your G+ page , including photos, videos members of your groups, and more. If this is valuable to you, grab it!,
Delete page – If you do nothing, the page will disappear on its own. Leave it to MORBiZ, or pull the plug yourself, but once your business G+ page is gone it’s time to turn the attention to Google My Business.

Your Google My Business Page

In the absence of a G+ site, focus will be placed on your Google My Business (GMB) page, a business profile that helps you reach and engage with new, old and potential customers. As a MORBiZ client we’re already managing this for you, helping to boost your search ranking and connect with people seeking the goods and services you offer. A well taken care of Google My Business site can do a lot to bring people from the Internet through your door, especially since it’s a service offered directly by the search giant. Google My Business page management can take a lot of time to be done right, which is why many businesses opt to use the web presence experts at MORBiZ to ensure they get the most from its features.

It’s a big task to manage such an important part of your business, but that’s why you have MORBiZ on your team! If you would like to learn more about how MORBiZ conducts Google My Business page management we’d love to talk. Just remember, our team will take the necessary steps to ensure the end of G+ doesn’t mean the end of your online presence. For more information about our small and medium sized business web presence products and packages, including custom websites, SEO, mobile apps, video marketing, and Google My Business page management , please call us at 1-855-2MORBiZ . We look forward to working with you.

Does Facebook Still Matter for Small Business?

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 20:28:46 GMT

As the user base for Facebook skyrocketed in the past few years, the organization altered the algorithms that generate the posts that show up in user feeds to favor friends, not businesses. While this seems like a solid attempt to improve the user experience, it hinders the organic reach of small businesses who like to connect with their clients and customers online. While you may becoming frustrated that staying in touch with all the people who Like your page is becoming increasingly difficult, your efforts are not fruitless. Maintaining a social presence on Facebook is important for a number of reasons that can drive your bottom line. Before you pull the plug on your business’ Facebook page, consider these four reasons to stay logged on.

Customer Relations

Despite the fact that your content may not be reaching many of your fans’ newsfeeds, your page is still a landing ground for new, old and potential customers to find out information about your business. People are less and less likely to dial the phone number, as they opt to send messages in hopes of a quick response. As long as you remain active on your page, providing updates on important information, sales and specials, people will go there to see what’s new and they’ll continue to use Facebook as a means of communicating with your business directly.

Reviews and Chatter

Just like Yelp, Google and other online directories, Facebook is a popular place for people to leave reviews. These reviews are often included in Google search results, which means it’s another way that you could be found online. While receiving negative reviews can hurt on a personal level, it is important that you respond to them, as well as the positive ones, in a calm and professional manner. Doing so allows users to see that you care about what your customers have to say.

Aside from direct reviews, Facebook allows users to tag products, brands and companies in their own posts. When someone mentions your business, you’ll receive a notification, giving you a chance to see what people are saying, and respond in kind.

Converse Publicly - As a Brand

When you have a business Facebook page you can actually communicate with other pages as your brand. When you leave witty comments, cute remarks or just give a lot of love on other brand’s posts (competitor or not), people will see your brand’s name. This is a free way to give your business a public voice. Who doesn’t like free advertising?

Cheap Advertising Options

Speaking of advertising, Facebook does offer targeted, paid ads. While FB is a free platform in general, the paid options can offer a boost to sales and specials that people may not otherwise see. Just be sure to do your homework regarding the costs, and what sorts of paid posting works best for your particular business type, as there is not a one size fits all method. Should you choose to do so, for just a few dollars, you can potentially reach thousands of people in your own community or around the world, depending on the audience you select.

In short, yes, Facebook does still matter for businesses despite being pitted against the odds of their updated algorithm. Facebook is designed to be a community space, and as long as you participate in that community, you will be seen and loved. If you’d like to learn more about social media management for small business reach out to the Internet marketing experts at MORBiZ. As part of our web presence campaigns , our team builds and manages business’ Facebook pages that host engaging content designed to bring customers right to your doorstep. Give MORBiZ a call at 1-855-266-7249 or use our contact form to request a free web presence evaluation for your business!

3 Ways to Boost Organic Search Ranking

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Mon, 29 Oct 2018 18:49:29 GMT

With the many advertising avenues that are afforded to your business thanks to the Internet, it is important that you take advantage of all of them to maximize your bottom line. One of the most critical factors that determines if you will be successful in gaining business online is where your business’ website lands in search rankings. If your business is on the second page of results, or doesn’t show up on the “nearby listings” that Google provides searchers, then it is very likely you’re missing out on a lot of potential customers. Thankfully, there are tactics you can use to boost you search ranking, which will help move your business to the coveted position at the top of page one.

Add a Video

When people consider using a video for anything related to business, from social media posts to TV commercials, they often worry about the budget. Video is a big production, right? Not necessarily. You can create a simple video, such as one that consists of photos and voiceover, and upload it to YouTube for next to nothing, and that’s really all you need in terms of video help to enhance your search ranking. In short, embedding a video on your website that is properly titled, described, tagged and hosted on YouTube can enhance your search ranking position. This is because Google often shows video results above text results, giving preference to YouTube videos, as it is a Google company. If your company has a video on its homepage, there’s a better chance of jumping to the top and leading people directly to your page.

Directory Cleanup

There are many, many directory sites that lists business’ address, phone number, website, email address and other critical information. Most of the time these are set up automatically by the the directory sites using automated bots. This means there is plenty of room for error, and directory errors can be catastrophic when it comes to your business’ search ranking. Inconsistent information spread over various directories can result in your business’ search ranking dropping, sometimes quite a bit. This is because the inaccurate information makes it difficult for search engines to tell what is right, and may even believe your business is spam. Utilizing a directory cleanup service, conducted by a real human, will ensure all online directories list the proper details for your business, thus boosting your search rank.

On Page SEO

One major component of gaining a higher search ranking is through the use of words. While the old adage may say actions speak louder; words speak clearer when it comes to searches. Using keywords on your website text to specifically describe your business will boost your search ranking. Don’t over do it though, trying to put too many keywords in can actually hurt your ranking, as search engines read this as spam. It’s important to work with a web presence expert to ensure your site gets the proper treatment when it comes to organic search engine optimization.

At MORBiZ, our team of online presence professionals provide an array of tools to help boost search ranking for businesses of all sizes. We would love to talk to you about your options for increasing web traffic ! If you’d like to learn more about the above tactics, or to discuss additional web presence tools , give our friendly team a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ . We look forward to working with you to grow your business online, and off!

Best Practices: How to Respond to Online Customer Reviews

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 21:17:42 GMT

Did you know that upwards of 90 percent of consumers will only use the products or services of a business if that business has an online rating of at least three stars out of five? That’s a lot of pressure. While you’re doing as much as you can to maintain great relationships with your customers offline, by providing them with quality products and services, it is important that you turn to Yelp, Google Reviews, Facebook and other platforms to continue the conversations surrounding your offerings and your customers’ experiences. Responding to reviews, both negative and positive, is a critical method of maintaining and growing community relations and encouraging other people to leave you feedback.

Why Respond to Online Reviews?

There are several reasons to respond to reviews that are both negative and positive in nature. In both cases it is important to remember that you aren’t just responding to the person who left the review, but to anyone who reads it. When it comes to positive reviews, responding shows that you are actively engaging with your business’ community, which can help generate buzz around your business. Additionally, it’s the nice thing to do! If a customer offered a compliment to your face, you’d say thank you, wouldn’t you?

Responding to negative reviews is just as important. As mentioned, you aren’t just talking to the person with a complaint, but to anyone who finds the review. By responding to the review you can work on setting things right! This helps show that you care about your customers’ thoughts and feelings and want to do right by them.

Furthermore, replying to reviews in a proper manner can help enhance your search ranking. Utilizing strategic SEO tactics while replying can help your response show up in search results for people seeking businesses like yours!

Responding to Negative Customer Reviews

When you work so hard to please everyone it can certainly be disheartening to receive a negative review. Fear not though, there’s a chance you could turn that 1 or 2 star grade into 5.

An effective template for responding to a negative review starts with acknowledging and apologizing for your customer’s poor experience.
Follow this up with a sentence about how your business doesn’t usually make this mistake. For example, “Our car wash employees are known for their great attention to detail, we’re very sorry if we missed a spot and we’ll be sure to provide our employees with additional training to make sure this issue doesn’t happen again.“
Lastly, invite the customer to contact you directly, offline, so that the issue can be properly resolved. Once the problem is addressed there’s a good chance the customer will revise their review without even being asked to do so.

Responding to Positive Customer Reviews

Start by thanking the customer for their positive comments. By being specific you can ensure the customer knows you’re not a robot!
To help improve your search rankings be sure to state the business name in your response to customers. This way the review is more likely to be found when people seek the services or products of your business.
End the response by inviting the customer back by encouraging them to try another service or product. For example, “If you loved our new nail polish line be sure to check out our scented hand lotions. Try the purple polish and the lavender lotion!” This will help grow your relationship with that customer while informing others of what you offer!

Getting reviews is only half the work, the response is really how you’ll make an impression. Managing responses can be tough, though, especially when you’re busy running your company. Thankfully, there is a customizable online review management platform available from the web presence experts at MORBiZ. Our WebStar Reputation Management Platform offers automation and assistance with the never ending task of reading and responding to reviews. With WebStar, you can manage your online reputation in one place, see what customers are saying about your business all over the web and stay up to date with executive reports that detail how your business is faring in online conversations. You can even be alerted when new information is found! To learn more about this exciting online reputation management software call MORBiZ at 1-855-2MORBiZ or use the handy contact form! We look forward to working with you to maintain or improve your business’ online reputation.

5 Reasons PPC (Pay-Per-Click) Advertising Works for Small Business

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 19:43:10 GMT

When it comes to marketing your small business you’ve no doubt explored many pathways. You’ve done it all, local newspaper ads, setting up social media channels, even hiring a kid to flip a sign on the corner, right? Perhaps you’ve even tried pay-per-click, or PPC, ads in the past through sites like Google. Chances are, if that was your first time using a PPC service, you may have found it to be slightly confusing or believed it not to be useful for your business. It’s time to rethink that idea.

Let’s refresh. Pay-Per-Click campaigns provide your company the opportunity to show up at the top of search results when clients seeking your products or services try to find a business like yours online, for a small cost, which is collected each time someone clicks on the advertised search result. A properly executed PPC campaign through a service such as Google AdWords takes expertise and time, but the wait is worth the benefits. While many people like to run their own PPC programs, utilizing a Google AdWords certified partner is a surefire way to get the most out of your campaign. If you are ready to take the next step to drive traffic to your shop or service, be sure to consider the great benefits of PPC for small business.

Small Budgets

With a PPC campaign you don’t have to spend a fortune to get people to see your ads. Remember, you’re only paying for clicks to the links that your campaign hosts, yet you’re still getting many, many more impressions. For a nominal cost, you can expose your business to thousands of potential customers.

Local Targeting

One of the greatest parts about PPC advertising the ability to target potential clients in a hyper-local area. There are multiple demographic options to select from, including location, that will help ensure only the most viable potential clicks see your ads.

Lots of Messages

When using print advertising or TV and radio spots you have to commit to a single message. With a PPC campaign you can utilize multiple messages to help broaden your target audience based on their specific needs. For example, one person may want service A, yet another may be searching for service B, both of which you offer. PPC ensures each potential client sees an ad relevant to their needs.

Reel in New Markets

While your business may be located in a small town or a neighborhood of a large city, it’s possible to attract business from neighboring communities with PPC campaigns using geo-targeting. This is one of the most effective ways of reeling in customers from outside your usual market area.

Analytics Provide Direction

Campaign programs such as Google AdWords provide specific analytics about your customers and where they come from, that show you what’s working, and what isn’t. This information will help you and your AdWords specialist determine the best direction to take your PPC campaign, ensuring that you get the most from your budget and your clicks.

Pay-Per-Click advertising should be considered a critical component of a larger marketing effort for just about every type of business, including smaller shops and services. To learn more about the benefits of PPC advertising for small business or to set up Pay-Per-Click advertising for a small business reach out to the dedicated team of Internet marketing professionals at MORBiZ. We work closely with business owners to determine the highest quality campaign for attracting new customers through Google Adwords. Connect with us by filling out the contact form or give us a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ . Reach out to MORBiZ today, and let’s watch your business grow tomorrow.

8 Great Features of Small Business Custom Mobile Apps

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 17:13:40 GMT

Today, people’s lives are ran from inside their pocket. If you’re not reaching people on their smartphone, there’s a good chance you’re not reaching them at all. Having a custom mobile app for your business allows you to stay engaged with new, old and potential customers, helping to bring them back time and time again. You may think your business may not need an app because you don’t offer a large number of products or services, or because you’ve been around so long that there is no way your older customers will ever use an app. To be straight, regardless of your goods or your customer demographics, an app is a proven way to increase sales. Here are eight of the top features a custom mobile app can have to help customers find their way to your front door.

Directions

Customers can quickly receive turn by turn directions to your business from their home or wherever they may be.

Quick Contact Features

Through the app customers can utilize one touch calling or a variety of other contact methods to book appointments, make reservations, inquire about products or ask general questions.

Referrals

Your customers can share your business directly with their friends using social media, email, SMS and other methods. You can even set up referral rewards to encourage their participation.

Image Gallery

Do you want to show off your business’ goods and services? A native image gallery offers a beautiful way to displace all you do!

Fan Wall

A fan wall is essentially a social media network just for your business. People can offer their compliments and see what others have to say on your business’ mobile fan wall.

Push Notifications

By using push notifications you can stay in touch with customers and provide them with exciting offers, fresh news other unique information.

Check-In Coupons

A GPS coupon that unlocks when customers step into your business is the perfect way to get them in the door.

Social Media Integrations

What’s an app without social media? Custom mobile apps can integrate Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and other social sites, helping you and your customers to stay connected.

A custom mobile app is the perfect way to drive business. If you are interested in designing a custom mobile app for your business you can reach out to MORBiZ. We’re licensed with The App Store and Google Play, ensuring proper and timely publishing of apps for all types of devices. Our team is able to implement a wide variety of mobile app features , so call us today at 1-855-266-7249 or email sales@morbiz.com to get started on your custom business app.

Getting the Most from Your Customers with Online Reputation Management

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Sat, 23 Jun 2018 04:05:52 GMT

People don't turn to the phonebook to find local businesses anymore, oh no, those days are long gone. Today, seeking a product or service often involves a potential customer turning to an Internet search to find contact information, pricing, and customer reviews of local, regional and national businesses. All of those reviews and information, along with other statistics and content, can be difficult to keep track of when they can be found on sites all over the Internet, some of which you may have never even heard of before.

Your business information, including your physical address, web address, phone number and opening hours can be found on numerous listing sites. A major step in ensuring your business' reputation is not hindered is by making sure that all of these directory listings provide the same information. Inaccurate or missing info can cause you to miss out on or upset potential or actual customers. This type of problem can lead to negative reviews of your business, which are important to respond to, if you want to reduce the impact of a poor score from one client.

Maintaining your business' online reputation is almost a full time job, but doing so is critical to keep customers walking in the doors for the first time and coming back time after time. Here are a few things to think about when considering the importance of reputation management.

Improve search rank - Making sure all of your business information is properly listed across all major and minor directories and search engines will help boost your search ranking on Google, Bing and Yahoo.

See what customers say all over the web - You will need to navigate many different website to find out all of what customers are saying about your business. It isn't just Google reviews, Facebook and Yelp that attract reviews and feedback, but blogs, news sites and other social networks. It takes a lot of time to find every mention of your business, unless you utilize an online reputation management tool. Finding out what people have to say about your business allows you to respond in kind, helping boost your reputation even further.

Stay informed with analytics - Another item you'll have to tackle is deciphering the information found about your website to try and understand what you'll have to do to improve your marks. Sounds, daunting, right? It doesn't have to. By using reputation management tools designed to help your business you can get those five star reviews you crave.

Online Reputation Management Dashboard

It's no secret that a lot needs to be done to maintain your business' online reputation, but as mentioned, the use of reputation management tools can lighten the load, without missing out on important data, mentions or reviews. The web presence experts at MORBiZ are excited to now offer WebStar Reputation Management , an all-in-one account that helps you manage your online reputation from one place.

WebStar does more than just point you in the right direction regarding reviews and mentions. A few of the useful tools it includes are automated web scans that ensure your business listings are complete and accurate. Additionally it uses competitive benchmarking that compares your business to local and regional competition, to see where you stand. MORBiZ's WebStar online reputation management tool will provide you with executive reports that inform you about how your business is faring in online conversations across many platforms, including social sites, blogs and review directories. Not only that, but it will provide you with tips on what to do and alert you any time new info about your business is published online.

Are you ready to make the most out of your online reputation to drive new business? Contact the friendly team at MORBiZ by calling 1-855-266-7249 to get started today. We will be glad to provide you with a free run through and consultation regarding our online reputation management services , as well as our other tools that are designed enhance your overall web presence to improve your business' bottom line!

3 Things You Can Do To Increase Your Business' Web Presence Today

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Mon, 28 May 2018 00:46:47 GMT

As a small or medium sized business owner it is likely that you want to do everything possible to attract new customers. While your business may be set in a brick and mortar location and offer no online services, you'll still want to ensure that your web presence is fully maximized to so you are able to connect with as many potential customers as possible. While having a website is a great first step, there is much more you can do to enhance the chances of your business being found by somebody looking for the products or services you offer during an Internet search. Here's what you can do to increase your business' web presence today.

SEO

A website is great, but if it isn't search engine optimized it may not be seen or listed in search results at all. Search engine optimization, or SEO, is an organic method of increasing your chances of being found via web search that entails using keywording in texts, tags and metadata. This is done so that search engines read your site to understand exactly what your business does, thus providing accurate results to potential clients. To ensure that your site receives healthy search engine optimization it is smart to work with a professional Internet marketing company that specializes in web presence enhancement.

Social Media

Another great way to enhance your business' visibility on the Internet is to utilize social media. The primary sites that your business should be active on are Google+, Facebook and Twitter. If you have business pages on these sites they can be found through a general Internet search, and if you properly utilize the pages to ensure they offer optimal information about your business in the "About Us" and "Location" sections, you'll be seeing an increase in foot traffic, phone calls and emails in no time. Social media also allows you to stay connect with new, current and former customers.

Video Marketing

Many small business owners are quick to assume that utilizing video will be out of their budget. You may be happy to learn that this simply isn't the case. You don't need a huge production budget to take advantage of all that video marketing can offer you. A video, doesn't actually have to be video at all,in the normal sense. A professional video slideshow with a voice over provides you a piece of marketing material that allows you to utilize YouTube and other video platforms for marketing purposes. Websites(like your business site) that host a YouTube video are much more likely to show at the top of Google search results then those that don't. This is because Google in fact owns YouTube.

Maximizing your web presence will ensure that you are exposed to as many potential customers as possible. If you would like to work with a qualified Internet marketing company to enhance your business' Internet footprint be sure to contact MORBiZ. Our mission is to deliver business! We do this using a variety of online tactics, including building Search Engine Optimized websites , blogging, social media, video marketing, custom mobile apps, Internet directory clean up services and more! To find out how we can help your business grow call our friendly team at 1-855-266-7249 today!

Is Video Marketing Right for My Business?

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Sun, 29 Apr 2018 19:14:00 GMT

As a small business owner it is important to evaluate all of your options when it comes to advertising and marketing. One route that often gets forgotten about or swept to the side is video marketing. Many business owners assume that this type of marketing won’t convey the message they want to give to their customers, doesn’t properly showcase their products or services or simply costs too much. The thing is, small business video marketing can reach your customer base and it is an affordable option! Here are four reasons you need to consider small business video marketing!

Affordability

You won’t have to spend thousands of dollars to get the benefits of video marketing. Video marketing, in fact, doesn’t actually have to be a video as you are probably thinking, but simply needs to utilize a video platform. This means that a video can be made using a photographic slide show and voice over, greatly reducing the production costs and ensuring it’s an affordable option that falls within your marketing budget.

Showcase your Products & Services

No matter what sort of business you operate, from an auto repair shop to a small chocolate boutique, video marketing is a quality way of showcasing the products and services you offer. Great photography matched with a well-drafted script is going to offer new and potential clients excellent insight into exactly what you offer and the benefits they can expect to receive by using your services compared to a competitor.

Increase Time on Website

When you host a video on your website you are likely going to keep potential customers focused on your business longer. This increases the chances of them giving you a call or even scheduling an appointment right on your site!

Enhanced Overall Web Presence

Video marketing offers you the chance to increase your overall web presence. This is done by hosting your video on a number of different video platforms, all of which are findable by top search engines. The primary location of your video, most likely YouTube, greatly increases the chances that your business will have a first page ranking on Google search results, as Google favors YouTube video results with proper titling, tags and descriptions that match customer queries. When you put a marketing video online your chances of being found by interested consumers more than doubles.

If you have yet to pull the trigger on video marketing now is the time to do so! To learn more about small business video marketing reach out to the team at MORBiZ. Our staff of professional Internet marketing experts will be glad to detail exactly how a video will help your business thrive online and off. To learn more about our Internet video marketing services, or any of our other web presence products, please give us a call at 1-855-266-7249 today!

Great Ways to Increase your Business’ Internet Footprint

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 02:19:02 GMT

We live in an era where the goal is to reduce our carbon footprint, which essentially means to live a greener lifestyle. While it is great if you can recycle and compost more, those sorts of ideas don’t really translate into Internet marketing, as that is a space in which you want to have as big of a footprint as possible. By creating a big footprint, meaning you take up a lot of “real estate” around the web, you make it easier for current and potential customers to find your business. While having a website is great, it alone generally won’t provide you with the space necessary to show up high in search engine results, especially if if is not enhanced to be read by today’s major search engines. Here are four things you can do to increase your Internet footprint.

Website Revamp

It is likely that you already have a website for your business. If not, great! You can start from scratch. Your website, whether new or if you are revamping it, needs to be search engine optimization (SEO) friendly. This means that is uses (but doesn’t overuse) key terms surrounding your business practices. For example, an auto repair shop website should include the text “ auto repair in YOUR CITY” sparingly throughout the body text. However, you also need to conduct behind the scenes SEO, such as tagging images and site pages with proper names. Be sure to talk with your webmaster about enhancing your site’s SEO to increase your chances of showing up high in organic search results.

Video

Video marketing does not have to spendy! Surprised? Many people think of elaborate sets, scripts and actors when it comes to filming a marketing video. While that is one option, it isn’t the only option, and certainly not the most affordable. A well done video and photo representation can be done for far less than $1,000! Once the video is done you can use a marketing service to distribute it on upwards of 35 sites, thus enhancing your Internet footstep with the click of a mouse!

Social Media

Perhaps you’ve heard of Facebook? Maybe Twitter or Google+? Joking, of course, as these have become household names over the past decade. Using these sites for your business provides additional ways to find your services. Plus, these sites are great for interacting with new, old and future customers.

Directory Clean Up

There are many sites that utilize your business’ information to direct customers to you if they are searching for your services. This includes Yelp, Yellow Pages and even Google’s own listing services. However, if your information is not the same across all these platforms, it can hurt where your business shows in search results. A directory clean up service will ensure that all of the top directories list the proper name, address, phone number and logo for your business!

This might all sound like a lot of work in order to get people to click on your website. But as more and more people turn to the Internet to find everything from jewelry to landscaping, you need to ensure your business can be found. If you would like professional assistance with each of these tactics and others, reach out to MORBiZ’s friendly team of Internet marketing experts. We build and maintain websites, offer Google AdWords management services, conduct social media services, produce and distribute videos and more, all to bring more customers through your doors. Give us a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ to get started today. We look forward to helping you increase your Internet footprint.

What is the Difference Between Paid and Organic Search Results

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Tue, 27 Feb 2018 23:37:06 GMT

The average web user may not know that when they receive Internet search results from a search engine such as Google they are likely seeing two different types of results, paid and organic. Both of these types of results are beneficial to a business that is trying to capture a certain audience, i.e., potential customers. This means it is important that your business shows up in each category when people look for the goods and services you provide, but this is no simple task. Let's look at how you can ensure that your company is always at or near the top of paid and organic search results.

Paid Search Results

When it comes to paid search results the service that most people are familiar with is Google AdWords, and rightfully so. Paid advertising campaigns on this platform are designed to show above organic search results in like-minded queries. Setting up and mastering a Google AdWords account can be a time consuming process for the untrained small business owner, and it can result in some expensive mistakes if you're unsure how to properly execute your ads. It's a smart idea to work with a Google AdWords Partner to make sure that your ads don't end up costing you more than they make you!

Organic Search Results

Getting your business website to show up near the top of organic search results is everyone's goal. But this too can be a strenuous process. Proper on and offsite SEO is crucial to search results for all search engines, including Google and Bing. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, has to do with utilizing key words on your site, proper meta tags, linking and a variety of other tactics that are utilized in visible arenas of your website, as well as behind the scenes. SEO can even include your social media presence! Confusing, yes, but so, so important to understand to ensure customers find you, and more importantly, find you first. For best results reach out to a professional web marketing agency for a site audit or new website build.

Is one better than the other?

A combination of both organic and paid search results are ideal for small businesses to ensure that they are seen in all relevant searches. Just remember that an unkempt paid advertising campaign can be incredibly pricey for a small business.

If you have questions or concerns about developing positive small business search results feel free to contact the team of Internet marketing experts at MORBiZ. We've made it our mission to ensure each and every one of our clients is found online with ease! We work with many different types of businesses, including auto repair shops, salons, doctors and lawyers, landscapers, contractors and more, all who have found great success through a MORBiZ marketing campaign. Give us a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ to learn more about how we can help your small business grow its web presence using paid search and organic methods!

Why Should Your Work with a Google Partner for Your AdWords Campaign?

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 03:55:30 GMT

Paid search advertising, such as Google AdWords, is a premium way of ensuring your business shows up in Internet search results for the goods and services you offer in your community. Unfortunately, navigating paid search advertising can be difficult if you are unfamiliar with the laws of the digital land. To ensure that your business gets results that deliver new customers day after day it is smart to work with a Google Partner on your AdWords campaign. Working with a partner is the best way to be positive that your business is properly spending paid search advertising dollars.

To become a Google AdWords Partner an agency must fulfil certain requirements. When an agency displays the Google Partner badge, shown here, you can rest easy knowing that they have the skills necessary to run a profitable campaign for your business.

How an agency earns the Google Partner badge

The following are four basic requirements an agency meet to earn the Google Partner badge.

Demonstrated AdWords Expertise - For a company to earn the partner badge at least one affiliated employee must be AdWords certified. This demonstrates advanced knowledge of AdWords.

Meet Spending Requirements - An agency must meet certain spending requirements over a specified time period. This represents prolonged activity in the account, which is another way of showing experience.

Growing Customer Base - Google continually evaluates partner performance, which includes measuring the agency’s client retention and growth rate. If an agency is unable to maintain clients they may be stripped of their partnership badge.

Demonstrate Customer Revenue Growth - Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the agency must be able to demonstrate that their clients revenues have grown based on the services the agency is providing in AdWords.

When you work with a Google Partner your company will be treated as if it is the agency’s own advertising, meaning, you’re going to have a high quality campaign ran on your behalf. At MORBiZ, a Google Partner, we excel at Google AdWords campaigns for small and medium sized businesses. We are able to properly target the community that you live in to ensure your business shows up at the top of a search result page based on the products and services you provide. To learn more about how we can help you with your Google AdWords campaign don’t hesitate to contact our friendly Internet marketing team. We take a full service approach to your campaign so that it performs as best as possible. Give us a call at 1-855-2MORBIZ to get started today!

What are the Top Features of a Custom Mobile App for Small Businesses?

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Sat, 30 Dec 2017 05:50:23 GMT

We all use mobile apps on our smartphones and tablets every single day. We use them to stay in touch with friends. We use them to play games and get the news. We use them for directions and we use them to find dates. But does your small business offer an app to its customers that can allow them to stay connected, save money and more? Many small businesses have strayed away from offering an app, fearing the cost of development. While cost may have been an issue in the past, new build out strategies allow for fast and beautiful app creation for all types of businesses, including yours. Small business custom mobile apps can include a number of great features, including the following.

Loyalty Rewards

If you want to keep your customers coming back time and time again be sure to utilize a loyalty rewards system that is available through your mobile app. A popular way to do this is electronic stamp card that once filled out offers a free or discounted service or product.

Scratch Cards

Keep your clients entertained and hoping for discounts by giving them a one time or recurring electronic scratch card. Their card could reveal big savings!

Referral Programs

If one of your customers refers another to your business you can now say thank you through a referral program that can be designed to fit your needs. This often provides a discount or free service to the referral source.

One Click Appointment Scheduling

Making appointments shouldn’t be difficult. An app can allows clients to schedule an appointment without hassle.

Estimate Requests

Many people want to know how much a product or service will cost before committing to coming into the place of business to receive it. An estimate request allows your clients to send detailed information about their needs and you can reply in kind through the app or via email.

MORBiZ offers high quality custom mobile apps for small and medium sized businesses that are designed to keep customers engaged. These simple to use custom mobile apps will ensure you’re always just a click away. With push notifications you can remind your customers of sales, special events and other information that is relevant to their needs, just as if you’re sending a text. If you would like to build a custom mobile app for business call MORBiZ at 1-855-266-7249 to get started today.

What is Web Presence?

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Sat, 30 Dec 2017 05:48:05 GMT

By definition, web presence is the location on the World Wide Web where a person, business or other entity is represented. There can be, and often are, multiple online venues in which a person or business can be found, thus increasing their web presence. For your business, it is important that you can be found all over the web, and that the information shared at each of those places is accurate. Accurate and wide reaching web presence can help drive business, even if your primary services are conducted offline. Let’s look at six of the most important aspects of commercial web presence.

Website

The first, and often the most critical, aspect of web presence is the business’ website. The website needs to be written in a manner that will ensure people are able to find it when searching for the goods or services you provide through search engines. Not only does this include the readable text, but the tags and meta data of the website as well. This culminates in a site rich in search engine optimization (SEO) that is also reader friendly.

Blog

Another component of your web presence, which is often integrated into the website, is a blog. A blog ensures that there is constantly fresh material being loaded onto the site. This in turn keeps the site properly indexed in search engines, helping to boost search results.

Paid Search Advertising

Utilizing paid advertising for search results, such as Google AdWords, is a surefire way to keep your business listed at the top of results. It is important that AdWords campaigns are managed by someone highly trained in the platform, so you do not waste any time or money.

Video Marketing

The use of video is key in capturing additional SEO as well as allowing your business to be found in non-traditional mediums. Video, which can be surprisingly inexpensive, is great for distributing through multiple video sites, including YouTube. Websites that have relevant videos on their homepage that are hosted on YouTube are much more likely to show up near the top of search results than sites that don’t.

Social Media

Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are three sites your business needs to be active on if you want to maximize your web presence. Social media posts are a great way to stay connected with current, future and past clients. Additionally, the posts and pages themselves can be indexed and found in search results on Google, Bing, Yahoo and so on.

Online Directory Listings

Your business needs to claim and maintain the many online profiles set up for it automatically by sites like Yelp, Yellow Pages, Angie’s List and others. What is very important about your business’ listings on these sites is having coherent and accurate information across them all regarding your phone number, business name, address and so forth. Inaccuracies could hurt your business’ placement in search results. A directory cleanup service can be used to make sure all information is correct.

Web presence is highly important for all businesses, even those that don’t do any deals on the web. If you’re looking to drive business by building your web presence don’t hesitate to contact the Internet marketing professionals at MORBiZ. We utilize all of the above methods and others to ensure that your business is easily found by the clients and customers. Give us a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ ( 1-855-266-7249 ) to learn more or to boost your web presence today.

Is Social Media Important to Offline Business?

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Fri, 01 Dec 2017 04:30:03 GMT

Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and the like offer a free platform for you to advertise your business online. Free is good, right? Absolutely! If you haven’t yet signed your business up for these social media sites, there is no time like the present. But, why, you ask, does my offline business need even more online presence? The answer, quite simply, is to drive business. That is the goal after all, isn’t it? A website is a great starting point for any brick and mortar product or service provider, but it’s not the only outlet you need to focus on. Social media offers several unique opportunities that are otherwise unavailable through more traditional online websites. Here are four reasons you need social media for your business.

Connect with Customers

It’s called social media for a reason, because it is where you get to be social with people who like and follow your brand. These platforms are places where people come to engage with you and your business, ask questions, get information, learn about what you do and so much more. The best part? You can interact with these customers directly to give them the info they’re looking for.

Receive and Respond to Reviews

Facebook and Google+, along with other social sites, offer consumers the opportunity to rank their experiences. On these sites you can read and respond to customers with comments, complaints or questions. It is important to respond to reviewers, both good and bad, to let them know you hear them.

Enhanced SEO

Signing up for social media sites is a great way to build your business’ overall web presence. The more places you can be found online, the better, right? Right. Social media sites will show up in search results from Google and other top search engines, helping potential customers find your goods and services.

Build a Sense of Community

As your social media following grows it allows you to build a community around your brand. You can become the local expert in your field, provide insightful information about what you do, or just share cute cat videos that are sure to get a few thumbs up. People will come to your page for laughs, for answers and to initiate a transaction.

Social media can be daunting for small business owners who already have enough on their plates. If you’re interested in growing your web presence, including your social media standing, reach out to the team of Internet marketing professionals at MORBiZ. We can work with you to achieve your web presence goals. To learn more about social media marketing give us a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ . We look forward to hearing from you and learning how we can be of service.

Why Online Reviews Matter

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Fri, 01 Dec 2017 04:27:41 GMT

You do business in a building, not on the web, so why does it matter what Joe B. from Anywhere, USA has to say about your company? Well, it matters a lot. Online reviews, especially on sites like Yelp and other listing directories, are where many people find the products and services they use everyday, you know, offline. While you can’t necessarily prevent bad reviews from being written, aside from providing a great customer experience to everyone who visits your shop, you can take action on reviews written by reaching out to distressed and impressed consumers.

Your actions online and off can have a big impact on your business because search engines such as Google use review information to assist in their search rankings for local results. In general terms, the better your reviews, the more business you will get. However, it is slightly more technical than that. Here are three ways online reviews impact your business.

Search Engine Ranking

When people search within Yelp or other review sites the businesses with the highest reviews tend to come up first. This is also true on Google, Bing, Yahoo and other search engines, as they factor in these scores as well. Review scores account for up to 10 percent of the search ranking algorithm for Google.

Clicks to Website

A business with highly regarded reviews and star rankings are much more likely to get clicks to their direct website than those with none or poor reviews. The more clicks you get to your website the better chance you have of converting those people into customers, rather than just looky-loo passerbys.

Purchasing Decisions

Real input from real people is an incredibly powerful selling tool for businesses. The reviews received will viewed by thousands of potential customers, all seeking the most accurate information about your services.

It is important that you monitor online reviews listed for your business, and respond in kind to those with questions, comments or concerns. Another aspect of review sites is the physical information that they provid about your business, including the name, phone number and address, as well as logos and pictures. If this information is inaccurate you could receive negative reviews for a business that isn’t even yours! Utilizing an online directory clean up service will help alleviate this issue, by ensuring all info is correct, which will also boost search rankings and click throughs. To learn more about the benefits of online reviews and directory clean up services reach out to the Internet marketing experts at MORBiZ. We would be happy to chat with you about your web presence goals. Give us a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ to get started today!

Four Tools for Ultimate Web Presence

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Sun, 29 Oct 2017 22:39:16 GMT

Just because you don’t sell anything online doesn’t mean that your business doesn’t need to have an online presence. No matter what sort of company you operate, from a hair salon to an auto repair shop, and everything in between, it needs to have a strong web presence if you want it to remain successful in today’s day and age. People utilize search engines such as Google to find the products and services they need everyday, and if your business isn’t coming up in search results, you’re losing customers. The following are four tools that your business needs to remain viable.

Website

The most important element of web presence is a business website. Without a website you’ll struggle to exist online, and off. A well designed, SEO’d (search engine optimized) website is going to show up in search results, provide a destination for targeted PPC (pay-per-click) ads, such as Google AdWords, and ultimately be a place where new, old and potential customers can learn about your business, make appointments or place orders and learn how they can get in touch with you offline.

Blog

To keep your website relevant it should be regularly updated. A wonderful way of keeping your site’s content fresh, which helps its ranking in search results, and provide your customers with valuable information is to have a blog. You can confirm your authority in your trade in your community by offering expert advice, tips and other info to customers that will keep them coming back for more time and time again.

Social Media

Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus and a myriad of other sites offer ways to connect with your customers quickly and effectively. By maintaining a social media presence you can regularly interact with new, potential and returning customers. It is on these platforms you will be able to address concerns, offer promotions and a share valuable content, all in real time and in the public sphere. As you grow your social media presence you can be sure the number of customers walking through the door will increase as well.

Mobile App

More than half of all online browsing is done on mobile, and much of it via an app. Building a custom mobile app for your small business is a great way to engage with your customers. A mobile app can allow clients to make appointments, get directions, earn loyalty rewards, make referrals, leave reviews and so much more. It’s surprisingly affordable to have a custom app built for your business.

You shouldn’t be scared of getting your feet wet when it comes to building a web presence, but to ensure it is done quickly and done right, it’s never a bad idea to enlist a team of Internet marketing experts. At MORBiZ, we take great pride in our ability to foster and grow web presence for SMBs businesses across North America. We’ll work with you step by step to develop an online plan that fits your business’ needs from the website to the custom mobile app . Give the team at MORBiZ a call at 1-855-2MORBiZ to learn more about our online marketing and web presence services.

What is Internet Directory Clean Up?

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Sun, 29 Oct 2017 22:36:51 GMT

Whether you know it or not, your business exists in directories all over the Internet on sites such as Yelp, Angie’s List and Yellow Pages. On the surface this is great, as these listings provide multiple ways for your business to be found, alongside your website. Unfortunately, many business profiles on these sites are setup automatically and may not contain accurate information about your business. If the phone number, address, services and even business name is inconsistent across these search directories it can hinder your business’ search ranking, which translates to less customers. Fortunately, an Internet directory clean up service can be used to reverse and prevent any possible damage to your web presence done by these automated listings.

Claim & Edit Existing Listings

When a web technician tackles the huge list of Internet directories that may include your business the most important thing that they will do is ensure that your business’ information is properly displayed. Accuracy is key to boosting your web presence and preventing the chance of customers not seeing your business in a search. The technician will manually claim any existing listings in order to check and correct your business’ phone number, address, email address and business name. When possible, the technician will also add or revise any business description to ensure that it properly articulates what products and services your business offers. Aside from ensuring all contact information and business descriptions are correct the technician will also upload your current logo and other photos when appropriate.

Create New Listings

For ultimate results, the web presence directory clean up technician will create new listings on any directories in which your business is not currently listed. The more places your business is found with proper information, the better for your overall search ranking. When completing a new listing on any web directory the technician will take great care to ensure it accurately represents your business in terms of contact info and an explanation of products and services. They will of course add any visuals to complete the listing.

It can be extremely time consuming to correct improper business listings found throughout the Internet. By using MORBiZ’s Internet Directory Clean Up Service you won’t have to spend your days behind a keyboard seeking out false info, you can leave that to us. Our Web directly clean up service is the quickest, most affordable way to enhance your business’ search ranking. To learn more about directory clean up , or any of our other web marketing services, call 1-855-2MORBiZ to speak with a friendly representative today!

4 Ways to Achieve Great SEO for your Small Business

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Sat, 30 Sep 2017 03:31:48 GMT

Search Engine Optimization, or SEO for short, is probably a term you’ve heard a lot when talking about Internet marketing, but have you put it fully into practice? The goal of SEO, which primarily includes free tactics, but paid options are a great addition, is to get your business to show up on the first page of Google or other search engine query results. Since people rarely move past the first page of results, showing up in the first bunch is the best way to ensure people find your business when looking for the services you provide in the area that you provide them. To boost your web presence make sure that your business is utilizing these SEO practices.

Optimized Website

The most important thing that you can do in your SEO campaign is ensure that your website is fully optimized. Not only does this mean having copy that is written using terms that will help your business appear during online searches, but also using proper tags behind the scenes, as well as utilizing a responsive layout. To keep your website at the top of search results it is also important that it is regularly updated.

Fresh Content - Fresh content, as in, new additions to the website, should be added regularly so that the site is continuously indexed by Google. Your fresh content could come from a tool such as a blog.

Social Media

Using social media is a perfect way to grow your web presence organically. While there are paid options for promoting content on Facebook, Twitter and the like, simply existing and being active on these networks provides another place for your business to be found. As your followers grow, so will traffic to your website, which can often be directed by sharing links to your company’s blog.

Video Marketing

If you’re not using video marketing for your small business, you’re missing out. Now, this doesn’t mean buying a TV ad spot or spending thousands of dollars on expensive equipment and actors! A video can be created quite inexpensively to accurately reflect your business’ offerings, goals and achievements. This video can be hosted on YouTube, displayed on your website and distributed through a variety of channels, all helping to boost SEO. Relevant video search results always display above standard text results in search engine queries, giving you yet another upper hand.

AdWords Campaign

One way to ensure that your business is listed above all others is by using a pay-per-click Google AdWords campaign. This type of campaign utilizes keywords based off your business’ provided services that, when searched for, will boost your site to the top of the search results. It is an affordable method of making sure your business is found. To maximize efficiency and proper ad spend it is crucial that this type of campaign is handled by a professional online marketing and AdWords specialist.

In reality, these tactics can help boost your web presence, but it doesn’t come without time and effort. To strengthen your web presence without wasting time or money it is best to use a team of web marketing experts , which will allow you to run your business, while they bring you new and return customers day in and day out. If you’re interested in utilizing the above tactics, or a number of others that are sure to increase your web presence, you need to contact the Internet marketing pros at MORBiZ. We offer multiple solutions that drive business on and off the web. To learn more about our services or to request a free consultation don’t hesitate to give MORBiZ a call at 1-855-266-7249.

What is a Small Business Mobile App?

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Sat, 30 Sep 2017 03:27:58 GMT

If you ask ten people what app, which is short for application, they use on their phone the most or which is their favorite, you will likely get ten different responses. However, if you ask those people WHY they use those apps, you start to find some similarity in their answers. For many people they use them to stay connected with friends and family via communication or social apps, for some it’s shopping apps that help them save money, yet others may even say they use apps to find love. The point is, people use lots of apps, for lots of different things everyday, and your business can benefit from the app craze.

I thought apps were just for games?

A common misconception about apps is that they are just games. Frankly, just about anything you do on your phone uses an app. Yes, games are also apps, but apps are also how you message people, how you go online, how you get directions, how you order many items, including pizza. Apps are what maximizes your phone’s capabilities.

What does a small business app offer?

A small business can greatly benefit from an app, even if it is a service based, brick and mortar operation. At its base, a small business app will help you stay in touch with current, past and potential customers.

Instant Contact - Your app will provide an easy means of communication for your customers. Once they download the app they will be able to call or otherwise contact your business at the touch of a button.
Loyalty Programs - Many apps offer loyalty and referral reward programs. This provides incentive to customers to return to your business again and again, all while telling their friends and family about your awesome services.
Push Notifications - If you want to advertise a special event, sale or other promotion, a push notification can be sent to all of the users of your app, informing them about this unique opportunity.

A custom mobile app is a great way for any small business to stay in touch with customers while growing their client base. To learn more about how a custom mobile app for small business can help boost your bottom line reach out to the professional small business marketing team at MORBiZ. We offer a large number of solutions that help SMB owners extend their reach on a daily basis. We’d love to provide you with a a free consultation about the use of apps, websites, video or other tools that can help grow your business! Call MORBiZ at 1-855-2MORBIZ to get started today!

Top Benefits of a Blog for your Small Business

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 02:42:35 GMT

In order to stay relevant in the ever changing world of online marketing there is one tool that is sure to remain important for years and years: a blog. This may seem like an inconvenient way to connect with customers looking for your particular service or product, especially if you operate a brick and mortar business. But, as you're probably well aware, people have turned to the Internet to find everything from auto repair and landscaping to doctors and legal services. A blog on your website offers several benefits that a stagnant website doesn't.

Increase Organic SEO

By adding a blog to your website, or creating a new website with a blog situated on the front page, you'll have a platform for constant new content to be created. Since all of the major search engines regularly seek fresh content to include in their search results, your new blogs are likely to be indexed and come up in search results when people seek related services or products, as long as proper keywording is used.

Become a Local Business Leader

Your blog can be used to establish your business as a local leader in your industry. You can offer advice, tips and other valuable information through your blog that your friends, neighbors and other people in your community will read. This information helps them learn about your business, trust your business and hopefully, inspire them to use your business.

Connect with Customers

As your blog becomes a local staple it will become a place that people will regularly visit to get information they want and need regarding your products and services. Through your blog you will also get to establish a voice and personality for your business, making you more relatable to new, potential and current customers.

Creates a Sharing Opportunity

Your blog posts are also great for sharing on social media, such as Facebook, Twitter and Google+. This can be extremely valuable to your web presence, as a blog post that provides great info may be read by hundreds or thousands of people in your community as it is shared time and time again. This type of exposure can drive business to levels you thought were impossible to reach!

Blogging does take time, however, which is something many local business owners don't have a lot of. That doesn't mean you can't still have a blog for your website. When you work with MORBiZ to establish your local web presence we will create and maintain a blog on a custom website that is designed specifically to drive traffic to your business. To learn more about our outstanding hyper-local web marketing services call MORBiZ at 1-855-266-7249 or send us an email . Let's get started on your blog today!

Is Video Marketing Worth it for Small Business?

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Fri, 01 Sep 2017 02:40:05 GMT

Here is a statistic that is sure to wow you; nearly 50 percent of mobile web traffic is spent watching online video. While a lot of that can be attributed to sports bloopers and cute kitties, a significant portion of video watching is done by people seeking products and services from local businesses. In the era of need it now, video marketing for your small business is more important than ever. While you may do a wonderful job of presenting your business through text on your website, chances are, few people will spend time to read through it completely. A video, on the other hand, posted on the front page of your site and elsewhere on the web, is going to be an attention grabber that will reel in new customers.

One reason many small businesses sway away from video is because of the misconception that video is expensive. This just isn't the case! Video doesn't require production teams and fancy editing that costs an arm and a leg. In fact, video, doesn't have to be video at all, or at least as you think of a moving picture. The ultimate goal is to provide a short, detailed look at your business using quality imagery, a great voice over and a strong message for customers. This can be done at a very affordable price, when you work with an online marketing agency that understands this as well! So, what are the specific reasons your small business needs online video marketing?

Increase Search Ranking

When somebody conducts an online search in Google, any relatable video results will show up at the top of the search query. Not only will the video show up on its own (which should link back to your site if it is hosted on a platform such as YouTube) but a website with a video on it is more than 50 times more likely to show up on the first page of Google search results.

More Time Spent on Your Website

People often spend less than one minute browsing a website before leaving or making a decision about using the products or services offered. Studies have shown that when people visit sites with a video they are likely to spend up to two minutes longer on the site.

Strengthen Purchase Decisions

Your video should provide potential customers with some insight into what your business does, how it does it, and who you and your staff are personally. The additional information that a video offers will help people make a decision about using your business services, often in a positive manner.

Do not underestimate the power of video! If you want to take your online marketing to the next level be sure to contact MORBiZ and ask about our extensive video marketing services . We can create a video, distribute it and host it on your website, giving you all the tools your need to drive customers. To learn more about online video marketing from MORBiZ call our friendly team today at 1-855-266-7249 or send us an email . We look forward to helping you with your web presence goals.

4 Must Have Online Tools to Grow a Brick and Mortar Business

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 01:54:37 GMT

Your business takes place in the real world, but whether you’re in a garage, in the field or in the office, if you’re not taking advantage of these web presence tools your sales are missing out. Since nearly half of all searches for local goods and services that take place on Google result in a person actually visiting a brick and mortar location it is easy to understand why you need to build and maintain your online identity. Simply being online isn’t enough though. A basic website won’t get you the hits that will increase your bottom line, but when paired with the following web presence tactics, you’re sure to see an increase in traffic, online and off.

Optimized Business Website

First and foremost you need a highly optimized website. Search engine optimization (SEO) for your website will assist with its organic presence on the Internet. By using quality keywording that includes your business’ primary services and the locations that you service within the readable text and titles of your site and in the behind the scenes coding, you will be more likely to show up in search results of Google queries by real, local customers.

Video Introduction

Video is an absolute must for any small business. Don’t run off thinking that you will be paying thousands of dollars for scripts and cinematography, online video can be done quite inexpensively while maintaining great quality. Most importantly you want a video hosted on various video sites, including YouTube, which is owned by Google. Relevant video search results will show up at the top page one search results on Google, which means if your video is properly optimized and tagged, it will be the first thing people see when searching for your product or service.

Mobile App

In order to maintain communication with your current and former customers, as well as those interested in using your services for the first time, a mobile app is an invaluable tool. By using a custom mobile app for your business you will be able to send push notifications, allow users to participate in referral programs, earn loyalty rewards and much more. Engaging with your customers through your app will enhance their experience with your business!

AdWords

Not everything good in life is free, as in the case with Google AdWords. This unique tool allows you to purchase advertising on a per-click basis. The ads appear as search results at the top of page one queries on Google, so even a non-click leaves an impression, and that is free! AdWords is an affordable and effective advertising tool when properly managed so it is imperative that you allow an AdWords expert to handle your paid campaigns to maximize efficiency and ROI.

If you’re trying to grow your business’ online presence in order to boost offline sales there are many avenues that need to be covered. When you work with the highly proficient team of hyper-local web presence experts at MORBiZ you can rest easy knowing your business’ online identity is in good hands. Our dedicated team handles your website, adwords campaign, video distribution, custom mobile app and we partake in your social media efforts for an extra boost! To learn more about how we can help you grow your business with enhanced online presence call 1-855-266-7249 to speak with a friendly representative today.

Three Ways to Achieve Hyper-Local Web Presence for SMBs

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 01:52:13 GMT

While billboards and newspaper ads will catch an eye here and there, if your business in not online - correction, if your business’ online presence isn’t strong, you will miss out on customers. Today nearly everyone searches for local products and services online, and as much as 50 percent of those people will visit a physical store or office they find on the web within one day. That’s some quick turnaround, but it is should come as no surprise when dealing with the now generation. So while you may have signed up for a groovy website in the dot com era, chances are it hasn’t been pulling its weight for ages. To make sure you business is easily found online you need to invest in hyper-local content and optimization. Utilizing a professional web marketing agency will likely be in your best interest, especially if the the following sounds like alphabet soup. Without further introduction, here are three keys to hyper-local online success.

Excellent onsite SEO

Not only do you need a website, you need a good website. What does that mean? A good, no great, website is one that is easy to navigate, responsive to screen size and enhanced with a localized search engine optimization (SEO) strategy. SEO entails using quality keywords in the visible text, names of photographs and images, in the titles, page names, and tags on any given website. Since Google and other search engines scour over all aspects of a page when seeking the best results for a search query your site needs to cover all its bases, in front of and behind the scenes.

Targeted Adwords Campaign

Google AdWords is a powerful paid advertising tool that will help to all but guarantee your business will show up at the top of search results, when it is properly managed that is. AdWords allows you to target very certain areas for your ads to appear in, from a whole state, to a county, city, small town or even a single neighborhood.

Connect with Social Media

Regular communication with your current, past and potential client base is a great way to get people to come back or give you a try for the first time. A healthy social media presence includes regular posts that with helpful information about your products and services. You can also respond directly to your customers’ questions, comments and concerns. Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus pages also provide a platform to distribute searchable material that can show up in Google search results. What you share and how it is typed is critical to it being relevant to search engines.

It’s called the World Wide Web, but it is an amazing tool to connect locally. If you want to enhance your business’ local web presence reach out to our highly experienced team at MORBiZ. We offer numerous tools to help your business grow online and off. Give us a call at

1-855-266-7249 and let’s put your business on the fast track to online success.

Why Does My Small Business Need an App?

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 02:27:31 GMT

To be straight, if your small business does not have a mobile app, you need to get one right away. Don’t worry though, it is much more affordable than you could possible imagine. OK, now that you know you need one, on to the ever important why. SImply put, just having a web presence, as in a website, isn’t going to provide the traffic you desire as more and more people turn to mobile for all their online activity. Smartphone apps are an increasingly important tool for all types of small businesses, just check out these reasons why you can’t skip the app.

Rise in Mobile Usage

As mentioned, online activity is rapidly shifting to mobile and away from desktops and even laptop computers. Recent studies show that nearly 75 percent of American smartphone users check their device at least once an hour and nearly 90 percent of the time a person is on their phone, they’re using an app. That’s time they could be spending on your app, if your business had one!

Instant Contact

Apps ensure that you are always in reach to your customer. Quick contact features, such as one touch calling, texting or emailing, allows your customers to get a hold of you in the method they find easiest, and fast.

Delivery of Push Notifications

In order to increase engagement your app can send push notifications. This could equate to a person receiving a text message, but from your business through your app. You can use it to inform customers of upcoming specials and sales, let them know a change in hours, or give them a heads up about a new product or service you are offering. Just be sure not to over do it with the push notifications, as too many could cause people to turn them off.

Loyalty Programs & Coupons

Other features of mobile apps that keep people coming back include referral programs, loyalty programs and coupons. Everybody loves to save money, and your app is a vehicle in which your customers can do just that!

The time and cost of app development is often what scares many SMB owners. Thankfully there are simple, affordable solutions to your business’ needs. MORBiZ offers exciting, rewarding custom mobile apps for SMBs. You will soon be live on Apple and Android products, as well as other brands. Your mobile app doesn’t have to compliment your website, it can outshine it! Give MORBiZ a call at 1-855-266-7249 to start designing your custom mobile app or to learn more about our extensive web presence services .

What is the Job of your Business’ Website?

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 02:24:00 GMT

The web has come a long, long way in the past 20 years, even the past five really. In the dotcom era it seemed a basic website with some flashy graphics would get anyone to buy just about anything. Hey, if it’s on the Internet, it must be true, right? Not so much anymore. For your small or medium sized business your website is often the first place potential customers will begin to interact with your company. When someone has a problem they don’t have the solution for, such as car trouble, they’ll turn to the Internet for help. The Internet, let’s just say Google, on the other hand, will point them to you, assuming your website it properly developed and cared for. Let’s go through the process of being a potential problem solver to a well-reviewed job well done.

It gets you found

It takes more than just a website to be found in Google search. Your website needs to be functional, responsive (meaning it adapts to the screen size of the device it is being viewed on) and well written. Bonus points for setting up a Google Adwords account. Search engine optimization (SEO) needs to be completed throughout the website to ensure every available route to your website is opened. This is done in content and behind the scenes in tags and metadata, which is handled by the builder of the site.

It educates your existing and potential customers

The content on your website needs to provide quick, clean answers to the viewer’s questions. Can you solve their problem? That is really what they are there to find out. The content should detail your services and products in a clear manner, giving direct information. Your main products and services should also be the website’s page names.

It builds trust

A properly functioning website is key to building trust. Not only will the viewer be reading about your services, but they’ll be bouncing between pages and likely on and off your site. If it fails to load or has other glitches, you can kiss that sale goodbye.

It helps them connect

While it may seem easier for someone to pick up the phone and call you, they’ll likely need to visit your website to get the contact information. However, not everyone enjoys talking on the phone so you should offer alternative methods of communication, such as a chat or an email contact form. The former allows you to obtain their email address, giving you the opportunity to reach out via newsletter in the future.

It is a means of conversion

On many SMB websites a conversion isn’t always a direct sale but instead a phone call or an email. This gets that customer in direct contact with you, allowing you to close the deal!

Before anyone even steps outside their house they will have already done plenty of research on local businesses that can solve their current dilemmas. Does your website answer their call? It certainly will if you leave your business website development to the experts at MORBiZ. Our team can handle all aspects of your online presence, from your Google Adwords campaign to Facebook and Twitter, not to mention your gorgeous new website and even a handy mobile app. To learn more about how MORBiZ can help you thrive in the online world in order to make sales in the real world give us a call at 1-855-266-7249. We look forward to being your SMB web marketing team.

Advantages of Building a Marketing Focused Website

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Tue, 30 May 2017 19:35:40 GMT

You bought the domain name, wrote some content and launched your site, but have you ever thought, “What is my website doing for my business?” after you went live? Even if your website is beautiful and informative, it isn't going to necessarily help you build your customer base without consistent time and energy. In addition to your current website, or in substitution of it, consider a marketing driven site, as the focus offers so much more than a general build. It's obvious that you want to increase sales, so here's how a marketing website can do that for your small or medium sized business.

Integrated Adwords Campaigns

One of the most important aspects of online marketing in our digital age is taking advantage of Google adwords. Running a market drive website with connected to a Google adwords campaign is going to land you at the top of search results in advertised spots, as well as organic listings.

Set Marketing Budget

When enlisting the help of a hyper local web advertising company you can identify exactly what your monthly or weekly budget will be, ensuring to extra costs. When your campaign is ran by a certified adwords professional you won't have to worry about overspending and you can rest assured you'll be getting great results.

Enhanced SEO

Being found in organic search results is incredibly important. A marketing website will have content crafted by a professional writer who will ensure the most favored search terms are included regularly throughout your site, driving your business to the top of search results. During the website build all metadata and tags will be appropriately cared for, providing even better opportunity to be found. By adding links to social media channels and other outside domains, your current and potential customers will find you without difficulty thanks to your enhanced web presence.

Responsive Website Design

More than half of all web searches are done on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, but if your website doesn't fit your customers' screens, they're going to look somewhere else. A marketing website is built to be responsive, meaning it adapts to any screen size for the ultimate user experience. A custom mobile app could also be included in your marketing website package, taking your efforts one step further.

Consistent, New Content

A marketing website built and hosted by an online marketing specialist will receive regular content updates, often through a blog. This keeps your website fresh, giving Google and other search engines reason to continuously index your site, making sure it's being found. The fresh content will also be shared on your social channels, driving customers directly to your site with fun, informative information.

Your website should be a tool that drives business to your storefront, not something that seems to be a hassle. To learn more about building a marketing website reach out to the friendly professionals at MORBiZ. We offer many solutions to increase your web presence and grow your bottom line through online marketing . Give us a call at 1-855-2MORBIZ to request a free web and mobile business presence evaluation, and we'll figure out which tools are right for your needs.

How a properly managed adwords campaign can save advertising dollars

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Tue, 30 May 2017 19:31:18 GMT

Paid online advertising works great, when it is properly managed. The most common form of Internet advertising is pay-per-click, which only costs the business when ads displayed in search results from Google and related sites are clicked on. Seems like a great deal, doesn't it? Well, It can cost your business a whole lot more than a missed sale if the campaigns are setup incorrectly, as there are variables including bidding costs for ads to display, keywords and more. Google adwords is a monstrous tool, used by all types of businesses, big and small, around the world to drive traffic to their websites. No matter your location, or your business type, you'll want an adwords professional at the keyboard when it comes to your PPC campaigns in order to minimize advertising waste. Here are six ways a well managed adwords campaign will save advertising money.

Identifying the Right Keywords & Keyword Types

When it comes to adwords, creativity isn't necessarily king. Adwords offers a limited space in order to get a sales pitch across, and those few words needs to offer the information necessary to get a user to click on your ad. An adwords pro will have access to unique tools that will help identify the most searched for terms surrounding your business' products and services, in relation to your city or neighborhood. While the right keywords are incredibly important so are keyword types, in Google this includes broad match, broad match modifier, phrase match and exact match. How you advertise will affect how well your ads do in terms of impressions, clicks and conversions. Figuring out which type of keyword to use is best left to a pro, or your clicks could skyrocket, which cost money, but minimal, if any, conversions will follow.

In addition to figuring out which keywords are best for attracting customers, you'll need to identify the negative keywords that shouldn't be displayed with your ads to prevent unwanted spend. Not using the negative keyword function can cost a business hundreds of dollars or more per month. In one campaign a business was able to reduce the cost per click (CPC) by 25% by utilizing negative keywords.

Optimizing Quality Scores

Every ad created in Google AdWords is given a quality score of one to ten. Ads that receive higher scores will generally appear more often and have a lower CPC. There are numerous things that affect an ad's quality score, including ad copy relevance, keyword relevance, click-thru rate, historical performance and more. The goal is to raise the quality score of all your ads, so they will be more effective. A seasoned adwords expert can do this by completing a number of complicated processes, such as split testing, landing page optimization and keyword matching.

Ad Testing & Revising

The thing about adwords is that it can be changed at any given time in order to keep up with current marketing practices, popular keywords and more. Of course, even if you're just getting started you would want to create superior ads right off the bat. By creating multiple ads that use different headlines and phrasing and monitoring their success, an adwords expert can effectively pinpoint what works and what doesn't for your business.

Adwords Location Targeting

Online advertising is not just for Internet based retailers. If you run a brick and mortar business your ultimate mission is to get people through the door, and an adwords campaign can absolutely do that. Through a combination of geo targeting, landing page optimization and analytical review an adwords pro can eliminate clicks from out of your service area and drive business right to your front door.

Advertising Budgeting

Chances are, if you're reading this you are looking for ways to more effectively manage your advertising budget. When improperly set up or left unmonitored for an extended period of time an adwords campaign you thought was costing you $3 per day may end up costing you $20 per day or more. While there are spending cap options, this isn't always the most effective way to budget your advertising dollars. A properly managed adword campaign, which includes setting conservative advertising bids, can remain well within your budget and produce an outstanding ROI.

Decreases Offline Advertising Needs

Let's face it, phone books, radio and TV spots, billboards, newspaper ads and so on and so forth are quickly falling by the wayside. When somebody wants something, they turn to Google. Launching a successful adwords campaign could increase your sales in such a way you'll likely be able to eliminate many outdated advertising practices that have a much smaller ROI, if it has any at all.

Excellent Google AdWords campaign management is your golden ticket to reduce advertising waste. MORBiZ, a Google Certified Partner, provides high quality adwords campaign management as a part of their all inclusive web presence campaigns for local businesses throughout the country. Using tailored marketing solutions to fit your business' needs, MORBiZ drives customers right to your front door. Give MORBiZ a call at 1-855-2MORBIZ for a free web and mobile business presence evaluation and to learn more about how we can help you save money on advertising costs.

4 ways Social Media can Grow Your Business

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Mon, 08 May 2017 19:54:51 GMT

In a time not long ago, seriously, just a few years ago, social media was a mysterious creature taking over the Internet. Now, it is the Internet. Yet many small and medium-sized businesses are still brushing it off, assuming it has no relevance to their day-to-day activities. "It's a tech thing," "It's pointless," "Facebook is for kids," these are actual attitudes of real business owners who are missing out on the glory of social.

Social media encompasses Facebook, Twitter, the ever-important and often underused Google+, and numerous other sites, but the aforementioned are the Internet's Big Three. These are the sites that are fighting for your business. Lucky for you, they're all free at the basic level, and that is a perfect level to be at. Using social media is critical to your business' overall online presence and it continually assists with your SEO, which means people will find you online and use your products and services offline. Here are four ways using social media will benefit your business.

Social Searches & Recommendations

People often use sites like Facebook to ask for recommendations from friends and use the search bar to look up local businesses. If you are not using social media you won't be a part of these important conversations and search results. The more present you are online, the better chance you have of being "checked in" at and getting a thumbs up.

Outsource Your Link Building

Your business website likely has a blog, or at least a page that gets updated regularly with discounts or special offers. While having a routinely updated blog itself is great, as this helps Google know your website is as active as ever, that piece of literature you just crafted may not be getting the buzz it deserves. By creating and using social channels, including Facebook, Twitter and Google+, you will have a platform to distribute your new content. When you post a blog link on social media it invites people directly to your website. Not only will your followers see this blog that links to your website, but many of them may share or retweet it, giving a brand new audience an introduction to your business. If you write a piece that really heats up the Twittersphere you can count on your website getting a lot visits, which often translates into sales. Links shared by actual social media users also help search engines find relevance in your website, which boosts your search rankings. More on that below.

Improve Your Search Engine Ranking

Social media pages and postings are indexed by search engines, meaning they can show up in search results. To ensure they do it is important to use keywords when writing your social media biographies. Linking from your website to your social channels also helps search engines find relevant information about your business, again helping to boost your search ranking. This is exceptionally true when linking from your website to your Google+ page, as a large majority of Internet searches are done on Google and Google loves it when you use their products. As mentioned, the more that content which links to your website is shared, the better chance is has of helping your website show up in search results.

Advantages of a Video Introduction to your Business

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 01:47:20 GMT

Nearly one-third of the time people spend online involves watching video. Granted, a large portion of that is of baby goats and kittens, but many other people are engaging with videos about local businesses while they are searching for products and services they need everyday. If you've yet to dive into video marketing you're not connecting with hundreds or even thousands of potential local customers. With video more affordable than ever, now is the time to take advantages of these amazing video marketing benefits.

Higher Google search results

Google sees as much as 70 percent of all online searches and since Google owns YouTube, their search results prioritize websites that have a YouTube embedded video. Some studies show that a website is 53 times more likely to show up as the first result on Google if it has an embedded video.

Off page SEO

When properly uploaded and distributed through a variety of video hosting sites your business' video introduction becomes a key piece of off page SEO. A properly uploaded video includes a well written and keyword rich title and description, as well as tags, which helps search engines index your video so people see it when looking for your services online.

Spend more time on page

In many cases people will leave a website without spending more than 15 seconds on a page. This is because they're searching for easy, direct answers about a business, which is exactly what video provides. A website that offers a video introduction could see visitors stay as much as 88 percent longer than on a page that does not.

Engagement & Clarity

Not only will the video encourage people to spend more time on your website but they will also engage with the page. After watching your video they're more likely to visit pages, other than your site's homepage, in order to discover more about your products and services because they'll feel more connected to your business. You don't need special effects and puppies to make an engaging video, just honestly, great imagery and a clear description of your business.

Proven to increase sales

All of the above, the increased time on the page, the engagement, the heightened search results, all translate into increased sales for your business. Providing a video introduction of your SMB allows people to better understand what you do and sell, making them as much as 74 percent more likely to use your products or services.<br><br>

Video isn't the future, it's now! Missing out on video means you're missing out on customers. To learn more about the benefits of video marketing or to create an affordable marketing video of your own get in touch with the leading web marketing experts at Morbiz. We offer extensive Internet marketing tools that are designed to engage with potential customers that live in your community. We work hard to boost your business' recognition. Call Morbiz at (855) 266-7249 to get started on your Internet marketing video or to find out more about all of the other ways we can improve your business' web presence!

The Importance of Google+ Page Management

rogerw@morbiz.com (Roger Ward) — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 01:38:15 GMT

You may think you have your bases covered if you've got a website, Facebook and Twitter for your small or medium sized business, but if you're neglecting Google+ (Google Plus), you're really missing out on some prime opportunities. While simply signing up for Google's social network is beneficial in its own right, actually using it, and using it right, can send your business straight to the top, helping you be found by people in your community searching for the services you offer. With more than 343 million active users, Google+ falls quite short of Facebook's total users, but nearly 75 million more people use G+ than Twitter on a regular basis. In order to reach millions of potential customers you may otherwise miss you need to be active on your business' G+. Letting a marketing professional handle your G+ management is a surefire way to unlock all of the benefits of Google+ in order to see heightened results, as they will utilize quality content to help more people find your business in multiple ways.

Higher organic search results

Google loves it when you use their own tools. As an active and verified Google+ member Google will automatically list your business higher in search results. With nearly 70 percent of all Internet searches conducted on Google, signing up for and using G+ is the simplest way to increase your search ranking.

Increased off page SEO

It is crucial that your website is search engine optimized (SEO) to help boost your rankings in search results on all search engines, but an active Google+ page can assist with off page SEO. Off page SEO is optimized content that isn't on your website, but directs people to it. Anything that is posted on your Google+ business page is immediately indexed by Google, meaning that particular content can be found in search results, even if the website itself isn't. This is great, especially if you're letting an Internet marketing team handle your G+, as they will fill your page with valuable content and links to your business' website, putting more customers at your doorstep.

Encourage reviews

Reviews, reviews, reviews. In the age of the Internet, they seem to mean more than anything, even "Best Of" awards from local and regional organizations. Google will look at your site's reviews and +1s, the Google version of the "Like," to assist with search rankings. Your G+ manager will encourage your customers to leave positive reviews, helping you to show higher in Google search results.

Increased local results

As a business that relies on customers walking through the door it is crucial that you show up in local search results. An active and verified Google+ page includes address verification, which allows Google to know your location and point people in your area to your business when searching for the services you provide.

Simply put, if you're not using Google+, your business is missing out. To learn more about the benefits of G+ page management by an expert web marketing team get in touch with Morbiz. We offer numerous tools, including G+ management, to heighten your business' web presence and increase your bottom line. Give the friendly and knowledgeable Morbiz team a call at (855) 266-7249 to get started with your professional Internet marketing campaign.

The benefits of a Pay-Per-Click campaign

_dm_templates@dudamobile.com (John Miller) — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

Launching a Google pay-per-click (PPC) campaign is one of the best ways to get your small business the online exposure that it needs to thrive. As part of this campaign, you will only pay for the amount of traffic that your site actually gets, based on the individual clicks that the ad receives. In today’s advertising climate, it is crucial that you have an effective strategy for maximizing your online visibility. In this realm, PPC campaigns have become a top choice for small business owners across the nation for a number of reasons. Here’s a look at the major benefits of a Google PPC campaign.

Target Specific Audience

A PPC campaign will afford you the opportunity to reach exactly the type of clientele that is likely to need your services. Through keywords and target demographics, including age and location, you’ll have control over the types of Google searches that will result in your website appearing as one of the top results. This is particularly important for localized searches, as you want to be sure that your site is fully visible to those living in your community.

User-Friendly Analytics

Through your Google PPC campaign, you’ll be able to easily measure the benefits that it is providing you. You’ll be able to see the number of clicks that you’re receiving, and measure this against the profit that the campaign is generating.

Customized Budgeting

There are no restrictions on how much or how little you can spend on your campaign. You’ll decide how much you want to pay for each click and how much to invest in a particular ad campaign. Once you’ve launched your Google PPC ads, you’ll be able to clearly see your return on the investment, and then subsequently determine the best path forward in regard to your advertising budget.

Instant Impact

Upon completion of building out a Google Adwords campaign, your ads will immediately start showing on Google Search. This will get you the immediate exposure that you want, and the instant results that you need. With more and more companies launching pay-per-click campaigns, you don’t want your business to fall behind.

If you’re interested in Google PPC advertising it is best to consult with an online marketing expert that can help you optimize your campaign. For PPC campaign optimization, contact Morbiz at (855) 266-7249. Feel free to call a Morbiz representative today so you can develop the best strategy for maximizing your online exposure!

Why should I have a Mobile App?

_dm_templates@dudamobile.com (John Miller) — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 00:00:00 GMT

These days, customers are often on-the-go when they seek out a particular business or service. When a customer turns to their phone and searches for your business, it’s of great consequence that you have a well-built mobile app. This could very well make the difference between a customer choosing you versus another local competitor. The app will build important connections between you and your clientele, and it can potentially help to keep you in better contact with your employees regarding current promotions and sales efforts. In today’s online world, you need to make sure that you optimize your presence in many arenas, and a mobile app is big step forward in that direction. Here’s a look at the top benefits of having a mobile app for your business.

Enhanced Customer Experience

There are a number of great ways that your mobile app will create a better online experience for your customers. For one, the app will have quick contact features, allowing clients to conveniently reach out to you through phone or email with just a single click. Additionally, this will provide hassle-free appointment making and easy-to-follow directions.

Customer Retention Using a Mobile App

To keep your customers coming back time after time, you have to innovate and incentivize. There are several ways that your mobile app can boost customer retention, including:

Loyalty Rewards Programs - Your app can feature an electronic punch card, which will motivate you customers to return until the card is filled, at which point they’ll receive a significant perk. By having this on your app, your customer can’t lose it, and you know they’ll always have it with them.

Push Notifications - A mobile business app will allow you to contact your customers en masse when you want to make an announcement. Your customers’ phones will buzz when the notification is sent out.

Attract New Customers with a Mobile App

Finding new clients is a never-ending pursuit, and having a mobile app will provide you a valuable tool in building up your customer base.

Referral Programs - On your app you can feature referral programs that reward current customers for bringing new ones into the fold.

Special Offers - These exclusive deals will help to boost enticement and excitement for first-time customers.

If you’re interested in building your web presence for on-the-go customers, it’s best to consult an online marketing firm that specializes in mobile app construction. To create a mobile app for your business, contact Morbiz at (855) 266-7249. Feel free to call up a Morbiz representative today to start building a better online relationship with your on-the-go clientele!