52. Use of Panoramio for small business

September 28th, 2012

Panoramio is a tool owned by Google which affords the user help in including images as part of this approach but what makes this tool unlike other image sharing tools?

Various studies have proved that using images online can have the effect of engaging the user and holding their attention quicker than just using plain text. With this in mind, it would be prudent for any business in ensure that images are incorporated as part of their websites, blogs and any other online marketing and company branding strategies.

With Panoramio there is the facility to exhibit a symbol on a map, which will correspond to the place that the image in question was taken. This is fantastic for any business when a potential client asks questions about your business, for example; “Can you make available details of where your current customers are serviced or situated?” Rather than just offer a directory of areas or addresses, they can be accompanied by images which will help them connect more easily with the text.

Other capabilities of Panoramio are that you can effortlessly share your images on social networking sites such as Google Buzz and Twitter which will help increase awareness of your brand, products and services. GEO modifiers can be attached to an image which will help direct more traffic to your online marketing tools where people are specifically looking for your location.

There are also photographic communities within Panoramio. These groups are a place where like minded people can share images and have discussions about topics that they are enthusiastic about. These groups will help ensure that your business is connecting with and maintaining relationships with people that will want to be informed and kept up to date with what products and services you can provide.

Panoramio is free and easy to use and they provide a comprehensive resource section which will ensure that any user of Panoramio can reap the benefits to the fullest extent.

If you would like more information of local search services or how Panoramio can help with local SEO and marketing, please contact us.

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Posted in Local Mobile Search, SEO, Small business online | Comments Closed

51. How the use of Photobucket can benefit a small business

September 26th, 2012

Photobucket allows you to host all your photographs, videos and graphics for free and then share them with customers and colleagues by way of email or social networking sites like MySpace, Twitter and Facebook. A Photobucket account will provide safe storage for thousands of images and videos and allows you to use them in various different ways.

Along with email and social networking sites, your images can be shared with existing and potential clients on any website, blog or forum by simply copying and pasting the relative links.

The free account affords its users up to 500 Megs of storage space and provides for 10 Gigs worth of bandwidth per month. You can create numerous albums and sub-albums in a Photobucket account and reference them with identifying tags. You can choose to share single pictures or an entire album of images and are given the option of keeping any of your content private.

For businesses that require larger amounts of storage space, there is the option to pay a nominal amount per year which will provides a Pro Account with unlimited bandwidth for video viewing and photos. This type of account will also allow for a reasonable amount of business use for sales sites and others like eBay and then charge you for any additional image hosting.

For businesses that use branding merchandise for their clients such as t-shirts, cards and mugs, an account with Photobucket will offer the ability to order this merchandise through them after having been able to edit the images therefore saving on the cost of having to employ a sales site to make any changes.

Pro Account users can also take advantage of provided statistics which will afford an insight into which websites their images are being viewed though and the amount of times every image has been seen. This helps a company determine which web pages are performing well for the company by way of the number of visitors it is receiving as they have been attracted by a certain image.

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Posted in Small business online, Small Business Online Marketing, Website Design | Comments Closed

50. How using Flickr can help your small business

September 24th, 2012

Flickr is a fantastic way with which to showcase any and all images that represent your business from photographs of products, social company events to trade fairs and much more. By allowing such images to be searchable on Flickr, you can create more exposure for your business.


Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.

Traffic can be driven to your own company website as Flickr gives you the option to upload a slideshow you have created onto your own site and for those companies using blog hosts such as Blogger, WordPress, Tumblr and Live Journal there is the option to post images automatically onto your company blog. Both these options will be catching the attention of visitors and showcasing your company immediately.

Integrated with this is the ability to attach a Title, Description and Keyword Tags to every photograph. Whilst Flickr is linked to the search engine Yahoo a well built site on Flickr where photographs have been optimised for search engines and been used creatively for marketing purposes will benefit your business through other search engines such as Google and more.

Flickr has become a fantastic resource for any person or company searching out stock photography for their blog or website. No matter what your company has to write about there will be photographs available to accompany any web content or blog.

If one of your goals as a company is to establish your business as an expert in your field, along with building recognition of your brand and creating working relationships and goodwill, then you may want to consider providing your own company photographs as stock photography via Flickr. Creating a Flickr account consisting of photographs which are interesting and engaging will encourage other people and companies to want to use your photographs.

The fact that you can store and categorise all photographs within a Flickr account has meant that telling your company story visually has never been easier. Your clients and staff can add to your archive by sharing their memories and experiences of your company which in turn can be used to market your business.

Flickr can also be used in conjunction with many social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, therefore, no matter your preferred choice for connecting with potential clients, the sky really is the limit with what you could potentially achieve by using Flickr.

Click to view the Digital Ark Flickr page. If you would like help setting up Flickr or for us to Do It For You, visit our contact page and send us an e-mail.

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49. Small business must start to use video to promote their services

September 22nd, 2012

The internet is becoming more mature and that means that small businesses must evolve to keep up with their competitors.  2012 has seen a huge increase in the use of videos to promote the services of even the smallest of businesses.

Youtube (owned by Google) is now the second most used form of search after Google itself.  What this means is that Youtube is the 2nd largest search engine.  Therefore, it is only logical that a business or organisation would want to have their videos available within Youtube.

There is also an added bonus is that Google is now displaying video results in their organic search results in a similar way to how it does with images.  So if none of your competitors are using video, there is a great opportunity to get on the first page of search results.

Videos are very good for holding the attention of potential customers and far more likely to keep them on your web page.  So an single investment in one video will then allow you to add it to Youtube, Facebook, your website and many other places.  A good return on investement.

If you would like more details on how to set about planning and creating a video or, better still, would like Digital Ark to do it for you, please contact us.  The cost is a lot less than you imagine.

 

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48. How a Dedicated iPhone App Can Help Your Business

September 10th, 2012

When I think back to my childhood years and the ways, in which our family communicated with relatives in Australia, it conjures memories of listening to what I now know was a cassette tape recording of my cousin’s voices with carefully planned gaps which me the illusion I was actually talking to them in real time.

 

The world seemed to me then to be a much larger place that it does now. Since the conception of the World Wide Web my ability to communicate with distant relatives or work colleagues is instant without the need for elaborately planned charades and not only this but I can conduct many of my necessary day to day tasks both in business and pleasure not only by way of my computer but also whilst “on the go” with my trusty iPhone through the many applications from varying businesses and organisations.

 

I feel as though I am literally holding access to the world in the palm of my hand and for many businesses this is a vital tool with which to bring their services and products to fingertips of existing and potentially new clients from across the globe.

 

So why will an iPhone app help your business?

 

Small business appThe iPhone is undoubtedly the most popular smart phone in today’s market of mobile technology. Its many features have afforded all of its user’s ease of use and many will upgrade the moment a new model is released. As the iPhone can be connected to third party devices by way of the doc connector facility many businesses have been given the freedom to develop and implement their own iPhone application which becomes a marketing strategy which will help increase awareness of their company globally in the market they are involved in.

 

 

Once developed, iPhone applications are submitted to iTunes where they are then marketed for people to download to their iPhone. iTunes offer an application developing service however; since the use of such applications through iPhones has become an increasingly more popular way for people to access their many needs both professionally and personally, there has been a sudden increase in companies offering iPhone application development services.

 

As with a website it is vital to ensure that the application you create is easy to use. Think about the products and services that your company has to offer its clients and ensure you can fashion an application that will get both regular and potential customers actively involved with your business. Your business will always be with them either in a bag, briefcase or even in a back pocket (pretty much every place we choose to leave our mobile phone).

 

How will you be able to measure the success of your iPhone application? Simply by increased profit margins. Before engaging in the process of producing an iPhone application it would be prudent to peruse the catalogue of applications that may already available to consumers by your competitors and draw from these ideas which will ensure that whilst it may take a while for your own application to receive interest it will offer something unique which will soon see increased traffic to your business ideas, innovations, products and services.

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Posted in Mobile Website Design, Small Business App Design, Small Business Online Marketing | Comments Closed

47. How Infographics Can Help Your Small Business

September 9th, 2012

Marketing information of products and services to potential customers requires innovative and stimulating ways with which to present it so that it not only attracts as many people as possible but that it holds their interest. With technology continuing to advance on an almost daily basis there are more and more ways becoming available to put our businesses in the path of consumers yet on the other hand this means that as consumers are offered more information, there is more for them organise and collate.

 

Using Infographics as a way to present content is becoming more and more popular lately as they are a visually effective tool that if created well are intriguing, and compelling whilst providing all the necessary information to fulfil the consumers needs.

 

So what are Infographics? They have been in use for a long time; one of the most recognised uses of Infographics in the UK is the map of the London Underground.  Could you imagine how much longer it would take us to analyse and have an understanding of a journey we need to take if all that information was given to us in a long hand written format?

 

Using Infographics can make the reader pay attention and if you have their attention then they will continue to take in information and share this information more.

 

There are many motivating reasons for businesses to use infographics as part of their marketing strategy.

 

  • People enjoy reading information that enables them to learn from and gather information for their needs. Add to this visually stimulating images and the content will be worth sharing with others as it is even more compelling. This can increase traffic to websites and applications.

 

  • If created effectively like the map for the London Underground system, your infographic can be downloaded and saved or scanned with ease and with many people able to retain images in their memory easier than loads and loads of writing; your information could be retained in someone’s memory a lot longer.

 

  • If you allow your infographic to be shared from your website, blog or an application, then it can be embedded with code so there will always be an automatic link from the site sharing it back to yours. This can again increase the amount of traffic seeing your business and the products and services you have to offer.

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  • Infographics can be used with any and all types of marketing whether it is via the internet or printed matter such as leaflets and magazines.

 

  • If you have created an infographic which shows you are proven in its subject matter and provide clear demonstration of your knowledge and expertise then not only will you increase the potential for new clients but your infographic could go viral. This could have a positive nock on effect with your SEO and increase your rankings with search engines on the internet and heighten awareness for your brand of product and services.

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46. How social book marking can help a small business

August 24th, 2012

So what is Social Booking and can it really help your business?

small business social bookmark icons

Social Bookmarking is the ability to save and tag any website, blog, article or post that is of interest to you. It is very similar to the “My Favourites” function which should be built into the internet options of your computer, one difference from this being that you register a free account with a website like Delicious and therefore any link you have saved is done so online and can be accessed from any computer.

 

Another difference is that you can share information and follow other users of the social bookmarking site that you choose to sign up with. This is a valuable tool, as it allows you to see the good web content that other online users with the same interests as you are accessing and you can be kept up to date with the latest trends instantly. In the majority of cases, readers can mark or comment on a web post they find particularly interesting and as a result the popularity of the link can increase considerably and create more traffic to a certain website.

 

It therefore does not come as a surprise that many businesses have realised the potential of online marketing by bookmarking the content of their own websites. If a website’s content is interesting, innovative and can capture the attention of the reader, businesses can expect to receive more traffic to their website which in turn leads to increased exposure of their products and services.

 

Many of the social bookmarking sites like Delicious have achieved a high page ranking with the most popular search engines like Google and Yahoo and as such the content within them is held in higher regard. Having a link to your website from one of the most popular social bookmarking sites can be a powerful aid with which to increase your own ranking within search engines.

 

When saving a link, most sites like Delicious will advise you of how many other people have bookmarked the same URL. This is not only important in respect of knowing if your web content is of interest to potential clients but also in respect of that of your competitors. By searching keywords you can see bookmarks which match the criteria you have entered and the results will be listed in order of popularity and trend.

 

In many circumstances when a bookmark has shown to be extremely popular the social bookmarking sites will highlight them on their home page therefore affording the originator of the post extra marketing without the need of a user having to input keywords. Often the fact that content has reached such popularity could mean that within a matter of days it can go viral.

 

Whatever your business, product or service, in today’s age of technology and the fact that so many people use the internet it is definitely prudent for a business to realise and act upon the ability of social bookmarking sites to have the potential to increase traffic to their website and therefore increase the prospect of new clientele.

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45. How Pinterest Can Help Small Businesses

August 20th, 2012

Pinterest affords it users the ability to pin pictures from any website they are browsing to a virtual pin board. Users can create as many pin boards as they wish and add to each board countless pictures along with a personal description of the image they are adding. Other users of Pinterest can search the site for illustrations of interest to them, comment on them, follow a particular pin board of interest and even re-pin a picture to their own account.

 

So how does this help a small business?

 

Part of the programming built into this site is that when a user pins a picture from a website to a pin board, the website address from where the image came is listed clearly and concisely and there is no option with which to hide to this information.

 

Let’s say Jane Doe is planning her wedding. She can create pin boards for a dress, cake, shoes, jewellery and so forth. As she browses the internet for inspiration and comes across pictures of these items that she likes she can pin them to the specific boards she has created in order that she can peruse them at a later date. Each picture will list the website from where they came so there is no need whilst browsing for Jane Doe to have to remember an address or write lengthy lists.

 

Friends, family and other users of Pinterest can see the pin board Jane Doe has created and they can add comments such as their opinion on the item they are looking at or they can re-pin the picture if it is of interest to them to a board of their own. The website address from where Jane Doe originally obtained the picture will automatically appear on this new board.

 

Not only can a small business rapidly have its products and services visually represented to a high number of prospective clients along with its website address but they can also get feedback about their merchandise by way of the comments that users of Pinterest leave.

 

Pinterest is growing in use on a daily basis to collate information for a number of reasons from planning a wedding to re-decorating a home and is accessible through the most popular social networking sites Facebook and Twitter. Therefore if a business is using the visual side of promoting itself and its products on its website, there is scope to create awareness with many potential clients as people are browsing pin boards within Pinterest and re-posting pictures for their own followers, friends and family.

 

Currently Pinterest is not restricting the way in which a user signs up, therefore both private individuals and businesses can create an account as long as they have a valid email address. However it is worth noting that you cannot simply upload a picture to a pin board from your computer database. Only those images already available on a website can be added, therefore if you wish to create an account for your business you will need to ensure you have a website and that any images you wish to add to a pin board are readily available on your website too.

 

Take some time to view the Digital Ark Pinterest page.  If you would like more details on how social media can help your small business marketing, please visit our website.

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44. Online payments options for small business

August 11th, 2012

How we shop has changed considerably since the inception of the Internet and the World Wide Web. We no longer have to shop in-store, as most items we will ever need are now available to order on-line. I love this way of purchasing goods. I no longer have to have the children traipsing alongside me when I shop for things that are of absolutely no interest to them which in turn means I no longer get stressed because they have become bored and I don’t have to put up with constant questions like “Can I have “and “Can we go home yet”.

 

There will always be those items that I will venture into a shop to peruse before purchasing; however; for the most part, I can search different on-line shops, compare prices and even get honest product reviews from those who have purchased before me in the comfort of my own home. Then with little more than a click of a button I get to sit back and relax until the postman rings my doorbell with my new purchase.

 

For many small businesses the thought of what may involved in setting up their website in order to afford their customers the ability shop online may seem daunting and expensive, however; this does not need to be the case. PayPal has no set up or monthly fees and is a cost effective, easy to utilize option that more and more companies are using in order to accept on-line payments from their customers.

 

Setting up a PayPal account is done on-line and is free. Within a matter of minutes a consumers can begin to make purchases and businesses can have a number of “one-click” buttons added to their website. From, buy it now, shopping carts, and gift vouchers to monthly subscriptions there is an option for every consumer need.

 

Credit and debit card payments, bank transfers and email payments are made and received through PayPal without the need of either party having to disclose their banking details and with the security measures PayPal have in place both consumer and merchant can rest assured that every transaction is secure. Payment from one account to another is pretty much instantaneous with PayPal fees only being taken as and when a transaction occurs which are relative to the purchase amount.

 

PayPal offers all its businesses free tools with which to manage and measure their business effectively and consumers a comprehensive history of their transactions. PayPal is one of the leading companies in respect of this type of payment service and they can boast companies such as EBay, iTunes and Toys R Us among their clientele.

 

There are other companies such as PayPoint and SagePay amongst others offering on-line payment options for small businesses, so depending on needs for both consumer and merchant it would be prudent for  any business to research all these companies have to offer in order to ensure the highest quality shopping experience for their clientele.

 

If you would like more details on how you can have a website designed, that is enabled for online payments from only £14.99, please visit our website.

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Posted in Small Business e-Commerce, Small business online | Comments Closed

43. Why a small business should start a blog

August 9th, 2012

Ever since Google launched it has had a strong desire to return the best search results to the people using their service.  To achieve this they constantly make updates to their search algorithms (the code that decides what websites to return in the search results).

In April 2012, Google made 2 significant changes named Panda and Penguin.  These changes placed much more emphasise on good quality content being regularly updated on a website.

This presents an issue to the average small business as their websites are typically a couple of pages and static (they don’t get updated that often).  Therefore, in the eyes of Google they do not present a good experience to the person searching, meaning less likely to rank highly in the search results.

Problem

Most small business owners do not have the time or knowledge to regularly update their website.  In many cases they are not able to and any updates means spending money with the website designer.

Solution

A small business owner could start a blog.  There are many very good blogging platforms that are simple to use and do not require a huge amount of technical experience.  A blog will allow a small business owner to post regular content that, depending on quality, would be picked up by Google.

An even smarter move is to write posts on topics that their customers and website visitors will find interesting and provide value.  This will encourage even more visitors.  This in turn is looked on positively by Google and can help the website even more.  It is also possible to include links in your blog post back to the relevant pages on your main website.  Another good way of getting visitors to your main website.

How to Start

While it is possible to start a free blog, I would suggest starting a blog on your current website.  For example, the digital are blog can be found at www.digitalark.co.uk/blog1.  While not proven, Google appears to give benefit to the overall website and not just the blog.

Simple to Set-Up

A good web host, like Digital Ark, should have a solution that allows blog platform software such as WordPress to be installed with a single click.  This means that you could have a blog set-up and your first post published in less than an hour (probably even quicker).

Regular Updates

The big commitment for a small business is to make regular posts.  The best results are where a blog is updated at least once a week.  While this sounds daunting, spending a few weeks getting into a routine will soon turn it into a habit.  Then it should mean that you can create and post an entry in less than 30 minutes.

The articles should ideally be between 400 – 600 words.  Less than 400 can be seen as ‘thin’ content by Google with limited value.  It should not matter if some articles are less than 400, just aim for the majority to be over 400 words.

Remember to include headings and pictures to make the blog easier to read and more visually appealing.

If you make a post each week, over a year you will end up with a lot of content on your blog that should be viewed favourably by Google giving you a best chance of ranking higher in the search results.

Conclusion

Google wants high quality and frequently updated.  Writing a blog offers and excellent way for a small business to provide value to potential customers, engage with their audience and as a by product give Google want it wants!

Don’t delay start your blog now.  If you would like help or more information, please contact us.

 

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